How to check the hard drive does not see. The computer does not see the hard drive. What to do if a Windows computer does not see the hard drive

The computer does not see the hard drive if the motherboard does not detect it. Correct installation of motherboard drivers and checking the boss settings.

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Many users prefer not to buy a ready-made computer, but to assemble it with their own hands. Or equip an existing machine with certain parts. In particular, the hard drive. And then such an unpleasant incident happens - we bought a new hard drive, connected it, but it does not initialize.

However, this problem sometimes happens with those disks that have been installed for a long time - the reason for this, as a rule, is software failures.

Of course, as with any other malfunction, if the computer does not see the hard drive, the best solution would be to contact a specialist. However, you can try to perform several more or less simple manipulations yourself if the computer does not see the hard drive.

First, let's try to rename the hard drive. To do this, find “My Computer”, right-click on it and select the “Manage” menu item. In the left half of the pop-up window, select the “Disk Management” menu, select the disk that has disappeared, right-click on it and select “Change drive letter.”

The most popular letters are C and D, but if they don’t work, go further through the English alphabet and try, for example, J. After that, restart your computer.

If it doesn’t work and the disk is still not detected, you should try installing drivers on the motherboard - perhaps this is the problem. If you assembled a computer from scratch, a driver disk should be included with the motherboard. We insert it into the drive, restart the computer and press F6 while it is loading.

If you don’t have the required disk, you need to find out the model of the motherboard and download drivers for it. Then write them to disk and do the same thing.

BIOS does not recognize the hard drive

If this does not help, and the hard drive is still not displayed, you will have to use more radical measures and check the BIOS settings. It is worth immediately paying attention to the fact that it is best to do this in the case when you already have experience communicating with computer technology at this level (although in this case there will be a chance of doing something wrong).

In any case, BIOS is a complex thing, you need to know the approach to it, because, depending on the version, it looks different. And violations in its work can have very unpleasant consequences.

One way or another, the first thing you need to do is enter it. To do this, when booting the computer, you need to press F8 (other options: F2 and Delete). The BIOS will open. Next, in the main settings of the operating system, you need to disable the AHCI protocol.

In the case when even manipulations with the BIOS did not bring the desired result, and after a reboot the hard drive (hard drive) is still not visible, we begin to work with the material part of the problem - the hardware.

This should only be done when the problem cannot be fixed either through the operating system or through the BIOS.

The cable connecting the motherboard and the hard drive can be connected to one of two connectors. They are located nearby, and it is advisable to connect the hard drive not to the black connector, but to the blue one.

The black one works less stable, and this may be the reason that the hard drive disappeared.

Manual integration of hard drive drivers

Even if mechanical intervention does not help, there is only one thing left - manually integrate the SATA driver package into the operating system distribution. Already from the name it becomes clear that this is not an easy task. This can be done in different ways.

Users of the latest versions of Windows should try downloading the necessary driver packages during the operating system update process.

For Windows XP and Windows Vista users, the nLite (for XP) and vLite (for Vista) programs are perfect. There are similar programs for Windows 7 - the principle of their operation is approximately the same. However, there is no way to do this with programs alone - they will only slightly simplify the process.

The main thing to do is to find the driver package you need. You should not look for it anywhere other than the official website of the motherboard manufacturer. This is the safest option. After all, by downloading drivers from any other sources, you risk exposing your computer to a virus infection.

The easiest way to view the motherboard model is through the “properties” menu in “My Computer”. Also note that if you are using Windows XP and have a recent motherboard, you will need drivers for AHCI controllers.

At the moment, the hard drive is the most popular device for storing information. However, problems arise from time to time. One of the most well-known problems is that the computer does not see the hard drive. For one reason or another, it is not detected by the system, BIOS, or device. Let's figure out why the computer doesn't read the hard drive and try to correct the situation.

Windows operating system does not see the hard drive

Symptom: The Windows operating system (XP, 7-10) does not see the hard drive, it is not displayed in Explorer. At the same time, the hard drive is successfully detected in the BIOS and on other computers.

Diagnosis: The system may not see the hard drive because the drive letter is not assigned or the file system format is not defined.

What to do:

Right mouse button on Start - Disk Management (You can go here via Win + R - diskmgmt.msc - Enter). In the context menu of the desired drive, select the command “Change drive letter or drive path.”

To format, select the Format command. Specify the volume label, file system format and click OK.

The computer (laptop) does not see the external hard drive

Symptom: The computer does not see the external hard drive when connected via USB or SATA.

Diagnosis: The USB ports may be faulty or the file system of the external HDD is incompatible with the operating system. There is no power coming from the USB cable.

What to do:

Check whether other devices, such as flash drives, are connected through this USB port. There is a possibility that the USB ports located on the front panel of the computer are simply not connected to the motherboard. Also, on laptops one of the ports may not work due to motherboard bridge errors.

Through the Disk Management panel, check whether the disk is accessible and whether it is recognized as a partitioned file space. You may need to format your hard drive to FAT/NTFS to run on Windows. If the external hard drive is still not detected, assign the drive a different letter in the same section of the control panel.

Not all USB cables are suitable for connecting a hard drive to a computer. Some of them do not have enough power to operate the remote drive. It is best to use the cable that comes with your external hard drive. Additionally, you may need to share two USB ports for connection. Therefore, if your external hard drive is not working, carefully review the documentation that came with the problematic storage device.

Bios doesn't see hard drive

Symptom: The HDD is not detected by the system (is absent as a device), and the bios does not see the hard drive. The external indicator is on. The hard drive makes clicking noises or tries unsuccessfully to “start” (the sound of the heads spinning is heard).

Diagnosis: one of the most common errors related to HDD operation. The disk has probably failed or is not connected correctly to the computer's motherboard.

What to do:

Open the system unit (after disconnecting it from the network!). Check that the power and SATA/IDE cables are securely connected to the hard drive. It's better to play it safe and disconnect/attach the cables again. Also check if these cables are damaged and if they are tightly connected to the motherboard socket (in the case of SATA/IDE). Try connecting alternative cables if available.

