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Doesn't detect the disk. What to do if the computer does not recognize the hard drive. Conflict between hard drives

For many users, when a message such as “DISK BOOT FAILURE. INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER", "Operating System Not Found", "Missing Operating System" the question arises: what to do next?

Such inscriptions indicate that your computer simply does not see the hard drive. There may be several reasons for this. So, why doesn't the computer see the hard drive?

Why can't my computer see my hard drive? The most common reasons

1. The most common reason is oxidation of the contacts on the signal cable (loop) or improper contact of the hard drive power connectors (MOLEX or SATA).
To make sure that the diagnosis is correct, you need to remove the hard drive and try to run it on another hard drive.

2. The second reason may be a failure in the BOIS settings, which leads to incorrect vision of devices connected to the computer. To remedy this problem, BOIS has a reset or zero function that returns all parameters to factory settings. There are six ways to reset BOIS, four of which are available only to programmers, and two you can use yourself.

First way. Turn off the computer's power. On the motherboard (mainboard) find the Clear CMOS jumper,
it is usually located close to the battery. Move the jumper from contacts 1-2 to 2-3, wait 15 seconds, return everything to its original position and your system is reset. After this procedure, BOIS will automatically recognize your hard drive.

Second way. You must also turn off the power and find the CR2032 battery on the motherboard and remove it from the socket. Wait a minute for the capacitors to discharge, which will reset the BOIS. Insert the battery into its original place and turn on the hard drive.

3. If your hard drive has an IDE interface, then it has jumpers with which you can select Master, Slave.

When connecting another device, for example a CD-ROM, the jumpers on them must correspond to either Master or Slave on each device, that is, the hard drive must be Master, and the CD-ROM Slave and vice versa. Only in this case will BOIS perceive your device correctly.

4. If you connect an external drive (eSata, USB) and it is not detected by the system, then try connecting something else to this connector. If it works, but your external drive does not, then the reason is in itself.

5. Very often, due to overheating of the south bridge chip, which is responsible for the PATA and SATA controllers, which is located on the laptop motherboard, the hard drive refuses to work or does not work correctly. In this case, you need to turn off the laptop and let it cool down.

6. The hard drive should not be subjected to shock or other mechanical stress. Otherwise, it may suffer mechanical damage such as scratches on the magnetic surface. Since the heads of the hard drive move over the disk at a very short distance, any impact can cause the heads to come into contact with the disk, resulting in scratches and further use of the disk.

When to turn to specialists?

Let's take a closer look at the last case. If the hard drive works, but uncharacteristic sounds are heard during its operation: clicks, howls (unstable speeds), rubbing, then this is a physical problem that can be solved using programs such as Victoria or mHDD. You can only use them if you are very confident in what you are doing. Otherwise, you will only make things worse, leaving no chance of recovering information from the hard drive. Then you need to contact a service point, where its specialists will carry out free diagnostics and, if possible, repair the disk or, if there are malfunctions, carry out restoration work. After all, for any user, the information stored on this disk is most important.

What to do if the operating system does not see the hard drive?

In some cases, when the hard drive does not recognize the hard drive for a trivial reason: a poorly fitting USB or a mismatch between the USB 1.1 and 2.0 protocols. Some users, having no experience in repairing hard drives, try to disassemble the hard drive themselves. At the same time, having no idea that their assembly is carried out in sterile conditions that do not allow the presence of dust and fingerprints, which leads to a true malfunction. Since the gap between the disk and the head is equal to several microns, any speck of dust can lead to a scratch that completely disables the disk.

Based on all the problems listed above, when the computer does not recognize the hard drive, first of all, it is worth trying all the attempts available to the average user. Otherwise, you may lose both the hard drive and all the data on it.

If all the information listed above did not help you, contact the service, because you know why the computer does not see the hard drive and you know how serious it is...

In contact with

If the system cannot boot because the computer does not see the hard drive or USB device, then this may be due to both hardware problems of the PC, and various types of errors in the OS itself or incorrect BIOS configuration. Next, we will tell you what to do in Windows and Mac if the cause of abnormal operation is not a physical breakdown of the device in the PC, as well as how to solve the problem through the MHDD utility when the HDD clicks heavily during operation.

Reasons why the OS does not see the HDD

There are several common reasons why the system does not detect a hard drive:

Wondering why the BIOS does not detect the drive on my computer, one of the reasons can be found in the incorrect configuration of the jumpers to switch the drive modes Master, Single, etc. In order for the device to work correctly, you need to adhere to the diagram printed on the sticker.

