Hard disk is not detected. What to do if the computer does not see the external hard drive via USB - all the reasons and solutions

One press of a button is enough for the computer to turn on. Unfortunately, there are times when the system fails to initialize HDD. In this case, the problem may arise not only with the additional hard drive, but also with the main HDD. Why doesn’t the computer see the hard drive and how to deal with it?

In fact, there are several reasons that contribute to failure. hard drive. In most cases, the problem can be fixed on your own. To correct the situation, you need to understand the reason that caused the breakdown.

The main reasons for the “disappearance” of a disk

When a hard drive disappears, the first thing that comes to mind is the incorrect connection of the hard drive to the motherboard. In fact, there are several reasons that cause this problem. The main “failures” of the storage medium include:

• Lack of contacts;
• The disk boot priority is incorrectly specified;
• Old operating system;
• The system does not support the connection interface;
• Lack of drivers;
• Lack of nutrition;
• Missing section letter;
• Device conflict;
• BIOS failure.

It doesn’t matter why the computer does not see the hard drive, you need to understand what to do in a given situation.

A common reason that causes a hard drive to “disappear” can be considered to be an incorrect connection. When connecting a cable or power cable, users sometimes do not insert the chips tightly. As a result motherboard The hard drive doesn't see it.

The same situation may occur if the connector on the motherboard is not functioning. To correct the situation, you need to double-check the correct connection, as well as the functionality of the port (it is best to temporarily use a different connector). The same applies to cables; it is better to replace them.

Disk boot priority

If you have connected the hard drive correctly, but the system does not see it, most likely the problem is with boot priorities. To fix the problem, you need to enter the BIOS. To do this, press one of the following buttons (each computer has its own key):

• Delete;

When the BIOS loads, go to the “Boot” tab. After this, you need to install your disk in the “Hard Disk Boot Priority” item. Once the setup is complete, you need to press the F10 button for the changes to be saved and the computer to restart. Now all that remains is to wait for the system to boot.

Old operating system

Technologies do not stand in one place. Every year new storage media appear, the volume of which is growing in arithmetic progression. Many users purchase hard drives with a capacity of 1 TB or more, but do not want to part with outdated operating systems. For example, Windows XP.

Unfortunately, legacy systems are not capable of handling large volumes. The problem can be solved by simply reinstalling the operating system. If you don’t want to do this, you can use specialized software such as Partition Manager. Programs add support hard drives volume up to 2 TB.

Connection interface problem

Another problem with outdated operating systems is the detection of the SATA connector. If you connect a hard drive to such a port, the system will not detect it. You can solve the problem by reinstalling the OS.

Those who don’t want to part with their favorite OS need to go to a store that sells SATA-IDE adapters. It should be noted right away that such devices may not be available in every store, so it will take some time until the adapter is delivered to the warehouse.

Lack of drivers

A similar situation occurs on weak computers, on which an outdated operating system is installed. When new devices come onto the market (hard drives are no exception), operating system developers add all the necessary drivers to the distribution.

If the hard drive was connected, but the system identified it as an unknown device, you need to download drivers. This can be done either from the official website of the manufacturer or using special driver packs. For example, Driver Pack Solution.

Installation does not take much time. After installing the drivers, the hard drive will be automatically detected. You may need to restart your computer.

Lack of nutrition

Some users of old devices write: “what to do if the computer does not see the disk.” At the same time, the wires and connectors are working, and the system is new. In fact, the reason for the absence of a hard drive may be a simple lack of power.

When purchasing a new drive, you need to ask the seller how much energy the device consumes. You also need to calculate how much energy it consumes system unit and all its components. After this, you need to pay attention to your power supply. Maybe he's just weak. For the hard drive to work, you will have to consider purchasing more powerful block nutrition.

Partition letter missing

There are times when the system does not see a hard drive connected as an additional drive. If the OS has installed the driver, “traces” of the hard drive are detected in the device manager, but the drive is not displayed in “My Computer,” you need to go to administration.

To do this, open Start and then select Control Panel. In the window that opens, you need to click on the “Administration” section.

After a second, a new window will open with a list of control elements. You need to find the Computer Management section and then go to it.

In the next step, in the left column you need to find the “Disk Management” item. All connected drives will be assigned a letter, except the one you recently connected. You need to right-click on the hard drive, and then select “Change drive letter” from the context menu. Now all that remains is to select any letter. It is recommended that you restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

It is important to note that in rare cases, even after assigning a letter, the hard drive does not appear in “My Computer”. Most likely the reason is an unsupported file system. In "Disk Management", you need to call the context menu with the right mouse button, and then format the system by setting file system NTFS.