If the hard drive clicks and is not detected, it is likely an electronic failure or a mechanical failure of the hard drive. Only repair or warranty replacement of the hard drive will help. If there is no visible damage to the HDD or SSD and the warranty has not expired, feel free to contact the place where you sell the hard drive to replace it. Unfortunately, you will lose all data on the disk.

Question answer

I decided to replace my case with a new one. I bought the board, connected everything as it should, started it up, everything was fine for two days, but after a couple of days I turned on the PC - the computer did not see the hard drive. What I see: it turns out to me that the disk with the OS is not detected and the system offers to restart the system. I restart and everything is new. I went into the BIOS, there the sata port on which the disk with the OS is connected is not connected. I changed ports (several times), changed sata cables, it didn’t help, I used a spare one, zero results - the BIOS does not see the hard drive. I had to install the OS on another disk.

I tried to update the sata drivers, updated the BIOS (I can’t reset it, there are no jumpers or battery). Disk Management also does not see this disk. I do not know what to do. The sata ports are working properly, the cables are also working. There is power to the HDD, it spins without unnecessary noise or crackling, but the hard drive is still not displayed.

Answer. Find out the specifications of your motherboard and hard drive. Does the board support this sata standard? There may be discrepancies between different Sata versions. As a result, the hard drive does not open.

Check if the hard drive is detected on the previous motherboard or another PC. If the issue is not resolved, replace the hard drive under warranty.

My hard drive (external) cannot be opened, Windows writes: “The disk structure is damaged. Reading is impossible.” I clicked on “Deep Scan Recovery”, but the problem disk is not there, it is present on my computer and I wrote what it says. Tell me what to do if the system does not see the external hard drive.

Answer. The computer does not see the external hard drive due to reading errors. You can fix them using the standard chkdsk utility (Properties - Tools - Checking the disk for file system errors). Go to Disk Management and check if Windows has detected the file system. If necessary, assign a different letter to the file volume or, as a last resort, format the HDD.

I have a 2TB HDD, I used to work with an IMac. And now I connect it to a Windows laptop and this laptop does not see the hard drive. What can be done to save the information on the hard drive and make it so that the laptop can see it?

Answer. You can make a disk image using Acronis True Image and then perform recovery operations on the image. Since a hard drive that previously worked in MacOS is not detected, it makes sense to check whether this drive opens in this operating system (you need to test Mac OS devices with the ability to connect an HDD).

To read the HFS file system (standard for Mac OS) under Windows, use, for example, the HFS+ for Windows® 11 program from Paragon.

The WD10EALX hard drive was no longer detected by the BIOS after the motherboard burned out. But when connected, you can hear the engine starting to spin. It is necessary to reanimate the disk, preferably so that it becomes detectable (it is advisable not to erase the remaining data). Why doesn't bios recognize the hard drive, how to fix it and how much will the repair cost?

Answer. Mechanical failure of the hard drive is unlikely to be corrected. Firstly, this can only be done in special laboratories, and secondly, repairs will cost several hundred dollars. Unfortunately, you will not be able to recover data from your hard drive.

Not long ago I borrowed an extra 500GB HDD (WD Blue 500GB) from a friend. When connecting to my computer, I encountered the following problem: the hard drive is visible in the BIOS, but the BIOS defines it as 0MB. When I try to install the OS on a hard drive, the installer does not see it. If you run the OS from another hard drive and leave this one connected, it will not be visible even on the disk layout. What should I do if I don’t see the hard drive in the BIOS with the correct size?

Answer. To figure out why the computer does not see the hard drive, you must first check whether it is detected on a different configuration. If your friend’s HDD opens and the bios shows the correct information, the issue is specifically in the configuration of your computer. Check the technical specifications of your computer's motherboard to see if the connection protocol used by the hard drive supports it.

If you connect a hard drive as a second storage device, conflicts may also occur. We recommend disabling the AHCI mode for SATA in the BIOS (see the SATA MODE parameter).

The hard drive is slow, that is, Windows does not boot from it, but the BIOS sees it. When I try to transfer it to another PC as an additional one, the same situation occurs (the computer hangs on the Windows logo). I tried to format it from a bootable flash drive in Party Magic, but it starts to see the hard drive only after a minute. 20, but I’m generally silent about doing anything with it. Essentially, the hard drive does not work normally. Please tell me what could be the reason for such a glitch, how can I check?

Answer. We would recommend using one of the utilities to check your hard drive for possible “jambs” and reading errors: TestDisk or HDD Health (see above). It is likely that the operating system does not see the hard drive due to the presence of bad sectors. Also, as mentioned above, you can connect the HDD to another computer and check the hard drive for errors using standard Windows tools or the TestDisk application.

Problems with hard drive detection can arise in different situations: when installing Windows XP, 7, 8 or 10, or connecting a second or external hard drive. Depending on the conditions under which the error occurred, the methods for eliminating it differ significantly.

Search for disk during installation

If during installation Windows does not see the hard drive, then the cause of this error is the lack of necessary drivers. The crash usually appears on laptops and ultrabooks with SSDs. The Windows installation program does not contain the necessary software, so in order to install XP, “seven”, “eight” or Windows 10, you must first install the drivers.

Check your computer's specifications. You need to find out which processor is used - Intel, AMD. For Intel computers, you need to download the Intel® Rapid Storage Technology driver. If you have an AMD processor, then look for the necessary software using the query “SATA/RAID driver + motherboard model”.

1. Download and unpack the data archive. Place it on the Windows installation flash drive. If you are installing XP from a disk, then transfer the driver to the USB flash drive anyway; it must be connected along with the installation disk before turning on the computer.
2. Start installing Windows 10, 8, 7, XP. When you reach the stage of selecting a section, click on the “Download” link.
   
