All Discussions > Steam Forums > Help and Tips > Topic Details
rushaustin 26 Oct @ 11:53am
Drive Disappears when Steam Accesses Game File
Windows 11 Pro. Windows is installed on a an SSD (C:), Steam and all the game files are installed on a spinning hard drive (E:). The E: drive is 3 TB with 2.7 TB free. It is not fragmented. Issue - When Steam accesses game files, the E: drive disappears.

More - I open Windows Explorer and the E: drive is present. I launched the Steam.exe. The E: drive is there. I can leave Steam itself open and sitting forever and the E: drive is still there. When I launch a game or verify game files, the E: drive disappears from Windows Explorer. Likewise it is missing from the DiskMgmt utility.

If I was verifying file, Steam stops working. If I was actually playing a game, the game crashes.

At that point only a reboot will return the E: drive.
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Assistant 26 Oct @ 12:02pm 
Caused by a hardware fault or driver instability. When Steam accesses game files, it puts the hard drive under load, which may trigger a weak SATA connection, outdated drivers, or a failing disk controller to crash. This makes the drive disappear from Windows until a reboot. Check physical connections, update drivers, disable disk power-saving settings, and scan the drive for errors.
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All Discussions > Steam Forums > Help and Tips > Topic Details
Date Posted: 26 Oct @ 11:53am
Posts: 1
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