Good afternoon.
External hard drives (HDD) are becoming more popular day by day, sometimes it seems that very soon they will be more popular than flash drives. And it is not surprising, because modern models are some kind of box, the size of a cell phone and contain 1-2 TB of information!
Many users are faced with the fact that the computer does not see the external hard drive. Most often, this happens immediately after purchasing a new device. Let's try to figure it out in order, what's the matter here ...
If the new external HDD is not visible
New here means the disk that you connected to your computer (laptop) for the first time.
1) First what are you doing - go to computer control .
To do this, go to control Panel then in system and security settings -> administration -> computer control ... See screenshots below.
2) Pay attention to the left column. It has a menu - disk management ... Let's move on.
All drives (including external ones) connected to the system should be displayed in front of you. Very often, the computer does not see the connected external hard drive due to an incorrect drive letter assignment. You then need to change it!
To do this, right-click on the external drive and select " change drive letter ... ". Next, assign the one that is not yet in your OS.
3) If the disc is new and you connected it to your computer for the first time - it may not be formatted! Therefore, it will not be displayed on "my computer".
If this is the case, then you will not be able to change the letter (you simply will not have such a menu). You just need to right click on the external drive and select “ create a simple volume ... «.
Attention! All data on the disk (HDD) will be deleted during this process! Be careful.
4) Lack of drivers ... (Update 04/05/2015)
If the external hard drive is new and you do not see it in either "my computer" or " disk management“, But on other devices it works (for example, a TV or another laptop sees and detects it) - then 99% of the problems are related to Windows OS and drivers.
Despite the fact that modern Windows 7, 8 operating systems are quite "smart" and when a new device is found, they automatically search for a driver for it - this does not always happen ... The fact is that versions of Windows 7, 8 (including all kinds of assemblies from " craftsmen ") a huge number, and no one canceled various mistakes. Therefore, I do not recommend excluding this option right away ...
1. Check the USB port if it works. For example, connect a phone or a camera, even just an ordinary USB flash drive. If the device works, then the USB port has nothing to do with it ...
2. Go to Device Manager (In Windows 7/8: Control Panel / System and Security / Device Manager) and look at the two tabs: Other devices and disk devices.
Windows 7: Device Manager reports that there are no drivers for the "My Passport ULTRA WD" drive on the system.
The screenshot above shows that Windows does not have drivers for the external hard drive, so the computer does not see it. Usually, Windows 7, 8, when connecting a new device, automatically installs a driver for it. If this has not happened to you, there are three options for action:
a) Click the "Update hardware configuration" command in the device manager. This is usually followed by an automatic installation of the drivers.
b) Search for drivers using special. programs:;
c) Reinstall Windows (to install, select a "clean" licensed system, without any assemblies).
Windows 7 - device manager: drivers for external HDD Samsung M3 Portable are installed correctly.
If you can't see your old external hard drive
Old here refers to a hard drive that was previously running on your computer and then stopped.
1. First, go to the disk management menu (see above) and change the drive letter. This is definitely worth doing if you have created new partitions on your hard drive.
2. Secondly, check the external HDD for viruses. Many viruses disable the ability to see disks or block them ().
3. Go to the device manager and see if the devices are detected correctly. There should be no yellow exclamation marks (or red ones) that signal errors. It is also recommended to reinstall the drivers on the USB controller.
4. Sometimes reinstalling Windows OS helps. Anyway, check the hard drive on another computer / laptop / netbook first, and then try reinstalling.
It is also useful to try to clean the computer from unnecessary junk files and optimize the registry and programs (here is an article with all the utilities: use a couple ...).
5. Try connecting the external HDD to a different USB port. It happened that, for some unknown reason, after connecting to another port, the disk worked fine as if nothing had happened. I noticed this several times on Acer laptops.
6. Check the cords.
Once the external hard cable did not work due to the fact that the cord was damaged. From the very beginning I did not notice this and killed 5-10 minutes in search of the reason ...
What to do if the computer does not see the hard drive?
What if after purchase, the computer does not see the hard drive? Or, when he stops seeing a system component that previously worked fine? We will analyze all the problems and options for their solution.
Why the computer does not see the hard drive
Read also:TOP-6 Ways to completely clean the hard drive "C" unnecessary files on Windows 7/10
Hard disk elements
It so happens that not only the new element causes problems, but also the old one, which worked all the time, simply does not show signs of life, and the system cannot boot.
There are only five main reasons for this situation:
- The problem arises due to faulty wires / loops that connected the hard drive
- The power supply or case cooling does not perform well
- The drive was connected to the PC for the first time
- Lost, or was incorrectly configured BIOS
- The disc has been hit or otherwise physically affected
The component doesn't work anyway, and before going to the workshop, you can try to cope on your own.
All breakdowns are in the correct order, in ascending order of difficulty to repair. So it usually doesn't get to the last points.
But if it comes to the point that the above methods do not help, or you see a computer for the first time in your life, you should not try to fix everything yourself, but rather turn to a knowledgeable person.