There is a device conflict

Users sometimes do not understand why the computer does not see the disk if the connection is made correctly? In rare cases, a device conflict may occur. This happens when two identical drives made by the same company are installed.

To fix the problem, you need to connect the drive to the motherboard one by one, and then specify in the BIOS the hard drive on which the operating system is installed.

BIOS failure

It is extremely rare that a situation may occur when the BIOS fails. It is difficult to say why the computer does not see the disk in this case. Sometimes a DVD-ROM or video card may disappear. The problem can be resolved by resetting the BIOS.

First you need to turn off the power to your PC. Then find the jumper (small “contact closure”) located on the motherboard. It can be found near the battery. The jumper should be moved to pins 2-3. Now you need to wait about 15 seconds. This time should be enough to reset the settings. All that remains is to return the jumper to its original location and restart the computer. The system will automatically detect the new disk.

If you are unable to find the jumper, it is recommended to use the second method of resetting the BIOS. After turning off the power, you need to remove the round battery from the motherboard. The reset will occur within one minute. When the battery is returned to its place, the computer can be turned on.

Do I need to contact specialists?

In 95% of cases, any user can handle connecting a hard drive. If you have tried all the methods described above and the hard drive still does not appear on the computer, you can contact a specialist. Most likely the problem is a broken hard drive or motherboard.

You can also contact specialists if the disk is malfunctioning. In this case, the device makes characteristic sounds, errors appear, or the disk disappears completely.

Conclusion

Most often, users who discover a disk connection problem begin to get nervous. You need to calm down, as serious consequences may arise. You should analyze the situation and then go through the methods described above. In most cases, you can solve the problem on your own. If you decide to use specialized software, carefully study the functionality and instructions.

Video review: what to do if the PC does not see the hard drive?

Follow these steps in order. If the first does not help, move on to the second and so on.

What to do if a Windows computer does not see the hard drive

Disk does not show up in BIOS

1. If you have just connected the hard drive, check if you did it correctly. Find official instructions to your motherboard and hard drive and follow all manufacturers' recommendations.

2. If you are trying to install Windows XP or more old version and the system reports that there is no hard drive, make sure that the hard drive mode compatible with this OS is enabled in the BIOS - IDE. To do this, find the SATA operation setting in the BIOS (SATA Mode, SATA Configuration or a similar name). Set the value to IDE, save changes and restart your computer.

3. If possible, check the functionality of the hard drive by connecting it to another PC. If it works, look for faults in the motherboard or other components of your computer. If not, you can take the hard drive to a service center.

Disk doesn't show up in Windows

1. Make sure the hard drive is turned on BIOS settings. To do this, restart the computer and, as soon as the machine starts to turn on, press the F2 or DEL key (the desired key is usually displayed on the screen) until you get to the BIOS.

Then find the disk management section (Storage Configuration, Drive or a similar name) and make sure that the desired hard drive is activated. Opposite it should be the words Active, On or something similar. Save the changes and restart your PC.

2. Check whether Windows has properly prepared the disk for use. First open a command prompt window ( Windows keys+ R), then enter in it diskmgmt.msc and press Enter. Carefully read all system warnings so as not to accidentally format the drive or change the data recorded on it.

If you see a disk without a volume label in the Disk Management menu, this may be the cause of the conflict. Then right-click on the drive and assign a letter to it using the appropriate option in the context menu. Then restart your computer.

If in the same menu you see a new disk labeled “Not initialized,” right-click on it, select “Initialize disk” and follow the Windows prompts. After initialization, click on the disk again to open the context menu, select “Create a simple volume” and act according to the system instructions. When finished, restart your PC.

3. Download the latest hard drive drivers from the manufacturer's website and install them.

4. Check your computer for malware using an antivirus.

5. Try it after saving all important data.

If none of the above helps, contact a service center for assistance.

What to do if Mac does not see the hard drive

Mac won't boot

If you have a modern Mac, it will most likely have one drive. And it is obvious that if there are problems with it, the computer simply will not boot. In this case, you need to carry out diagnostics with using Apple Hardware Test using the network mode.

Connect your Mac to a power source and disconnect all external devices except the keyboard, mouse, monitor, and Ethernet cable. Turn off your Mac by holding the power button for a few seconds.

Turn on your Mac by holding down the Option + D keys. After running Apple Hardware Test, diagnose the components by following the wizard's prompts.

If disk errors are detected during testing, you will have to contact service. It will be possible to carry out repairs yourself only on older models with HDD by replacing the disk.

Drive doesn't show up in Finder

1. If your Mac has several disks and the problem is not with the boot disk, but with the auxiliary disk, then the computer will boot, but the disk will not be accessible. In this case, you need to check whether it is displayed in " Disk Utility».

