Hard drive is one of the most important components. personal computer. It is on it that all user information is stored. Unfortunately, the user may find that the computer simply does not see hDD. This trouble is quite common, and there is a solution for it. First of all, you need to understand why the computer does not display the hard drive, and only then look for a way to solve the pressing problem.
Hard disk problems and solutions
The problem may be, for example, in the conflict itself hard drive from motherboard. To solve this problem, you need to insert the driver CD from the HDD and install them.
In addition, the problem may lie in BIOS "e. In order to understand whether this is really so, you need to go into the BIOS itself and find the AHCI parameter (Configure SATA As). This setting must be turned off and the computer restarted. If the problem is really was this, then the hard drive will be detected.
If the problem persists, then you can use another way. First you need to check the disk itself. You need to go to the "Start" menu and click on the "Computer" item with the right mouse button. A special menu will appear where "Management" is selected. It should be noted that the start of management is possible only with administrator rights or their confirmation. The "Computer Management" window opens, where you need to find the "Disk Management" item. After clicking, information about the computer's disks (local and hard disk in general) should appear. You need to find the one local diskthat does not appear and right-click on it. In the menu that appears, select the "Change drive letter or drive path" category. A specific letter is selected and the action is confirmed. Usually, these simple steps are enough for the computer to see the hard drive.
The problem may also lie in the fact that not all cables can be connected to the hard drive. To do this, you need to disassemble the system unit and check whether this is really so. If all the cables are connected, then you need to look at the wires themselves, maybe they are damaged. If everything is in order here, then most likely the problem lies in the drive itself and you need to look for a replacement. Just in case, so as not to waste extra money, you can ask friends and connect it to a PC. If the computer sees it, you will have to buy a new one.
And in this article we will help to solve the problem with a drive already purchased. Failure of electronic equipment is always unpleasant. Especially if not determined external hard a disk on which there was information important to the owner - documents, family photos, a collection of music, a new season of a favorite series, or even an operating system with programs was installed. Before you bring the drive to the service, you need to perform several verification steps, which, perhaps, will help return it to working condition. So, possible options solving the problem in case if the external hard drive is no longer detected.
Driver problem
The computer may not correctly identify the drive, as a result of which it will not be displayed in the list of connected devices or displayed but will not open. Therefore, you should update the driver: right-click on the "My Computer" icon, select "Properties".
In the next window, launch “Device Manager”.
Then you need to expand the list of “Disk Devices”, where all the storage media connected to the computer are indicated, select an external hard drive (if a driver is not defined for it, it will be displayed as a question or exclamation mark) and right-click "Properties", then select the "Driver" tab and click "Update".
After that, you need to click "Automatic search for updated drivers"
The computer will automatically search for the necessary drivers and update them. If the search fails, the user will have to specify the path to the location of the drivers for the external hard drive.
USB port malfunction
Perhaps the reason that external hard drive does not start, is a malfunction of the port to which it is connected. You should try to connect the hard drive to another connector and check the reaction operating system. It is also recommended to check if USB support is disabled in the BIOS - in this case, not only the hard disk, but also other devices connected to USB ports will not be detected. Depending on the BIOS version, the USB support setting will be in different places, but it will look approximately the same:
Problem with computer power supply
A PSU with a developed resource, to which a large number of electronic devices are connected, may not be able to withstand the connection of another device, in this case - external hard drive. To fix this problem, you should install a more powerful power supply.
Incorrect HDD designation in the system
A system crash sometimes leads to the incorrect assignment to the external HDD of the letter of the already connected drive. Therefore, in such cases, the external hard drive is not initialized. To check the correct designation of the hard drive, you need to go to the "Control Panel", select the "Performance and Maintenance" section, go to the "Administration" link and start "Computer Management". Next, select "Disk Management", which presents a list of all drives connected to the computer. You should click on the icon of the external drive with the right mouse button, and then, choosing the "Change drive letter" option, assign it a free letter and try to go to the hard drive again.
If the above methods did not work, you should pay attention to the hard drive itself. The problem may be:
- Lack of nutrition. The hard drive may not have enough power from the computer - for example, when connecting it to a PC with a non-standard cable. Usually external hard drives They are connected to the computer with a double USB cable: one is used for data transfer, and the second additionally provides power to the hard drive. If the power supply was supplied with the drive, you need to use it.
