Forum Discussion

amymac's avatar
amymac
Copper Contributor
Feb 19, 2026

settings were not migrated from previous OS installation due to partial or ambiguous device match

I can't access the files on my external ssd drive. 

The Event record =  settings were not migrated from previous OS installation due to partial or ambiguous device match

Device Manager = present but Volumes tab shows "-"s 

Disk Management = not present

I am not a newbie and it is very rare I cannot fix a computer/IT issue on my own but this one has me stuck. Windows is up to date, BIOS is up to date, drivers, etc. I've done ALL the things suggested online. I even wiped my computer and reinstalled everything, still not working. 

I need a fix for this, I need the files. 

HELP!

 

 

configuration
device management
Update management

1 Reply

  • amymac's avatar
    amymac
    Copper Contributor
    Feb 21, 2026

    Got this: "You may need to remove traces of the USB device in registry and then re-connect to get it installed correctly and show up in File Explorer."

    I did that and no luck, still the same. 

    Any other ideas of how to fix this?