Forum Discussion

swimnut2003's avatar
swimnut2003
Copper Contributor
Jul 28, 2022

Windows 10 can't find "C" on my computor

What can I do, I spent about 7 hours on it this early a.m and tried to figure out something. All I got was could not find "C" and Admin securitys . Also looked liked, unknown network names. I did do ...
Can't find "C"
WolfGangg's avatar
WolfGangg
Iron Contributor
Jan 26, 2026

If Windows can’t find drive C:, this is usually a disk or system file issue, not an app problem.

Start with these checks:

1. Check if C: still exists

Press Win + X → Disk Management

  • If C: is missing or shows as RAW / Unallocated, Windows can’t access it.
  • If it’s there but without a drive letter, right-click it and assign C:.

2. Check BIOS

Restart and enter BIOS (F2/F12 on Dell).

If the drive does not appear in BIOS, the hard drive/SSD may be failing.

3. Run disk and system repair

If C: appears:

Open Command Prompt (Admin) and run:

chkdsk C: /f

sfc /scannow

4. Unknown network names

This often happens when Windows permissions or system files are damaged, which matches the missing C: errors.

 

Important note

If Disk Management and BIOS both cannot see the drive, this is very likely a hardware failure. Software fixes won’t help, and data recovery or drive replacement is needed.

 

Summary:

Windows apps can’t open because the system can’t access drive C:. Check Disk Management and BIOS first — that will tell you if it’s a repairable Windows issue or a failing drive.