- Damaged drive. The hard drive may fail as a result of a drop, a sharp voltage drop in the network, a short circuit, and other factors. If the external hard drive does not open, and it does not show any “signs of life”, it means that there is a possibility of controller failure — in this case, the hard drive must be taken to a service center where specialists will try to restore its working capacity or extract information. Sometimes the external hard drive beeps and is not detected by the computer, emits clicks and other noise - this also indicates the failure of the mechanical components of the device: jamming of the bearing, displacement of the read heads, breakage of the winding of the spindle motor (more in the article). It’s better not to try to fix such a breakdown yourself - the masters in the service center will be able to accurately diagnose the problem and, if possible, solve it.
These may be the reasons that no external hard drive detected. Finally, the most important tip: if a problem with the hard drive is detected and the user cannot fix it on his own, it’s better do not connect it to a computer again and again, and immediately take it to a service center, where experts have diagnostic tools, can analyze the problems and repair the drive.
Most users start to panic when they say “DISK BOOT FAILURE. INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER. " This message has various variations, such as “Missing Operating System” or “Operating System Not Found”.
Do you know this situation? Wait to tear your hair out. According to company experts - http://www.paradise-r.ru/nodisk.html, in 90% of cases nothing happened to your data and the problem lies in small physical problems that you can fix yourself. But first things first.
The most common causes of a “missing” drive
In this article we will consider the 6 most common causes of this error. And let's start with the most popular of them:
1. BIOS settings failed
In this case, the BIOS settings must be reset. There are several ways to do this:
- Turn off the power to the computer. Look for motherboard Clean CMOS inscription. There should be a jumper next to it. Carry it with contacts 1-2 on the contacts 2-3. Wait a minute and bring the jumper back. Now the settings are reset to default values \u200b\u200band the BIOS should recognize your hard drive.
- Turn off the power to the computer. Locate a flat battery on the motherboard. Take it out. Wait 60 seconds - during this time, the capacitors will be discharged and the BIOS settings will return to the factory values. Now you can put the battery back in the slot and turn on the computer. If everything is done correctly, the BIOS will recognize your HDD.
2. Corrosion of the contacts of the loop (SATA)
poor contact with the power connector (MOLEX)
To make sure the diagnosis is correct, try connecting the hard drive to another computer. Or, if possible, replace a pair of cables with similar ones.
For example, a loose power cord may be detected from the power supply when it comes to the desktop system unit. A DATA cable can be purchased at a computer store for a modest cost.
3. Wrong jumpers on the IDE hard drive
The IDE interface made it possible to connect several devices to the motherboard via a single loop. For ranking, the old IDE-hard drives had jumpers (Master and Slave), which allowed to prioritize the device at boot time. For correct recognition of devices, it is necessary that they work in different modes. For example, the hard drive is switched to Master, and the CD / DVD-ROM to Slave. Or vice versa.
4. The computer does not see the external drive (USB, eSATA)
If your external hard drive is not recognized by the computer, try connecting another device to the same connector (USB flash drive or mouse). If a new device is detected, then the problem is in the hard drive itself.
5. Overheating of the southern chipset
This problem is especially common for laptops. The south bridge is directly responsible for the operation of the SATA / PATA controllers. Due to its overheating, the hard disk may not work correctly. Turn off your laptop and let the chipset cool down properly. Also consider cleaning the cooling system so that this problem does not bother you in the future.
6. Mechanical damage
If you are even remotely familiar with the structure of a hard disk, you should know how closely the details are located in it. The read head is in some fractions of a millimeter from the surface of the mirror plates. That is why it is highly discouraged to subject the HDD to shock and shocks. One careless movement and the head will scratch the plate, permanently destroying the data stored on it.
Is a service center inevitable?
Did the above methods not help you? It makes sense to resort to extreme measures if during the hard drive you hear:
- Abnormal clicks;
- A strong buzz;
- wookiee friction.
The above symptoms clearly indicate mechanical damage. And here it is up to you to decide. If you are confident in your abilities, you can try to restore the disk yourself using special utilities, like mHDD or Victoria.
However, remember - in the factories of the manufacturer, the assembly hard drives occurs under sterile conditions, eliminating the ingress of dust on fragile parts and the formation of fingerprints on them. It is possible that your hard drive can still be saved. And, disassembling its body yourself, you seriously increase the likelihood of a "fatal outcome."
If the data on the disk is really important to you - do not risk it and contact the nearest service center for help from qualified specialists. Even if the hard drive itself cannot be repaired, service center employees have special equipment to recover data from its plates.
With the support of: http://www.paradise-r.ru/
A computer may “not see” a disk for many reasons, some of them cannot be handled independently; the help of a competent specialist will be needed. However, if you know the causes of such a problem, you can save yourself from rash actions.