To do this, open the application from the Applications → Utilities folder or through Spotlight and check if the disk is visible. If so, you can try formatting it (keep in mind that this will delete all data).

2. If the drive is not listed in Disk Utility, you should check whether it appears in System Information.

Open the utility through the Apple menu → System Information and then click the System Report button. Go to the "Storage" tab or SATA / SATA Express interfaces. Check if the required drive is available there.

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If the disk is not displayed, you can conduct diagnostics using Apple Hardware Test as described above, and if errors are detected with the disk, contact the service for repair.

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 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 casing” should not be used on your disk - after such an impact, there is a high probability that you will never recover information at all, even in 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 an example HDD programs Scan:

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:

After scanning is completed, it will appear full list information that can be recovered. 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
• V Windows interface 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" etc. 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 introducing 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”).

NastroyVse.ru

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 boot sector, which contains the information necessary for connection, is located in the 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 boot disk with installed OS.

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 for connection of 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 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 full version, in order to further protect yourself from the threat of losing all 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 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. May be, the best solution It will just be buying 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 perform Windows startup impossible.

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 occurred without apparent reason, it can be assumed that there is a malfunction of either the device itself or a failure in 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. For different brands devices, the connection diagram is different.

Bios settings are lost

Why BIOS installation could have changed? Might have happened viral infection. 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 boot occurs from another drive, you can check whether the drive you are looking for is available 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 occurs when using special software on a computer to manage, record, create 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 external storage can't find it on your 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 regular user It is unlikely to solve the problem on its 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. For this purpose, many have been developed various applications and some of them are distributed free of charge.

Recuva is good program recovery deleted files, which does not require 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 built into the HDD software, 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, the firmware for the hard drive is not the same as for smartphones and tablets, so they cannot be updated or rolled back to 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 free application"dd_rescue" which works in 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. Most common possible reason- this is a phenomenon called “stiction” (stickiness). 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. A few years ago it was widespread this error related to Seagate products. 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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Question from a user...

Hello. My 1TB Seagate Expansion external hard drive (without power adapter) was purchased in 2015. Since then it has worked fine and I have used it as additional memory for music, photos, videos (I have a computer and a laptop - it’s convenient to transfer data between them).

The other day I connect it to a USB port and see that the computer does not see the external hard drive at all! I tried to connect it to the laptop - the same thing, even the LED does not light up. Could you please tell me what could be the reason, how can I fix it (didn’t drop the disc, didn’t hit it, didn’t splash it, generally handled it very carefully)?

On disk, not really necessary documents, but a large archive of interesting files accumulated recently.

Thank you in advance.

Good day!

In general, there are quite a few reasons why this could happen: for example, the USB cord has become unusable. In this article I will try to give the most basic reasons why such a problem of “invisibility” arises. By going through them, you and many other users will be able to fix a similar problem yourself, which will save you time and money ✌.

Problem with hardware // can be identified by external signs

The first thing I want to start this article with is with "external signs" , because it is by them that you can determine whether there are problems with the hardware itself. Yes, and you see them earlier than all other parameters and settings in Windows.

When connecting a drive to a USB port, you must:

To help!

Repairing an external hard drive at home // an attempt to restore functionality -

Why all the above written: It’s just that if, when connecting a disk to several computers, it does not show any signs of life (the LED does not light up, the sound of movement inside is inaudible), then there is no point in looking further for the reason for its “invisibility”, because There is clearly a problem with the hardware (with the wires, with the disk itself, with the USB ports).

Drive letter conflict

Each storage medium: hard disk, optical disk, floppy disk, etc. - when connecting to a computer, a letter is automatically assigned (C:\, D:\, E:\, etc.). It happens that Windows, as a result of some kind of failure or conflict, assigns the wrong letter (or doesn't do it at all!)- as a result, the media is not displayed. Moreover, this happens not so rarely...

How to open Disk Management (Windows 7/8/10):

1. press buttons Win+R;
2. enter the command diskmgmt.msc;
3. press Enter(see screenshot below).

Select your external hard drive from the list of drives (if it is not there, go to the next point in the article: the problem with drivers), right-click on this line and select from the pop-up context menu "Change drive letter or drive path..." (as in the screenshot below).

After that, select any other letter and click change (see screenshot below).

To help!

My computer does not display external drives and flash drives because... Windows does not assign letters to connected drives -

File system problem

IN disk management Notice how the drive is displayed. If there is a black bar above it and it says “Not allocated”, this means that the disk is simply not formatted.

If the hard drive is new - this happens quite often (not all manufacturers format the disk).

To format a disk - in disk management select it in the list and right-click on it, then click on the option "Create Simple Volume"(see screenshot below).