3. Specify the path to the downloaded driver on the flash drive.
   

After adding the drivers, you will see the available hard drive partitions and will be able to install Windows XP, 7, 8, 10 on your computer.

External drive detection

If Windows 7 does not see a hard drive that is connected via USB as an external drive, then the first thing you should do is make sure that the correct letter is assigned to the drive.

1. Open Control Panel, set the View option to Large Icons. Go to the "Administration" section.
   
2. Launch the Computer Management tool.
   
3. In the menu on the left, find the “Storage Devices” section and launch the “Disk Management” tool.

On Windows 8 and 10, the procedure is completely identical; on XP there are some differences: in particular, the “Administration” section is opened through the “Programs” menu in Start. In any case, in the Disk Management window you should see all the drives connected to the computer: the main, external, second internal.

If the external hard drive is correctly detected by the system, right-click on it and select “Change letter”. Assign a letter that is not already used in the system: for example, X or M.

If the external hard drive is new and you haven’t written anything to it yet, then try formatting it so that the hard drive becomes recognized in the system. Formatting will delete all data, so you need to be sure that there is nothing important on the media. An unformatted external drive will be labeled “Unallocated”.

1. Right-click on the disk and click “Create Simple Volume.”
   
2. Enter the space size of the new volume. If you want the external disk to consist of one partition, then enter the maximum size, that is, the entire volume of the media.
   
3. Assign a letter and click Next. Format the volume to the NTFS file system. Leave the remaining parameters unchanged.
   

After formatting is complete, the external drive should be correctly detected by the system and appear in “Computer”. These steps are performed the same on all versions of Windows, from XP to Windows 10. If changing the letter and formatting does not solve the problem, then make sure that the USB port works without errors - look in the device manager controller drivers. Make sure the cable used to connect the external drive is working properly. If previously the hard drive was detected without problems, but now it is not detected by the system, then check it with an antivirus.

Problems with the second disk

If Windows 7 does not see the hard drive connected to the system unit as a second drive, then you first need to make sure that this drive is detected in the Disk Management utility.

1. Press Win+R and enter “diskmgmt.msc” to open the Mounted Drive Management Tool. The command is relevant for all versions of Windows, from XP to 10.
   
2. Find the second drive among the connected drives. Look at what status it has - depending on this, the methods for correcting the error will differ.
   

If there are no error messages, try first simply changing the letter to a value that is not yet used on the system. As for errors, the disk may not be initialized, not allocated, or simply have a RAW file system. How to fix these problems.

Recovering data from a hard drive is not a difficult task if you approach it with certain knowledge. But sometimes the problem turns out to be more serious: the disk is not detected by the computer, and therefore it is not possible to read information from it. Is it possible to recover data from a dead hard drive if it is not visible in the system? Let's try to answer this difficult question.

Diagnosing the problem

The first step is to determine why the hard drive is not detected in the system. There are several reasons for this unpleasant situation:

• The hard drive is disabled in the BIOS.
• The jumpers are set incorrectly (relevant when using an IDE interface).
• The data transmission cable or the drive itself is damaged (burned out, the read head is jammed, etc.).

First, you should check the BIOS: if the hard drive is connected via the SATA interface, then you need to make sure that it is detected automatically. If the hard drive is connected via IDE, then you need to manually specify it in the “Primary IDE Master” parameter.

If you can't make these settings yourself, try resetting your BIOS to factory settings. You can do this in two ways:

• Remove the lithium battery from the motherboard and wait a bit.
• Select the “Load Setup Defaults” item on the “Exit” tab in the BIOS.

If the BIOS does not allow you to specify the hard drive (it is not detected even at the basic level), then you need to check it for mechanical damage.

Mechanical failure

Disassemble the system unit and check the data cable and power cable that are connected to the hard drive. They must be in full working order: no creases, kinks or cracks are allowed. If you see some kind of physical defect, try replacing the cable - sometimes this helps, and the hard drive is then detected by the system.

Another very common problem is oxidation of the contacts under the controller board. You can fix this problem yourself using an eraser and a small screwdriver.

If cleaning the contacts does not help, then the problem lies in the HDA itself. It is not recommended to open it yourself, since at home it is impossible to create the “clean room” conditions necessary to troubleshoot problems inside the sealed unit.

Using recommendations for turning an ordinary bathroom into a “clean room” or advice like “sharply hit the disk case” should not be used on your disk - after such an impact, there is a high probability that the information will never be recovered at all, even in a service center. If the disk burns out, then you won’t be able to repair it yourself.

Hard drive recovery

If the disk is not visible in the system and it is impossible to boot from it, then try restoring it through another computer. Simply put, a faulty hard drive can be connected as a second drive via the SATA interface or an external pocket with a USB output.

It is clear that if the disk burns out, then no amount of pockets will help it - here you need to use more technological recovery methods that are not available to ordinary users. In other cases, a broken hard drive can be detected and checked using utilities such as Victoria HDD, HDD Scan, HDD Regenerator or Norton Disk Doctor.

The first three programs test the surface of a non-working disk, searching for and, if possible, correcting bad sectors. Norton Disk Doctor works with logical structures, eliminating problems identified in them. There is no universal tool, so sometimes you have to use several utilities at once.

Let's look at the procedure for checking a disk using the HDD Scan program as an example:

The scan manager will appear at the bottom, where there is a “Map” tab. Go to it - here the progress of checking the disk surface is shown in graphical mode. Normal sectors are colored in shades of gray, blue sectors are bad blocks that cannot be read.

Return of lost information

If HDD Scan says that everything is bad with the disk, then you need to start restoring damaged important data as quickly as possible. You can use different utilities, but we’ll see how to recover lost information and save it in another location using the R-Studio program:

Once the scan is complete, a complete list of information that can be recovered will appear. Select the files you need and save them on another medium.

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Hard drive is not detected - how to fix the situation?

It happens that the hard drive on a computer suddenly stops working. This can happen when it is vital for you to get some file from the drive. What to do in such a situation? Let's look at the situation in more detail.