In general, there may be many more reasons why a PC or laptop does not see a hard drive or USB. For example, the CMOS battery on the motherboard may be dead, causing BIOS settings changes to not be saved after a reboot. In this case, you need to replace the battery.

A faulty power supply can also cause problems. Because of this, sometimes the system cannot detect the second hard drive, sometimes the problem block does not support not only the second, but even the first disk.

External drive not detected

When the computer does not see the external hard drive, USB device or DVR, you should check whether the device is connected to the PC correctly. If a USB storage device or DVR is connected to the front panel of the system unit, connect it through the main rear panel. The same can be done for users whose USB device is connected, but after that it is not recognized by the system, as a result, the laptop does not see the hard drive anyway. The system cannot detect it for a long time, and then error messages appear. One possible reason is lack of nutrition.

In addition to connecting an external USB drive to the back of the PC, reinstalling the drivers for the motherboard can help. To find out its model, you can check one of the specialized programs, for example, Everest.

To connect a DVR, specific programs from the manufacturer are often required, the disk with which may sometimes be lost or not included with the DVR in the box.

Some devices, in addition to connecting to a PC USB port, also require an external power source. Therefore, another banal reason why the computer does not see the external hard drive may be that the user, after connecting to the PC, simply forgot to connect the device to the network.

Also, the DVR may have problems when installing a hard drive that the device cannot detect. In this case, you need to do the formatting process. In this case, no indication will appear on the screen, only the inscription “no HDD” will appear in the upper right corner. After the formatting process is completed, the DVR will detect the drive and show its capacity.

Compatibility issues between external drives and Mac

When the Mac does not see the USB drive, the situation is somewhat different. Sometimes it happens that a new removable hard drive is detected, but does not open. The main reason here is that the formatting procedure of the USB drive was performed in the NTFS system designed to work with Windows. Mac uses it only for reading, and you won’t be able to write anything to such a USB drive.

There may be two solutions to the problem:

Carry out the formatting process in the FAT-32 or FAT-32 system, after which the Mac works without problems.
Use special drivers that allow the Mac to fully work with NTFS.

In the latter case, you can use the driver built into the system, however, due to a lot of shortcomings, this method of “making friends” between a removable NTFS drive and a Mac can damage the file system. If you accept the risk, then do the following:

Enter in terminal:

studio –s (next enter the password and press Enter);
nano /etc/fstab.

A blank screen will appear where you need to enter the following:

Label=Disk none ntfs rw (where instead of Disk, write down the label of the NTFS partition).

Press Ctrl-X successively, then Y and Enter.

You can also use third-party drivers - free NTFS-3G, commercial Tuxera NTFS for Mac and Paragon NTFS for Mac. These solutions are more reliable.

Often when working on a Mac, another problem arises - if the same disk is used to transfer information from Mac to Windows, then suddenly it may no longer be detected in the Mac OS.

The solution is to use a small “intermediate” drive to reset information from one system to another. Often this is the only way to solve the old problem that The Mac simply refuses to recognize the drives after working with them in Windows. To reliably store information on a Mac, you should use drives that were originally designed for Mac.

How to get back a missing partition on your hard drive

If logical partitions disappear on a disk, then on a running OS they can be found and restored using one of the programs for working with HDD partitions. If the computer no longer sees hard drive “C” with all the files, which is why the system does not boot, then the task becomes more complicated. You will need an Acronis Disk Director boot disk.

The following must be done:

Boot from the Live CD and select the Disk Director Home program;
Make sure that the required sections are missing;
Run the Acronis Recovery Expert utility;
Select manual partition recovery mode.

All you have to do is click “Next”, after which drive “C” will be restored. Special solutions are offered for Mac computers. After formatting, including in Mac, data is also restored using specialized utilities, for example.

If the disk is “noisy” during operation

If the hard drive clicks a lot, you can reduce its noise by using the AAM function - noise level adjustment. It is capable of reducing the speed of movement of the drive heads, as a result of which the latter clicks much more quietly.

In addition to proprietary utilities from hard drive manufacturers, the small MHDD utility can get rid of the problem. Moreover, the function is implemented very conveniently:

First of all, you need to decide what a hard drive is. A hard drive (called a “hard drive” in slang) is a device for storing data. In fact, all information on a computer is stored there (with a few exceptions).