The main causes of this problem
Most often, the hard drive is not recognized in the BIOS, that is, it is impossible to download anything from it. You can confirm your assumptions if you boot from another device, for example, from another hard drive or CD, by going to "Computer Management", selecting "Device Manager" and searching desired drive. If the machine doesn’t see it, then the problem is in the BIOS. In turn, the hard drive in the BIOS may not be detected due to a malfunction in the connection of the power cable and the interface cable. The fact is that several cables leave the power supply at once: some are connected to the motherboard, others are connected to hard drives. If the HDD power cable is not connected correctly, the activity indicator will constantly light on the "system".
The same problem can occur if the jumpers are incorrectly positioned to switch the screw to the desired operating mode. It also happens that there are no jumpers at all. Less common is the situation when hard sATA drive. Resetting the BIOS may help here. If the PC does not "see" the IDE hard drive, then you can check the inclusion of this controller in the BIOS.
Reasons why the disk is not recognized in Windows
Most often, the system does not see the hard disk when the boot properties in BIOS are set incorrectly. For example, in the characteristics that are responsible for loading the operating system, the first number is a CD-ROM, and under second hard disk. Moreover, if the drive does not contain boot disk, and any other, the system will not be able to recognize the hard drive. An external hard drive cannot be detected due to overcurrent in the USB ports of the computer. This situation is typical when connecting to a large number of USB ports. peripheralsused both for the exchange of information and for food.
The machine may not find the hard drive due to a malfunction in the power supply. If she makes loud, uncharacteristic sounds when rebooting, then most likely she lacks the power of the power supply. The reason the computer does not detect second hard a drive, it may become a wrong cable connection or a conflict between two hard drives of the same brand.
My external hard drive not detectedwhat to do with it? - a fairly common question on the Internet, which can be found on a large number forums. And every day the number of such questions is increasing. There were no portable hdd - there were no problems, as they say :-). But in fact, portable hdd are very convenient storage media that are becoming more and more used and becoming everyday and familiar, like regular flash drives. Like all devices, they can be malfunctioning. It happens that the computer cannot recognize the drive connected to it. What to do if an external hard drive is not detected?
From this article you will learn:
The first steps if the external hard drive is not detected
If you have this kind of malfunction, the reason for this may be:
- the disk itself;
- or a computer problem.
You should start looking for a problem by checking the USB ports on your computer. Connecting portable hdd must be done using another port or another computer. If the other computer recognizes the external hard drive, then you should resolve the problem. USB port. If the computer refuses to detect other devices, then you should check the USB support and connect it by going into the BIOS.
Device Driver Update
The external drive is not detected if there is a problem with the driver. To resolve it, do the following: right-click on the “My Computer” label and select “Device Manager” (1):
Press the line “Disk devices” (2), and select external hdd (3), right-click on it and select “Update drivers”
If the update did not bring the desired result, then the driver should be removed, restart the computer and install it again.
Change the designation hdd in the system
It is possible that the external hard drive is not detected due to the fact that the system assigned the letter of the already connected drive to it. To fix this error, go the following way:
Start-\u003e Control Panel-\u003e Performance and Maintenance-\u003e Administration -\u003e Computer Management
Select “Disk Management” (4) and right-click, find your hdd (5) and select “Change drive letter or drive path” (6) and assign another drive letter that is free:
Power shortage
If checking the USB ports shows their health, then maybe the external hard drive is not detected because it does not have enough power. This may be caused by the use of an extension cord, in which a large loss of energy occurs. To avoid such a problem, it is recommended to connect the external drive with the standard cable included in the kit. Connect through the port located on the rear panel.
Power supply
In those cases when the drive has two connectors necessary for connecting to two USB ports, you should connect both. Also, if the storage device is equipped with an additional power supply, it should be used.
When external drive is not determined, then the cause of this may be shortcomings in the power supply, caused either by his moral age, or large quantity equipment installed on it. In this case, the best solution would be to install a power supply unit with a higher power.
Mechanical damage hdd
If the external hard drive is not detected, then it is its malfunction that may be the fault. This is verified by powering it. If at the same time the device is silent (there are no characteristic sounds), then you should not try to cope with the problem yourself. After all, the causes of the malfunction can lie in magnetic heads, jamming of the bearing, winding of the spindle motor, controller or microcircuit. Do not connect the drive again and again, thereby you can permanently disable it. In this case, it must be taken to a service center. Only specialists with devices that have the necessary knowledge and experience can accurately determine the malfunction, eliminate it, if possible, and answer you the question: why the external hard drive is not detected.