To troubleshoot problems, check that the equipment is connected and configured correctly

Behavior

Before proceeding with repairs and other actions, we advise you to find out why the OS cannot detect your hard drive. Device behavior may vary:

• The device is not visible in the BIOS
• appearance of strange messages when starting the OS
• in Windows interface the memory size is 0 bytes
• OS won't load
• The logical drive is not visible.

As we can see, there are many factors. If the problem is identified with logic, then the user at some stage of using the PC begins to receive messages when working with one of the partitions “The disk is not formatted.” This indicates that the system has begun to identify the disk as an unallocated area. This is a well-known phenomenon; both a virus program and bad blocks can harm the disk. The problem is completely solvable in the first case, the second means that things are bad with the drive. However, the issue can be resolved realistically; the main thing is not to do unnecessary, impulsive manipulations. Do not create partitions, there is no need to delete old ones, initialize anything or format.

If we talk about inscriptions, then this is information like “hard disk drive failure”, “drivers not found”, “disk boot failure” and the like. All these phrases mean that the PC cannot recognize the device. Such messages may also appear when working with DVDs or CDs, SSD drives or a regular flash drive.

You can understand whether the disk is visible through the BIOS if you log into this system at startup and examine the “Standard CMOS Features” menu.

Diagnostics

The device is not visible for various reasons. It is important to check the motherboard, power cables, the device itself and the software. To reduce the list of potential pests, you need to connect the device to a free cable and try to work with them.

If you have another disk at hand, and you know that it is probably working, then plug it in instead of the faulty one. This will help ensure that the motherboard is functioning correctly. It is also better to connect your “invisible” drive to another PC - perhaps the reason is a software component? If this is the case, then there are a number of methods that help return everything to its place without using the services of expensive specialists.

Note! If you do not have experience in repairing computer components, and through the manipulations described above it has become clear that the problem is in the software itself, then take the computer to a service center. They will tell you whether it is possible (and how expensive) to repair the device. An extreme case is to forget about the lost files and purchase a new hard drive.

First check the settings of this system. Getting into the BIOS is easy; hold down the Del or F2 key while loading the OS. A possible failure of the computer settings is indicated by an incorrect system date in the BIOS. A simple reset will help solve the problem; to do this, remove the battery from the motherboard for a few minutes. Wait half an hour before returning the component. It's funny, but sometimes this is enough to improve the performance of the drive.

The device may also be lower on the priority list. This parameter is checked in the “Boot” section. Make sure the HDD is at the top of the priority list.

Power problem

The disc does not click or crack, but appears and disappears from time to time? In this case, the main problem is probably a lack of power, and a buzzing sound may indicate this (the operating cycles are changing). Buying a powerful power supply will help improve functionality. You can also try to disconnect a less important component.

OS problems

BIOS “sees” the device, but Windows doesn’t? Adjust compatibility manually. To do this, follow these steps:

This method often helps inexperienced users bring their hard drive back to life.

Often a component does not work due to file system incompatibility. NTFS is suitable for adequate operation. In Disk Management, you can examine which option is installed on your PC. If the system is different, then it is better to reformat the disk.

Equipment conflict

If two drives of the same brand are plugged into a PC, then this is what sometimes causes conflicts. Check and configure each drive separately to avoid this situation.

Problem with contacts

A very banal factor is the lack of contacts. Reconnecting the wires will help correct the defect. Remove the cover, disconnect from the power, turn off and plug the cables back into the hard drive. If nothing has changed, then use another pair of wires. Do not forget that the device can be connected to the board through two main connectors (black and blue). The blue connector is responsible for external reading; connect to it.

Tire

SATA II (SATA), which is required for many modern drives, may not be supported by older operating systems. The solution is simple - reinstall Windows. If you do not want to work with a more recent OS, then reinstall the old one by installing special drivers for the required interfaces. You can find out what drivers your system needs on the motherboard developers website. Its type is registered in the properties (right-click on “My Computer”).

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The computer does not see the hard drive: what is the reason and how to fix it

All “advanced” computer users have encountered this situation. It happens that the disk categorically refuses to be detected in the OS.

And it’s good, we only ate in the system. There are several reasons for this disk behavior. The most common is the presence of “broken” sectors. But first things first.

The computer does not see the hard drive. What is the reason and how to fix it?

The answer to this question varies depending on how the hard drive is not detected. If the disk is detected when the BIOS boots and is not visible in Windows, then this is not so bad. Perhaps it's a driver issue.

Or the boot sector, which contains the information necessary for connection, is located in a damaged area. Then the OS does not see the partition table and reports that “The disk is not formatted.” You can fight this.

Moreover, standard functions of Windows OS. It is much worse if the disk is not detected when the computer boots.

In some cases, the HDD is not detected in the BIOS. There are many reasons for this: a glitch in the BIOS itself, damage to the HDD, faulty wires, incorrect jumper position, etc. It is possible to restore the functionality of the hard drive.

But sometimes you have to worry about buying a new storage medium. What can I do to make my computer see my hard drive?

If the disk is not detected in the BIOS

The first priority in this case is to determine the cause of the malfunction. It's not that simple here. If the disk is not visible in the BIOS, then this is a complete problem, because the reasons may be different. And it’s good if it’s not a boot disk with the OS installed.

If the hard drive does not want to be detected in the BIOS, try the following solutions to the problem:

1. Reset BIOS settings to default. It happens that the basic input/output system sometimes “glitches”. After resetting the settings everything should work fine.
2. In the BIOS settings related to the hard drive, disable AHCI mode. Sometimes the disk does not want to be detected due to this option being enabled.
3. Try updating your BIOS. Sometimes new firmware versions fix “bugs” and “glitches” of previous versions. It is possible that after the update everything will work.
4. Check the connection loops by connecting others. Over time, the wires connecting the HDD to the motherboard fail. Check their functionality by replacing the wires.
5. Checking jumpers. If two HDDs are connected to the computer and both of their jumpers are in the “Master” position, one of them will not be detected. It is necessary to change the position of the jumper by selection.
6. Last option. Connect the HDD to another computer. If the disk is not detected there, then it’s time to scrap it.