The operating system and all the data to which it has access are recorded on the hard drive.

Accordingly, when the system does not detect one of these devices, all files written to it become inaccessible. Below we will describe the causes of problems and ways to overcome them.

An external hard drive may also be susceptible to the “diseases” listed below.

Diagnostic measures

If the computer does not see the disk, you need to determine the “culprits”. That is, find out whether the problem lies in the device itself or in the system. To do this, you will have to connect the hard drive to another computer.

If it recognizes the device, then the problem is in the system, but if not, then the hard drive itself is faulty. It is better to entrust further work on it to the masters. Or use warranty replacement or repair.

If the problem is in the “native” hard drive system, then there are several ways to fix it on your own. The little that you can do yourself will help you avoid spending on specialist services.

Some useful tips

You can enter the BIOS settings by pressing the F2 or Del keys until the system starts loading;
It is better to remember well the correct connection of cables to SATA outputs;
It is better to wrap the hard drive removed from the system unit in antistatic agent;
It is also better to always place the lower part of the device, which contains the boards, on an antistatic agent.

Main problems and solutions

There are a number of problems with the hard drive that you can overcome yourself. A software conflict or outgoing contacts can be corrected without contacting specialists.

Outgoing contacts

The problem may lie in a simple lack of contact. To fix it, you will need to remove the cover of the system unit and try to reconnect the cables. If there is no result, then you can use other parallel cables.

Incorrect BIOS settings

In the case where even the BIOS does not detect the hard drive, you need to look at the system date. If it is incorrect, it indicates a settings failure. Resetting the settings will help correct the situation. To do this, you will need to remove the battery on the motherboard, wait 10-30 minutes and install it back.

After these simple steps, the hard drive should be recognized as a physical device.

The problem may also be in the order of boot devices. In this case, you will not need to completely reset the BIOS settings. Just find the menu item whose name contains the word “Boot”.

It will contain a priority list of devices to boot. In this list you need to move the HDD to the first line.

Insufficient nutrition

If the device periodically disappears and appears, then you need to listen to it.

The characteristic buzzing sounds of changing operating cycles indicate a lack of power. Then you will have to purchase a more powerful power supply or turn off some less important device.

Device conflict

Two hard drives of the same brand in the system can cause conflicts. To avoid them, you need to check and configure each one in turn with a separate connection to the system.

Bus version

Versions of Windows prior to Vista may not support the SATA(SATA II) interface.

The easiest way in this case is to change the operating system to a newer one. If this is not possible, then you will still have to reinstall the OS, but with integrated drivers for SATA interfaces.

OS problem

If the BIOS detects the device, but Windows does not see the hard drive, then manual configuration using Windows will be required. To do this, proceed as follows:

1. Open “Control Panel” in the “Start” drop-down panel;

2. Double-click on the “Administration” item;

3. In the window that opens, select “Computer Management”;

4. In the list on the left, select “Disk Management”.

All connected disk devices will be displayed in the lower central part of the computer management window. One of them will be without a volume label (letters, C:, D:, etc.). Right-clicking on the tile for this drive will open a drop-down menu containing the line “Change drive letter.”

Clicking on this item will bring up a window in which you can assign a volume label in the A-Z range. After this, you should restart your computer.

Note! The cause of the malfunction may also lie in an inappropriate file system. For normal operation it must be NTFS. Information about the volume's file system can be found in the corresponding tile in the Disk Management window. If a system other than NTFS is listed there, you will have to reformat the disk.

Not a single method helped revive the “patient”? Then you cannot do without the help of specialists. The problems are much more serious and only specialists can save the hard drive.

The computer does not see the hard drive. What to do?

Why does the computer not see the hard drive and how to solve this problem? This video is dedicated to answering these questions.

What to do if the computer does not see the external hard drive? Typically, such drives are easy to use because they are adapted for everyday use by the mass consumer. But there are situations when the HDD is not recognized after connecting to a computer with a Windows operating system or to another device with a USB port.

Most often, a computer or laptop does not see a removable hard drive due to a partition formatting error, the use of an incorrect file system, a broken USB port, or a lack of necessary drivers, but there may be other reasons. In the worst case, this may mean that the hard drive has failed. It should be noted that the operating principle of large external HDDs and pocket flash drives is identical, so the problems associated with them are usually solved in the same way. You can familiarize yourself with identical material on the invisibility of memory cards on various devices.