Note! Formatting will delete all data on the disk! If you had files on it before, then most likely there was a failure, try first correcting the errors on the disk, more on that below.

In the next step, you will need to specify the drive letter (choose any free one), the file system (I recommend NTFS), and set the volume size (usually on external hard drives this parameter is not changed, making one single volume for the entire disk size).

To help!

How to format a hard drive: methods -

If your external hard drive has already been formatted , and you have not already copied files to it, then the display of “unmarked area” (or RAW file system) may occur due to:

• incorrectly disconnecting the disk from the USB port (for example, when information was being copied and you suddenly “pulled out” the USB cord);
• a power outage could occur: for example, during a power outage or surge;
• when infected with certain types of viruses;
• in case of hardware failure.

Most often, however, the display of the RAW file system is associated with improper disconnection of the disk. In this case, as a rule, it is possible to quickly correct errors and bring the disk back to life.

How to check the disk (data will not be deleted, everything will remain in place!)

First you need to run command line.:

1. press a combination of buttons Win+R ;
2. enter in the open line cmd click Enter.

Next in command line type the command chkdsk e:/f(Where " e:" is the letter of your drive). The check takes only a few minutes. In many cases, after such a simple procedure, the computer begins to see the disk, files and folders remain safe and sound.

Disk check // chkdsk

An alternative option for running the scan: go to "My Computer", right-click on the disk (which you want to check) and select from the menu properties(see screenshot below).

A few words about TV

In my practice, I came across another interesting reason due to which the disk becomes invisible. New modern TV(with some SmartTV functions) - when connecting the disk, asked the user to agree with its layout. He agreed, and everything seemed to be recorded normally on him.

But when I connected the disk to the computer, it refused to see it. The bottom line is that the TV formatted the disk into a different file system. After formatting to the NTFS file system, everything began to work as it should. (the problem is fixed - also through disk management, no additional programs are required).

Driver conflict or missing

If your external hard drive is not visible in disk management - I recommend checking whether the drivers are installed on it.

A small note...

In general, Windows 7, 8, 10, when you connect a flash drive or the same external drive to a computer, drivers are automatically installed. But in some cases, this does not happen (it’s difficult to say why, either the disk is not “ordinary” and there are no standard drivers for it in the system’s stash, or some kind of error occurs and a conflict with other drivers occurs, or because for what...).

If the driver for your disk is not installed, then disk management you won't find your disk!!!

To check the driver installation, open device Manager . For this:

1. press a combination of buttons WIN+R ;
2. in the window that appears, enter the command devmgmt.msc and press Enter(screen below, works in Windows 7, 8, 10).

To help!

How to open Device Manager (including in Windows 10): several ways -

IN device manager open the tab "Disk devices". Next, pay attention to:

• Is your device in the list, is it displayed at all;
• Also check the "Other Devices" tab - it displays devices for which there are no drivers.
• Is there a yellow exclamation mark next to your disk (if there is, it means the driver for your disk is not installed). An example is shown in the screenshot below.

Left: everything is fine with the driver (WD Elements) // Right: no driver (yellow Exclamation point) WD My Passport

How to update the disk driver:

Lack of nutrition

Quite often, problems with external drives occur due to lack of power. Especially if you have several devices connected to one USB port at once.

A characteristic feature when there is a lack of power: the disk appears to be displayed normally at first, but as soon as you want to copy or read something to it, it becomes inaccessible (or simply freezes).

How to fix the problem: try to buy a Y-shaped cord (photo below) and connect the drive to two USB ports. This happened to me with some drives that became invisible after a few seconds when I tried to connect them to the USB ports of the laptop.

Y-shaped USB cord for connecting an external HDD

Advice! If you connect external HDD to the laptop and it doesn't see it - try connecting it to desktop computer(or to another device). It is possible that on another device the disk will work as expected.

A USB splitter with an additional power source can also be a good solution. An example of such a splitter is shown in the photo below.

PS

Some types of viruses (and antiviruses, by the way) can block the connection of external media and devices. Therefore, I also recommend:

1. try connecting your drive to another PC/laptop;
2. check your PC for viruses using alternative software. How to do this is described in this instruction: .

This concludes the article, I hope you solve the problem (or at least find out what the reason is)!

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.

from 100 rub. RUB

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. In case you assembled a computer from scratch, complete with motherboard there must be a driver disk. We insert it into the drive, restart the computer and press F6 while it is loading.

If the desired disk If you don't have one, you need to find out the motherboard model and download drivers for it. Then write them to disk and do the same.

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 you boot 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 corrected 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.

For users latest versions Windows should try to download the necessary driver packages during the operating system update process.

Windows XP and Windows Vista nLite (for XP) and vLite (for Vista) are excellent programs. 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.