If the above methods did not help, then everything is very bad with the disk. And here a dilemma arises: restore data or repair the disk. It's not the same thing. When restoring data, the disk is not repaired, but simply thrown away.

When the disk is repaired, the data disappears. Considering the cost of modern HDDs, there is no point in repairing them. And there is no guarantee that after repair it will last long. But the data can be restored. And transfer them to a new HDD. But this is already the worst-case scenario.

If the drive is not detected in Windows

Let's assume that the BIOS detects the hard drive. But Windows OS categorically refuses to see it. What to do in this case? The system may not see the HDD for several reasons.

The most common of them: the presence of “broken” sectors and problems with drivers. In the first case, there is little we can do. But in the second, you can try to reinstall the drivers.

If the system greets us with the message “The disk is not formatted,” then this is a sign that the boot sector has been damaged. As a result, the OS is unable to read the information required to connect this disk. There is a solution to this problem. Go to the “Start” menu, select “Run” and enter the combination “cmd”.

The command line opens. In it we enter the command “chkdsk drive letter: /F /R”. This command runs a disk check. Key "F" - automatic error correction, key "R" - data recovery. The process may take a long time.

Depending on the volume and degree of clutter of the disk. There are 99 chances out of a hundred that after this procedure the OS will see the hard drive.

If it's the drivers, then we need to reinstall them. To do this, go to “Device Manager”, look for the HDD designation and click the “Uninstall driver” button. After this, the computer needs to be restarted.

After the reboot, the system itself will try to install the driver for the unknown device. In most cases this is enough. But if this does not happen, go to the “Device Manager”, click on the icon with the device we need and select the “Update drivers” item. The OS itself will find a suitable driver and install it.

After this, we restart the computer and rejoice at the determined hard drive.

If all else fails

If the above methods did not give any result, then the HDD has “died”. There is only one thing left to do - try to recover the data. You can do this yourself, but it is better to entrust it to professionals.

If you decide to recover your data yourself, there are several good programs that can help you. However, all of them are good only if the hard drive is detected at least in the BIOS.

Recuva is perhaps the most famous data recovery program. It can recover almost any type of file. A positive quality of the utility is that it is completely free.

However, the percentage of information recovered is not that high. But the application is entirely in Russian and has a simple and intuitive interface. Managing this product is easy.

R-Studio is the coolest data recovery utility. This monster will restore everything without any questions asked. It can retrieve data from the disk even after formatting it.

Flexible program settings allow you to adjust the recovery process depending on the type of files. The program has only one drawback - you have to pay to use it. Because the unregistered version cannot recover large amounts of data.

However, it makes sense to spend money on the full version in order to further protect yourself from the threat of losing all the necessary files.

Seagate File Recovery is a powerful program. It will find and restore everything that is possible even on an undetectable HDD. The utility is undemanding to system resources and is free. But there is one significant drawback.

The application works exclusively with hard drives from Seagate. The utility does not notice HDDs from other manufacturers at all. Considering that most users use hard drives from this manufacturer, the appearance of this utility on this list is quite justified.

Data Rescue PC is an excellent tool designed to work with disks outside the operating system. The program loads as a Live CD and can work even with heavily damaged disks.

This utility can restore everything. It will be especially useful in cases where the system disk is damaged and the OS does not want to boot.

Despite all the professional bells and whistles and the Live CD mode, the utility has a pleasant and intuitive interface. The program is completely free and does not require activation.

Using all these programs, you can try to extract at least some information from a damaged hard drive. If they don’t help, then you need to turn to professionals.

Such an appeal will cost a lot, so it’s worth considering whether the information stored on a damaged HDD is really needed. Perhaps the best solution is to simply buy a new hard drive.

Conclusion

Thanks to this mini instruction on the topic “The computer does not see the hard drive. What is the reason and how to fix it? many users can save time, money and stress. If we summarize everything that is written above, we can say that in most cases, problems with a hard drive are reversible.

Even if it is damaged, there are ways to extract information from it. With the help of specialized programs this can be easily achieved. To prevent such unpleasant situations from arising, use the “Check Disk” system option more often. Checking and fixing errors will help keep your HDD in good health.

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Hard drive is not detected: instructions for solving the problem

If the hard drive is not detected and this is the drive on which the operating system used to boot is located, then the BIOS will begin to show notifications that it is not installed and it is impossible to start Windows.

The result is that Windows will not work. However, it is still possible to enter the BIOS settings, since the BIOS is not located on the hard drive, but is part of the motherboard. Is the BIOS loading? Now fine. Go into CMOS settings and see if the drive not found is enabled.

If the problem occurs for no apparent reason, it can be assumed that either the device itself is faulty or there is a problem with the BIOS settings. Now you can open the system unit and inspect the drive itself. Perhaps the contacts in the connectors simply came loose. If everything seems fine, you can still try disconnecting and reconnecting the data and power cable.

Hard drive problems

Since the hard drive is a mechanical device, its malfunction is quite common. A problem with the unit itself may be indicated by strange sounds during its operation or their complete absence.

1. If it does not spin and its body does not vibrate, either the power supply has stopped or the hard drive itself has broken down. The easiest way to check its serviceability is to replace it with a similar one.
2. If a new drive is detected, then the hard drive is definitely out of order.

Is it worth repairing these devices? The cost of repair may even exceed the price of a new one. Most likely, it does not need to be repaired, but if important documents were stored on it, you can try to restore all this data at a service center.

It may also be that the drive has damaged sectors, logical partitions, or broken data blocks. This could be due to the computer becoming infected with a virus. Such devices should be replaced immediately, otherwise malfunctions may continue on the motherboard and central processor.

