Question:

What could cause a hard drive to disappear from Windows 10 when playing music and games simultaneously?

I have a problem with my hard drive that only occurs when I use AIMP to play music and play video games at the same time. Sometimes, AIMP will close unexpectedly and the hard drive that contains the music files will vanish from Windows 10. It will reappear after a while, but Windows 10 will report that it cannot find the drive. I have checked the health of the drive with Crystal diskinfo and it shows no errors. I have also scanned and repaired the drive with Windows 10, but the problem persists.

I suspect that the issue might be related to the operating system or the SSD that I use as the boot drive. It is a pny 250gb drive that has about 40 gigs free. I had to repair the OS a few months ago due to some corruption. I don’t want to reinstall Windows 10, but I am afraid that I might have to.

Another possible factor is the page file size. I used to get blue screens of death when gaming, but I fixed them by letting Windows 10 manage the page file size automatically on all drives.

I am not sure what the exact cause of the problem is, and I would appreciate any advice or suggestions from experts.

Is this a common issue with Windows 10 or AIMP? How can I prevent it from happening again?

Answer:

This is a rare but frustrating issue that some Windows 10 users have reported. It occurs when a hard drive that is used to store music files becomes inaccessible or invisible to the operating system, while playing music with AIMP and playing video games at the same time. The music player will close abruptly and the hard drive will disappear from the File Explorer and the Disk Management. The hard drive will reappear after a while, but Windows 10 will display an error message saying that it cannot find the drive. The user will not be able to access the files on the drive until it is scanned and repaired by Windows 10.

There are several possible causes for this issue, and they can be categorized into two types: hardware and software.

Hardware causes

One of the hardware causes is a faulty or loose connection between the hard drive and the motherboard. This can happen due to physical damage, wear and tear, or dust accumulation. A loose connection can cause the hard drive to lose power or data transfer, resulting in its disappearance from Windows 10. To fix this, the user should check the cables and connectors of the hard drive and make sure they are firmly attached. The user should also inspect the hard drive for any signs of damage or malfunction, such as strange noises, overheating, or slow performance. The user can use a tool like Crystal diskinfo to monitor the health and temperature of the hard drive.

Another hardware cause is a low or insufficient power supply to the hard drive. This can happen when the user is running multiple power-hungry applications, such as music players and video games, at the same time. The power supply may not be able to provide enough power to all the components of the computer, especially if it is old, faulty, or under-rated. A low power supply can cause the hard drive to shut down or become unstable, resulting in its disappearance from Windows 10. To fix this, the user should upgrade the power supply to a higher wattage or replace it with a new one. The user should also avoid running too many applications at the same time, or lower the settings of the video games to reduce the power consumption.

Software causes

One of the software causes is a corrupted or outdated driver for the hard drive. A driver is a software that allows the operating system to communicate with the hardware. A corrupted or outdated driver can cause the hard drive to malfunction or become incompatible with Windows 10, resulting in its disappearance from the operating system. To fix this, the user should update the driver for the hard drive to the latest version, or reinstall it if it is corrupted. The user can use the Device Manager to check the status and update the driver of the hard drive.

Another software cause is a conflict or incompatibility between the music player and the video game. Some music players and video games may use the same resources or files on the hard drive, causing a clash or interference. This can cause the hard drive to become unavailable or inaccessible to Windows 10, resulting in its disappearance from the operating system. To fix this, the user should try using a different music player or video game, or close one of them while running the other. The user should also check the settings and preferences of the music player and the video game, and make sure they are not interfering with each other or the hard drive.

Conclusion

The issue of a hard drive disappearing from Windows 10 when playing music and games simultaneously is a rare but frustrating one. It can be caused by various hardware and software factors, such as a loose or faulty connection, a low or insufficient power supply, a corrupted or outdated driver, or a conflict or incompatibility between the music player and the video game. The user can fix the issue by checking and repairing the hardware and software components of the computer, or by changing the music player or video game. The user should also backup the files on the hard drive regularly, in case the issue happens again and causes data loss.