W10 update/Loss of Drive partition. Has anyone had similar problem?

Bob Dixson · 13 Oct 2019

Hi, I have lost my "Photos" drive partition. The only thing I can see that has changed or could have caused it is a series of recent Windows 10 automatic updates.

The disc was partitioned for "Data" and "Photos" with the photo partition containing my editing software so I seem to have lost my Adobe photo editing software as well as 115,000 photos!!! I have most of the photos backed up but not most of those taken this year. (I know, that's stupid but we are where we are). The shortcuts still exist but the icons aren't the Adobe icons and when I click on one I get a message that the link is broken. When I go into File Explorer the Drive is no longer there.

Has anyone had a similar problem? But more to the point, has anyone got any suggestions for recovering the partition and the software and photos?

Help Please.

Berton · 13 Oct 2019

Have you looked in Disk Management for the partition? Maybe it only lost a drive letter which will prevent File Explorer seeing it. Right-click Start.

Bree · 13 Oct 2019

Welcome to TenForums @Bob Dixson

Open Disk Management. The partition may still be there, but missing a drive letter. If like this Data partition it has no drive letter....

W10 update/Loss of Drive partition. Has anyone had similar problem?-image.png

...right-click on the partition and give it back its original letter. Then you should see it in File Explorer and the links should work again.

Bob Dixson · 13 Oct 2019

Hi Bree, Hi Berton, I've managed to get into Disk Management and the Missing Drive (should be D:) is shown as "Unallocated". When I right click on it I only get the options: "Properties" and "Help". There are 3 Greyed out options: "New Simple Volume", "New Spanned Volume" and "New Striped Volume". I have come at it from as many angles as I can find but can't get any further. Looking through the Help section there's a mention of opening Disk Management as Administrator but it doesn't seem to say how to do that. Can you tell me how I do that please & if I do am I likely to be offered more options as Administrator. At least I've found the space where the Drive was, I thought I was going mad, losing 5 to 6TB of storage without a trace.

Ztruker · 13 Oct 2019

Post a screen capture of Disk Management.

See this tutorial: Disk Management - How to Post a Screenshot of

Make sure you expand the fields as shown so all data can be seen.

topgundcp · 13 Oct 2019

This is just coincidence that your disk drive is gone bad. Windows Updates don't touch anything on your Data drive. Try not to do anything with it such format etc...

Open the case and try to re-seat the cables connected to this disk, make sure they are tightly connected then try again.
If step 1 does not work, get some Partition Recovery software such as: Best Partition Recovery Software for Windows 10/8.1/7

spunk · 14 Oct 2019

All partitions on one Disk will be shown on one line, next to the Disk # (ie) Disk 1, Disk 2 etc, just like the picture in post #3.
If you have a secondary HDD, it would show as the next Disk# on the next line.
If D: is in the same Disk as C: then the D: Partition or "drive" shows as Unallocated Space, then that Partition has lost it's "table of contents"
If D: is a separate Disk on it's own line and Disk#, then that Disk may be failing or it may just have lost it's "table of contents" \
Data Recovery software may be able to recover the files. You will need another drive of the same size or larger to restore the files to. I have had the best luck with GetDataBack