If you have recently installed an additional drive

When connecting new equipment, you must set connection priorities correctly. Which hard drive should be considered by Bios as the main one, and which one as the auxiliary one. Priorities are set by correctly placing jumpers on the back of the devices themselves.

As a rule, the master drive must be connected to the outermost connector of the loop, and the auxiliary drive to the intermediate one. An incorrect connection can also cause the hard drive to not be detected. How exactly to insert jumpers correctly - the diagram is located on the top of the hard drive case. The connection diagram is different for different brands of devices.

Bios settings are lost

Why might the BIOS settings change? A viral infection may have occurred. If other problems appear in the BIOS, a virus is quite likely to enter the system.

To reset the BIOS settings to default, you need to find a small battery on the motherboard and remove it for a few seconds, and then put it back in place. After this, a new session on the computer will begin with attempts to detect connected Bios devices. If it was just the settings, the drive should be determined.

Problems with the power supply

If new modules were installed in the computer, the old power supply may not be able to handle the increased power consumption. There is little current supplied to the hard drive, so it does not rotate. And if it doesn’t spin, it’s as if it doesn’t exist. The problem with the power supply is checked by installing a more powerful source. Or, if there is nothing to replace it with, disable the newly added blocks and see if the computer’s functionality will be restored. If everything works again, you need to look for a more powerful power source.

The hard drive is not detected at the device manager level

If the BIOS still detects it, and Windows boots from another drive, you can check whether the drive you are looking for is in Device Manager. The problem may be caused by previously created virtual drives. The system switched to recognizing them, and the physical devices were disabled as unnecessary.

Such a nuisance sometimes arises when using special software on a computer for managing, recording, or creating virtual machines. The management and settings of such programs are quite complex and it is easy to make some erroneous actions.

Sometimes the problem goes deep into the registry and then even deleting virtual devices and the program itself does not help. What to do? As a reasonable solution, you can consider formatting and reinstalling the operating system. This way you can get rid of viruses at the same time. And the updated Windows OS always works faster and better than the old one.

External drive not detected

External devices with huge amounts of memory are increasingly becoming common among PC users. Why can't my external drive be found by my computer? The easiest way to make sure it is working is to connect it to another computer. If it doesn’t work there either, there is a malfunction in the hard drive itself or problems in the power and data cables.

Cable connectors must be carefully inspected to ensure that the plugs are seated tightly in the ports. Poor contact along the circuits will completely lead to the absence of a disk both in the BIOS and in the system.

If the external drive has a separate cable for connecting power, you need to check whether it is connected. Measure the voltage at the contactor. If there is little energy, the disk will also not work normally.

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Recovering lost data from hard drive

Many computer users have encountered (and will continue to encounter) the fact that they may need to recover data from a hard drive. It is enough to imagine a situation where a user is working on a computer and tries to access documents or some important files stored on the hard drive, but, to his surprise, discovers that the necessary data cannot be opened.

This situation may arise as a result of HDD failure. There can be many reasons for a drive to malfunction, and to decide whether deleted data can be recovered and how to do it, you will have to try a little. I’ll say right away that there is no need to panic ahead of time, because many problems can be solved on their own. There are several data recovery methods that you can try yourself before turning to the experts.

3 reasons for erasing information

Loss of information can be due to a number of factors, but 3 of them are considered the most common.

• Firstly, sometimes a user accidentally deletes an important folder, empties the Recycle Bin, or even formats a hard drive by mistake.
• Secondly, the problem may be software related. In this case, you can try to restore the files in some way.
• Thirdly, the cause of data loss may be related to a problem with the hard drive itself. Given the complexity of modern drives, it's not surprising that something might go wrong somewhere. If the HDD suffers from some kind of system or hardware error, then the average user is unlikely to solve the problem on his own. In this case, it is best to contact a special service that can restore files from the disk. However, there are a certain number of errors that you can try to solve yourself.

Data recovery using special programs

Now let's look at how to recover data from a hard drive using various software and utilities. If you lose data, you need to act as quickly as possible. If the drive is connected to a running system, then with every second the chances of its recovery decrease.

The operating system constantly writes and reads data from the hard drive, regardless of whether the user is using the computer or not. Typically, a deleted directory is perceived by the system as free space, which is why it can overwrite this area, reducing the chances of recovering information.

Procedure

You must shut down the computer to which the damaged drive is connected. After this, the archive of files will be safe from overwriting, so you can clone it and try to restore data from an exact copy. There are several cloning methods. Then you will need to use programs to recover information. Many different applications have been developed for this purpose and some of them are distributed free of charge.

Recuva is a good program for recovering deleted files that does not require any investment. A program for recovering files from an external hard drive, called Zero Assumption Recovery, is suitable for those who are willing to spend money on a good application.

Data recovery in case of hardware failures

How to recover deleted files from hard drive? Finding the remaining information using the software is very convenient. But what to do if the erased disk is not even detected by the operating system? Sometimes it happens that the computer sees folders and files, but freezes when trying to access them. In the worst case, the disk may be completely disabled, as a result of which it will not even spin up. It is necessary to study the main components of the drive and try to understand which of its components may have broken. Different breakdowns may be accompanied by different symptoms:

The PCB is a chip that is attached to the bottom of the drive (usually green). This is where the main controller (equivalent to the processor on the motherboard) is located, along with other electronic components. This interface converts binary code into information that a computer can understand.

Platter is one or more thin round plates. On regular consumer HDDs, they rotate around their axis at speeds from 5900 to 7200 rpm. This is exactly the element on which the data is stored. It is made of glass or various alloys and coated with a magnetic layer, thanks to which it can store up to 4 TB of information.

Head Assembly are special heads for reading and writing data. Interestingly, during their work they do not come into contact with the surface of the plate. These heads are located slightly above the surface of the disk. Typically, each plate has 2 such devices. A large HDD with 3 platters is equipped with 6 heads. Such devices may be damaged by shock or strong shaking. As a result, they stop floating above the plates and come into direct physical contact with them, which is why information on the hard drive begins to be erased at a speed of several thousand revolutions per minute.

