A user reports that a drive is no longer there. The technician asks the user to demonstrate the problem. Within the application, the user demonstrates that the drive, that was present in the save options yesterday, is now no longer an option. What should the technician do to see if the drive is recognized by the operating system?

To determine if the missing drive is recognized by the operating system, the technician should take the following steps:

1. Use Device Manager: The technician can use Device Manager to check if the drive is recognized by the operating system at a hardware level. Here’s how to do it:
   • Right-click on the Start button and select “Device Manager,” or press Windows Key + X and choose “Device Manager.”
   • In Device Manager, expand the “Disk drives” section to see if the missing drive is listed. If the drive is listed, it indicates that the drive is recognized at a hardware level. If it’s not listed, this could indicate a hardware connection issue or a drive failure.
2. Use the Disk Management Tool: If the drive is not visible in Device Manager or for more detailed information, the technician should check the Disk Management tool. This tool provides a comprehensive view of all connected storage devices and their status:
   • Right-click on the Start button and select “Disk Management,” or press Windows Key + X and select “Disk Management.”
   • In Disk Management, look for the missing drive. It should appear with its capacity and partitions. If it’s visible here but not in the application’s save options, there might be an issue with drive letter assignment or the application itself. If the drive is not visible in Disk Management, this points towards a hardware issue.

The other options are not directly relevant for checking the status of a hard drive:

• Check the Startup Folder: The Startup folder contains programs that run on startup and is not relevant for checking the status of a hard drive.
• Bring Up a Command Prompt and Type ipconfig: The ipconfig command is used to display network configuration information and is not useful for diagnosing hard drive issues.
• Swap the Data Cables of the Mechanical Drive and the SSD: This is a more advanced step and should only be considered if there’s a suspicion of a faulty cable or port. It involves physically altering the hardware connections and should be done cautiously, typically after software-level checks have been exhausted.

In summary, the technician should first use Device Manager and then the Disk Management tool to check if the missing drive is recognized by the operating system.