Help my ssd is not showing up

[jztjzt]

I have had a sandisk extreme portable ssd for about 2 years and about a year ago it dissapeared and now my computer is taking up storage for games that are not installed. When i try to reconnect my ssd I go to steam at the top left, settings, then storage and try to add a new drive it doesn't show up. I thought it just wasn't working but on my computer at the bottom right it shows its connected but then when i click devices and printers it doesn't show up. Please help I don't know how to fix it and I can't play 99% of my games.

[Iceira]

First we understand what you try to say, but we also see alot of misunderstanding in the subject.

Disk not seen by steam is not there and is flagged as unintalled. ( this was seen as 100% truth in the old GUI )

Now we have seen things as removed steam or lost steam library, you need to re-add multi lib or add it again just like new empty disk and then move content to new location. ( some also need to repair it under steam setting storage option is there at the 3 dot ( cog wheel in the old days)

ps.
Why you get lost disk is seen from low disk space and steam crash or external unit not there doing steam verification on startup of steam.

And this is why you see storage space is in use, why i mention both is we other see disk get wipe doing to old disk burnout , such things can happend then system even dont see the disk anymore.


ps.
dont expect we other will explan things like do not have power saving on external disk, disk in sleep mode doing game today can lead to steam crash, and another why steam dont recommend external disk unit.


Rule is if windows OS cant see the disk then you cant access it or maker a steam, lib on it,
other pro tip , you cant move a game among multi disk if not free room is there, also tell you if steam can actual see multi disk.

There is alot of thing here experince steam user know, but new steam user dont think on or new pc user dont know.

ps.
and we dont explan chack own brand harddisk name support site for firmware upgrade ( still require disk is empty then its a SSD, there is alot of unspoken knowledge here.
same goes with cable check.

[Yujah]

Sandisk Extreme are known to occassionally crap out and it seems likely this is what happened for you as well. You will need to update firmware. See e.g. https://dongknows.com/sandisk-extreme-portable-ssd-review/ or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jeu4cq2apfU or any of the other Google hits on the subject.

What was once there on the drive will be for all practical intents and purposes be gone; after updating firmware you'll undoubtedly have to reinitialise the drive, recreate a SteamLibrary on it and redownload your games.

[ReBoot]

Does it show up on Disk Management?

[Phénomènes Mystiques]

This post should be in this forum here: https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/11

You will get far better help over there...

[Yujah]

Not to be too huffy about things but the "disappeared a year ago" and the "Sandisk Extreme Portable" says it extremely likely that OP already has all the information they need from #2 above. It's been a well-known bit of drama...