Firmware is software built into the HDD, which is a mini operating system that provides access to the data storage. Most of this firmware is stored on platters. A relatively small share is received by the microcircuit, which is necessary to start the drive. The firmware may fail, causing data to become inaccessible.

Unfortunately, hard drive firmware is not the same as for smartphones and tablets, so it cannot be updated or downgraded to a previous version. Each HDD model has its own unique modules and parameters. Programmers sometimes joke that every hard drive has a complex character.

What to do if the disk does not spin

How to recover information from a hard drive if it does not spin. This is exactly the case when the user has a good chance of recovering deleted files. But in this case, some effort and time will be required. If the drive does not make any sounds when connected to power, then with a 99% probability the problem lies in the RSV. For older drive models, it was possible to find a suitable chip from another drive to make a replacement. Technologies and architectures have changed with new disks. Now each HDD contains unique microcode. In modern conditions, replacing RSV has almost no chance of success and can be dangerous for the surviving data.

There are 2 possible reasons for the failure of the IC: the TVS diode (fuse) has failed due to a short circuit, or some other vital component has been damaged. Drive boards often have 2 TVS, which protect the drive from voltage surges. Typically, 1 of them is rated at 5 V, and 2 are rated at 12 V. If the user accidentally connects the wrong power adapter to the hard drive, or there is a voltage surge, the diode may fail. If, as a result of a short circuit, only the TVS is damaged, and the remaining components of the chip are in perfect order, then removing the diode will be enough to restore the HDD’s functionality.

The condition of the diode can be checked using a multimeter. If the meter shows 0 ohms or something like that, then the TVS has indeed shorted. Diode failure may be accompanied by a noticeable burning odor and visual changes similar to burns. It must be borne in mind that once the diode is removed, the drive will remain defenseless, so the power supply must be uninterruptible and reliable.

If the TVS does not smell burnt and shows the correct numbers when measured, then the problem lies with the PCB itself. In this case, the chip needs to be replaced. Most ICs have an 8-pin ROM chip that contains the unique firmware needed to run the drive. The replacement will only work if the element is transferred from the old PCB to the new one. Some hard drives (especially Western Digitals) do not have this 8-pin chip. Instead, the firmware is stored in the main controller, which is virtually impossible to detach.

If you want to replace the chip, it must be suitable. You can find specialists who perform similar operations. Some of them even offer ROM replacement, saving the user the hassle of using a soldering iron. If the RSV is the only damaged component, and all other elements are in order, then after replacement the disk should work again. Another element of the microcircuit that needs to be checked is the contacts. They can corrode over time, but can be easily cleaned with a rubber band.

What to do if the drive makes clicking noises or freezes

How to recover files from a hard drive? Strange sounds are a serious problem associated with read and write heads. If these devices break down, they begin to damage the information plates. In any case, this is a job that only professionals can do. The drive must be opened in a special laboratory and the damaged head replaced in order to get to the deleted data. If the disk makes clicking noises, it is better to turn it off and leave it alone in order to later send it to a special company that specializes in restoring drives. It is not recommended to turn on a HDD with such a failure, as its condition may worsen even further.

How to recover files on your hard drive? Freezing means that the disk has begun to demagnetize. A large number of “bad” sectors appear on it, which the drive unsuccessfully tries to read, which is why it eventually freezes. This type of problem usually occurs over time and can only be solved by using professional data recovery equipment called “Hard Imager”. If you examine the hard drive using SMART technology, you will notice a large number of redistributed sectors to confirm your suspicions. You can save the scan results and send them to experts who will handle the recovery.

If you still want to carry out this operation yourself, at the risk of exacerbating the problem and destroying the remaining data, then you can try using Hard Imager yourself. But you need to take into account that such software runs through the BIOS. An alternative option is the free application "dd_rescue", which runs in a Linux environment. It can skip all the bad sectors on the external drive and save the remaining information.

What to do if the drive beeps when you turn it on

A squeak-like sound means the HDD is trying to spin up, but is unable to do so. The problem can only be caused by serious mechanical damage. The most common possible cause is a phenomenon called "stiction". When the disk is not in use, its heads can be located in the center or on the edge. As mentioned above, these devices do not touch the plates, but float above them. Sometimes the head may be in the wrong position, causing the disc to stop rotating. Due to the extremely smooth surface of the plates and heads, they can literally stick to each other. The disk must be opened in the laboratory, where faulty elements must be replaced with new ones.

Another reason may be a breakdown of the motor - the mechanism that spins the plates with information. It may jam if the hard drive takes a hit. Such a failure is quite rare, except for Seagate drives, which have an extremely fragile motor. There are 2 ways to solve this problem, but in both cases you will need professional intervention. You can replace the engine, or vice versa - remove the plates along with the heads and install them on another mechanism.

What to do if the hard drive is not detected

Typically, this indicates problems with the firmware. Several years ago, this error associated with Seagate products was widespread. Many drives running SD15 firmware suffered from internal system failures. This error has caused a large number of hard drive crashes. In those days, such failures could be resolved independently, but modern HDDs, as a rule, require the intervention of professionals.

Let's sum it up

So, in some cases you may need a data recovery program. Sometimes the loss of information may be due to the fact that the user accidentally deleted it. If the disk shows no signs of life at all, then the problem lies in the PCB chip. If the drive makes unusual sounds and generally behaves strangely, you need to hand it over to professionals who will restore the information on the hard drive. Any attempts to independently search for missing information are risky. If the disk being restored actually contained vital data, then it is better to spend a certain amount of money and give the HDD to a recovery service.

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All “advanced” computer users have encountered this situation. It happens that the disk categorically refuses to be detected in the OS.

And it’s good, we only ate in the system. There are several reasons for this disk behavior. The most common is the presence of “broken” sectors. But first things first.

The computer does not see the hard drive. What is the reason and how to fix it?

