The D drive vanishes and cannot check game files
The D drive vanishes and cannot check game files
Hello everyone. Recently I've encountered several issues with my laptop. It's a Dell G7 7588.
The 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H processor (2.20GHz, 9M Cache, up to 4.10 GHz), 16GB DDR4 memory at 2666MHz, a 512GB SSD, and Windows 10 Pro (64-bit) are all installed.
The 6GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with Max-Q Design and Intel UHD Graphics 630 are also present.
Everything functioned smoothly for about a year until it began to malfunction. I've been told by certain games that updating the graphics driver is necessary, but attempts have failed and no further updates appear available.
Additionally, the system has undergone multiple BIOS updates since I first used it.
The laptop runs two operating systems: C (a lightweight version with system files and images) and D (the 1TB storage for games). The D drive has been disappearing unexpectedly, returning only after a restart. I reformatted it, which seemed to resolve the problem temporarily, but it's now failing again.
I also downloaded RDR2 from Steam, but it won't load properly. It downloads and lets me play the game, yet certain elements fail to load during travel within the game, causing freezes. Verifying game files requires downloading around 50-60GB repeatedly, after which verification fails. If I return to the game, the same problems recur. It appears only half of the game is loading correctly.
Initially, it worked well for about a day before needing frequent updates. Now, with just RDR2 and Steam/Rockstar installed, the issue persists.
Could this be related to a faulty hard drive, or is it something simpler like a graphics driver problem?
My post is quite lengthy and covers many aspects. I'm not very familiar with technology, so any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
If the drive continues to vanish, try reseating it first; if that fails, reach out to the laptop support, especially if it's still under warranty. The missing drive letter isn't a problem with the game but a system-related issue.
Don't mean to be insulting, but this is a common mistake some laptop users make. Are you sure it's running on the 1060 and not the Intel integrated graphics?
Also, run a diagnostic on that 1TB drive, if it's a HDD, any slight drop of the laptop may have affected it. There are also free diagnostic tools for solid state drives if it's not a HDD.
As for BIOS updates and updates in general, I always set Windows to not install them automatically, so I can see what they are and decide for myself if I want/need them. Not all BIOS updates are necessary, and many, especially lately, can adversely affect performance. I DO however recommend updating to the latest build of W10, which is 20H2.
Thanks for the reply. I'm still unsure if it's on 1060, but I've noticed Intel integrated graphics when playing certain games, so I think it might be that. I didn't realize there was a distinction there. I made an error with this device, although I thought I had it right. I wanted portability, but I never take the computer anywhere.
I discovered a driver update for GeForce Experience that wasn't available before. I haven't checked in a while, downloaded it, and followed some steps from YouTube, but it didn't help.
After installing the missing files, Steam becomes stuck during verification. It completes the whole process but then pauses, and if I click to continue, it restarts the verification.
I opened properties and tools, checked the D drive, but there are no errors reported. A SMART scan also showed no issues. I'm not sure what you mean by a diagnostic scan. The driver issue is related to HDD, but I haven't moved or shaken it. It might still need a new hard drive.
If the drive vanishes, I'd start by reseating it; if that fails, reach out to the laptop support, especially if it's under warranty. The missing drive letter isn't a problem with the game but a system-related one.