First of all, you need to find out why the external hard drive is not detected. To do this, you need to connect the external drive to the computer. If this is a full-fledged hard drive, then you need to turn on the power on it. Some heavy removable HDDs can even be connected to the mains using a separate cable. After connecting, you need to open the drive management tool. To do this, use the Windows + R key combination. In the line that appears, enter diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.

You should now see the external HDD in the list of all available drives. It will appear here even if Explorer on Windows XP does not recognize it due to missing partitions. If the external hard drive is detected, but does not open, then it needs to be formatted properly, after which it will be recognized by various devices. If the drive could not be detected even here, the reason may be something else.

What to do if the external hard drive is not detected? This may be caused by a hardware failure of the USB port, lack of a necessary driver, or failure of the drive. First of all, you need to try to run the disk through another free slot. If after this procedure the opened HDD works normally, then the reason was a broken USB port. It happens that the connectors on the front of the computer case have limited functionality and cannot ensure the normal operation of the external hard drive. It is recommended to use the rear USB ports.

Computer problems

Why doesn't my computer see my external drive? If the portable drive does not appear in the Disk Management Manager on Windows 7 even after connecting it to another connector, then it remains to find out whether everything is ok with the PC and the external drive. When the computer does not see the disk, but there is another PC at hand, then you need to try connecting the drive to it. In the case where accessible computers do not detect the external drive, we can conclude that it is broken and cannot be restored.

If Windows 10 does not see the drive, but it is recognized on other computers, then the operating system does not have the necessary drivers to detect it. You can probably find this out using the device manager on your computer. To open it, you need to call the command line using Windows + R, enter devmgmt.msc there and press Enter.

In the window that opens, the user must check all available drives for the presence of an icon in the form of a yellow exclamation mark. If such a picture is detected, then the problem lies in the drivers. You need to right-click on the device with the yellow sign, go to properties and read the message that reveals the essence of the error. If you copy this text verbatim into the Google search engine, then with a high degree of probability the results found will help solve the problem, because other users have probably already encountered such a problem.

System errors like these can be difficult to fix. If the computer stopped seeing the drive relatively recently, then you can run System Restore. In Device Manager, it is also recommended to try updating the driver or rolling it back to a previous version, as a result of which the HDD may begin to open. You also need to try to remove the device from the list in the hope that when you reconnect, Windows XP will be able to configure it correctly.

File system and formatting

Disk Manager can be used to fix problems related to partitions and the file system. If the visible disk in the image is full and there is unallocated space on it, then you need to create a new partition on it so that it can open. To do this, you need to right-click inside the unallocated space and create a new partition.

If the HDD is divided into sectors, but the computer no longer sees the external drive, then you need to make sure that it has received a designation in the form of a specific letter. The computer that sees the disk should do this automatically, but in some cases the user accidentally deletes a letter, which is why the disk cannot be detected. If a letter is missing, you need to enter it manually.

Why doesn't my PC see my external hard drive? There is always a chance that the drive is unreadable because it is using the wrong file system. The drive can be formatted using ext4 for Linux or HFS Plus for Mac. However, Macbook does not see ext4, and Linux does not see HFS Plus. Even a tablet does not work with such file systems, so the drive will need to be reformatted using NTFS or the older FAT32 in case the computer does not see it. To do this, you need to right-click on the disk and select the appropriate system. Please note that this will delete all files on the drive. When your MacBook doesn't see your external hard drive, you need to format it using HFS Plus.

If the external HDD is no longer detected from another device, such as a disk player, smart TV, game console or multimedia center, then the reason may be in the NTFS file system. Many devices, including the Xbox 360, refuse to work with it. In this case, you need to remove and format the portable drive using the old FAT32 file system. Keep in mind that this process will delete files on the external drive, so you'll need to copy them somewhere first.

All of the above recommendations did not help solve the problem, and Windows does not see the HDD? In this case, we can conclude that the external hard drive has failed, cannot be restored, and information cannot be retrieved from it. Unfortunately, such equipment quite often breaks down a few years after intensive use, and this is quite normal. This video will help you understand in more detail the issue of why the computer does not see the external hard drive.

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.

easyrecover.ru

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 consider 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, 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 realistic (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 should 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:

Reset BIOS settings to default. It happens that the basic input/output system sometimes “glitches”. After resetting the settings everything should work fine.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 the appropriate 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 a 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 “goodies” 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 would be 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.

vacenko.ru

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.

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.
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 on your own.

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.