The answer to this question varies depending on how the hard drive is not detected. If the disk is detected when the BIOS boots and is not visible in, then this is not so bad. Perhaps it's a driver issue.

Or the boot sector, which contains the information necessary for connection, is located in a damaged area. Then the OS does not see the partition table and reports that “The disk is not formatted.” You can fight this.

Moreover, standard functions of Windows OS. It is much worse if the disk is not detected when the computer boots.

In some cases, the HDD is not detected in the BIOS. There are many reasons for this: a glitch in the BIOS itself, damage to the HDD, faulty wires, incorrect jumper position, etc. It is possible to restore the functionality of the hard drive.

But sometimes you have to worry about buying a new storage medium. What can I do to make my computer see my hard drive?

If the disk is not detected inBIOS

The first priority in this case is to determine the cause of the malfunction. It's not that simple here. If the disk is not visible in the BIOS, then this is a complete problem, because the reasons may be different. And it’s good if it’s not a boot disk with the OS installed.

If the hard drive does not want to be detected in the BIOS, try the following solutions to the problem:

1. Reset BIOS settings to default. It happens that the basic input/output system sometimes “glitches”. After resetting the settings everything should work fine.
2. In the BIOS settings related to the hard drive, disable AHCI mode. Sometimes the disk does not want to be detected due to this option being enabled.
3. Try updating your BIOS. Sometimes new firmware versions fix “bugs” and “glitches” of previous versions. It is possible that after the update everything will work.
4. Check the connection loops by connecting others. Over time, the wires connecting the HDD to the motherboard fail. Check their functionality by replacing the wires.
5. Checking jumpers. If two HDDs are connected to the computer and both of their jumpers are in the “Master” position, one of them will not be detected. It is necessary to change the position of the jumper by selection.
6. Last option. Connect the HDD to another computer. If the disk is not detected there, then it’s time to scrap it.

If the above methods did not help, then everything is very bad with the disk. And here a dilemma arises: restore data or repair the disk. It's not the same thing. When restoring data, the disk is not repaired, but simply thrown away.

When the disk is repaired, the data disappears. Considering the cost of modern HDDs, there is no point in repairing them. And there is no guarantee that after repair it will last long. But the data can be restored. And transfer them to a new HDD. But this is already the worst-case scenario.

If the disk is not detected inWindows

Let's assume that the BIOS detects the hard drive. But Windows OS categorically refuses to see it. What to do in this case? The system may not see the HDD for several reasons.

The most common of them: the presence of “broken” sectors and problems with drivers. In the first case, there is little we can do. But in the second, you can try to reinstall the drivers.

If the system greets us with the message “The disk is not formatted,” then this is a sign that the boot sector has been damaged. As a result, the OS is unable to read the information required to connect this disk. There is a solution to this problem. Go to the “Start” menu, select “Run” and enter the combination “cmd”.

The command line opens. In it we enter the command “chkdsk drive letter: /F /R”. This command runs a disk check. Key “F” – automatic error correction, key “R” – data recovery. The process may take a long time.

Depending on the volume and degree of clutter of the disk. There are 99 chances out of a hundred that after this procedure the OS will see the hard drive.

If it's the drivers, then we need to reinstall them. To do this, go to “Device Manager”, look for the HDD designation and click the “Uninstall driver” button. After this, the computer needs to be restarted.

After the reboot, the system itself will try to install the driver for the unknown device. In most cases this is enough. But if this does not happen, go to the “Device Manager”, click on the icon with the device we need and select the “Update drivers” item. The OS itself will find a suitable driver and install it.

After this, we restart the computer and rejoice at the determined hard drive.

If all else fails

If the above methods did not give any result, then the HDD has “died”. There is only one thing left to do - try to recover the data. You can do this yourself, but it is better to entrust it to professionals.

If you decide to recover your data yourself, there are several good programs that can help you. However, all of them are good only if the hard drive is detected at least in the BIOS.

Recuva is perhaps the most famous data recovery program. It can recover almost any type of file. A positive quality of the utility is that it is completely free.

However, the percentage of information recovered is not that high. But the application is entirely in Russian and has a simple and intuitive interface. Managing this product is easy.

R-Studio– the coolest data recovery utility. This monster will restore everything without any questions asked. It can retrieve data from the disk even after formatting it.

Flexible program settings allow you to adjust the recovery process depending on the type of files. The program has only one drawback - you have to pay to use it. Because the unregistered version cannot recover large amounts of data.

However, it makes sense to spend money on the full version in order to further protect yourself from the threat of losing all the necessary files.

Seagate File Recovery- the most powerful program. It will find and restore everything that is possible even on an undetectable HDD. The utility is undemanding to system resources and is free. But there is one significant drawback.

The application works exclusively with hard drives from Seagate. The utility does not notice HDDs from other manufacturers at all. Considering that most users use hard drives from this manufacturer, the appearance of this utility on this list is quite justified.

Data Rescue PC– an excellent tool designed to work with disks outside the operating system. The program loads as a Live CD and can work even with heavily damaged disks.

This utility can restore everything. It will be especially useful in cases where the system disk is damaged and the OS does not want to boot.

Despite all the professional bells and whistles and the Live CD mode, the utility has a pleasant and intuitive interface. The program is completely free and does not require activation.

Using all these programs, you can try to extract at least some information from a damaged hard drive. If they don’t help, then you need to turn to professionals.

Such an appeal will cost a lot, so it’s worth considering whether the information stored on a damaged HDD is really needed. Perhaps the best solution is to simply buy a new hard drive.

Conclusion

Thanks to this mini instruction on the topic “The computer does not see the hard drive. What is the reason and how to fix it? many users can save time, money and stress. If we summarize everything that is written above, we can say that in most cases, problems with a hard drive are reversible.

Even if it is damaged, there are ways to extract information from it. With the help of specialized programs this can be easily achieved. To prevent such unpleasant situations from arising, use the “Check Disk” system option more often. Checking and fixing errors will help keep your HDD in good health.