16 Ways to Fix exFAT Drive Not Showing Up on Windows 11

Recently, a handful of PC folks have reported that the exFAT drive is not showing up on their Windows 11 devices. This issue occurs due to a number of factors including faulty connections, outdated drivers, and software glitches. Fortunately, it’s not a big deal to take control of the exFAT drive missing problem. If you have also run into this persistent Windows issue, now is the right time to sort it out with these 16 best tips and tricks. Read on…

How to Fix exFAT Drive Not Showing Up on Windows 11

For those unfamiliar, the exFAT drive is a storage device—such as a USB flash drive, external hard drive, or SD card – designed to bridge the gap between the older FAT32 and the new-age NTFS file systems. Being compatible with both Windows and macOS, it makes transferring files between PCs and Macs a seamless experience.

As to what causes the exFAT drive to disappear, you need to keep in mind these villains –

• Connection Issue
• Driver Outdated
• Drive Letter Conflict
• File System Corruption
• Partition Not Initialized
• Hidden Drive Partition
• Disabled USB Port
• Power Supply Insufficient
• Malware Infection
• Faulty USB Cable
• Outdated BIOS/UEFI
• Conflicting Software

In this guide, we are going to dig into each of the above-mentioned culprits and eliminate them. As always, we’ll first take on the relatively basic tips as they often prove to be pretty handy in resolving the exFAT-related issues on PC.

1. Check Physical Connections

Bear in mind that loose or faulty connections can block Windows from detecting the drive.

• Therefore, ensure the USB cable is securely connected to both the drive and the computer.
• Additionally, you can also try using a different USB port, preferably a USB 3.0 port for better compatibility.
• If possible, use a different cable to rule out cable issues.

2. Restart Your Computer

A simple restart can refresh the system and resolve temporary exFAT-related glitches.

• To get it done, click on the Start button and select “Power.”
• Choose “Restart” and wait for Windows to reboot.
• Reconnect the exFAT drive to see if it’s now recognized.

3. Test on Another Device

Should the problem persist, now is the right time to determine if the issue is with the drive or the computer.

• Connect the exFAT drive to another computer.
• If it shows up, the problem is likely with your Windows 11 PC.
• If it doesn’t, the drive itself may be faulty.

4. Update USB Drivers

Note that outdated USB drivers can cause compatibility issues with the exFAT on your Windows device.

• Right-click the Start button and select “Device Manager.” Alternatively, press Windows+X and choose Device Manager in the list.

• Expand “Universal Serial Bus controllers.”
• Right-click on each USB driver and select “Update driver.”
• Choose “Search automatically for drivers” and follow the prompts.
• Once the USB driver has been updated, restart your PC.

5. Reinstall the USB Drivers

If the exFAT driver has not yet returned to normal, reinstall the USB drivers as there is a high chance that deep corruption could be at the heart of the problem.

• To begin with, right-click the Start button > select “Device Manager” > expand “Universal Serial Bus controllers.”
• Now, right-click on each USB driver > select Uninstall device and confirm.
• Once you have uninstalled the USB driver, reboot your PC.

6. Update Disk Drivers

Incompatible or outdated disk drivers might be blocking detection. Hence, update your disk drivers.

• To get it done, launch the Device Manager and expand “Disk drives.”
• After that, right-click on the external drive > choose “Update driver.”
• Now, select “Search automatically for drivers” and complete the update.

7. Check Disk Management

Find out if the drive is unallocated or lacks a drive letter.

• To do so, right-click on the Start button > search for and launch “Disk Management.”
• Now, look for the exFAT drive in the list.
• If it’s unallocated, right-click and select “New Simple Volume” to initialize it.
• If it lacks a drive letter, right-click and choose “Change Drive Letter and Paths.”

8. Initialize the Disk

It’s worth pointing out that new or corrupted drives may need initialization.

• In Disk Management, locate the exFAT drive marked as “Not Initialized.”
• Right-click the drive and select “Initialize Disk.”
• Choose the partition style (GPT for modern systems, MBR for older ones).

9. Change Drive Letter

Conflicting drive letters can prevent the drive from showing up.

• In Disk Management, right-click the exFAT drive.
• Select “Change Drive Letter and Paths.”
• Click “Change” and assign a new letter that isn’t in use.

10. Run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

Thanks to the built-in troubleshooter, Windows can automatically detect and resolve hardware issues.

• On your Windows 11 device, fire up the Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Type: msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic and press Enter.
• Now, run through the on-screen instructions to detect the threats and get rid of them.

11. Check for Windows Updates

Fret not! Windows updates may come loaded with patches for hardware compatibility. So, updating the software will likely troubleshoot the exFAT problem on your PC.

• Head into the Settings > Windows Update.
• Click “Check for updates” > Install any available updates.
• Restart the computer and reconnect the exFAT drive.

12. Disable USB Selective Suspend

Keep a close eye on your power-saving feature as it also tends to disable USB devices.

• Open Control Panel > Power Options > “Change plan settings” next to the active power plan.
• Select “Change advanced power settings.”
• Expand “USB settings” and disable “USB selective suspend setting.”

13. Enable Legacy USB Support in BIOS

Do you know that certain exFAT drives require legacy support for compatibility? Therefore, activate the legacy USB support in BIOS on your PC.

• Restart your computer and enter the BIOS/UEFI setup (usually by pressing F2, F10, or Del).
• Navigate to “Advanced” or “Peripherals” settings.
• Locate “Legacy USB Support” and enable it.
• Save changes and restart the computer.

14. Check for File System Errors

Malicious file systems can stop the drive from mounting on your PC.

• On your device, launch the Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Type: chkdsk X: /f (replace X with the drive letter) and press Enter.
• Wait for the scan to complete and check if the issue is resolved.

15. Reinstall USB Controllers

Be fully aware of the fact that corrupted USB controller drivers can trigger detection issues.

• In Device Manager, expand “Universal Serial Bus controllers.”
• Right-click each USB driver and select “Uninstall device.”
• Restart the computer to automatically reinstall the drivers.

16. Format the Drive

If the drive is corrupted or unreadable on your Windows device, reformatting may restore the functionality.

• On your PC, fire up the Disk Management > Find the exFAT drive.
• After that, right-click the drive and select “Format.”
• Next, choose the “exFAT” as the file system and click “OK.” It will erase all data on the drive, so back up important files first.

Wrapping up…

There you have it, folks! I hope your exFAT drive has begun to show up on your Windows device. Now, feel free to shoot your views in the comments below and the tips that have rescued the drive on your PC.