Damaged wires or connection slots
The computer may not see the hard drive because the operating rules have been violated, or simply the wires have become unusable. This is especially true for external SSD drives. For this type of memory, everything is simple - you need to check the USB cable on another device, and if it works, then move on.
The second way to fix this type of breakdown is connect the SATA wire to another slot on the motherboard. Usually they are in the region of 4 pieces, and reconnection eliminates the breakdown.
Perform all work with wires and drives with the PC completely turned off. Otherwise, there is a chance of serious damage to the internal elements of the system.
Beginners in this business may not be tight enough, or it may simply be wrong to connect some connectors. All inputs should be checked and the necessary wires inserted more tightly. See if there are any unconnected elements, and if there are any, connect them.
Insufficient power supply unit
Read also:TOP-12 Best Power Supplies for Your Computer | Review of current models in 2019
Liquid cooling system
When many elements are connected to the system, there is a chance that the power flow from the power supply is distributed so much that it will not be enough to maintain the system's operability. Such an error can be analyzed and identified if you listen to the work of a switched on computer.
When the user hears the buzzing and clicks of the power supply cycle changing, this means that the computer does not have enough power, and it is necessary to replace this part with a newer one.
It also happens that the hard drive is disconnected from trivial overheating when the standard cooling of the system cannot cope with the load imposed on it. Most often, such a breakdown is common among laptop users. The solution is quite simple, in the case of a PC - buy a more powerful cooling, and in the case of a laptop - a special cooling platform.
If a breakdown occurs at the workplace, then you should call the system administrator to fix it.
The drive is connected for the first time
Read also:
Drive letter change menu
There is a problem, when an SSD or HDD is first connected to the computer, the system sees it, but it does not appear in the list for use. In this case, you need to work a little and follow a series of simple steps:
1 Simultaneously press the Windows key and the English letter R. In the window that appears, enter compmgmt.msc and click "Run"
2 Find in the left part of the window that opens "Disk Management", and select it
3 A list will open, which will include all drives connected to the system, even the problematic
4 Click on the desired one and select the item "Change drive letter or path"
5 Change the letter to the required one, following the prompts on the screen
If an error occurs at the third step and the system does not show the required hard drive. You need to go to the Internet and download a third-party program with similar functionality, and then repeat all the steps through it.
Be careful when downloading and installing suspicious software. Install only those files that you got from the developer's site or from a trusted source.
Using a hard disk is an integral part of a computer's operation, since the HDD contains almost all of the operating information of the system. Accordingly, the problem in which the computer does not see the external hard drive or the internal cannot be ignored.
There can be a lot of reasons for such failures, some of them can be eliminated by oneself, while others are not. In fact, you can solve the problem if it is associated with an incorrect connection of the hard drive or a failure in the computer system. It is unlikely that it will be possible to fix any other kind of problems that lie inside the disk case.
Diagnosing a hard drive failure
First of all, you need to figure out at what level the problem is and find out its culprit. Best of all, this will help to connect the hard drive to another device. If the computer stopped seeing the hard drive on both devices, then with a high degree of probability the problem is in it. Usually it is difficult to do something here and you will have to use a service center.
A little advice, it is better not to skimp and purchase a new HDD than to rehabilitate a broken disk (with the exception that you need information from the hard drive), since the solution will be temporary and expensive.
Go to it and you will see the HDD column and the name of the disk, if there is no such line, most likely the system will not recognize it.
As a mechanical device, the hard drive vibrates slightly but perceptibly. You can listen if there are any extraneous sounds and try to feel if it works at all.
Invalid boot priority for devices
The most common problem is simply incorrect priority setting. That is, the system tries to boot the other device first and, if there are no boot files, goes to the next one in turn. If at some stage there is an error, then a situation will arise when the computer does not see the hard disk, what to do, obviously, is to configure the BIOS.
To do this, you should:
- At the time of loading, go to BIOS by pressing F2 or Del;
- Next, you need to click on the line "Advanced BIOS feature";
- You will see the item "Hard disk boot priority";
- Now in the "First boot device" option you need to set the value to "Hard Disk";
- Reboot your computer.
If the computer does not see the second hard drive, then you need to set the correct priority in the same BIOS window. There are also other reasons why 2 hard drives are in conflict, they will be discussed below.
Hard disk pins
Usually caused by a problem with the previous cleaning of the system unit from dust. You just need to remove the contact, clean the connectors and connect again. This should fix the problem, but if the bus is broken or has any defects, try connecting the SATA cable from the drive to the hard drive. If it works, then you just need to purchase and replace the tire.
Also check that the disc is well attached to the body and that there are no additional vibrations. The HDD must be placed horizontally, otherwise it may also cause a failure.
Insufficient power supply unit
The reason for this is the replacement of components with more powerful counterparts. The Winchester simply does not receive enough power for its work, because of this it can work sluggishly, there is often a buzzing inside or does not start at all.
An economical solution to the problem is to disconnect an unnecessary device, usually a CD drive. Of course, it is better to replace or repair the power supply.
Lack of drivers
If you do not see the hard drive on a Windows Vista or lower computer, then the reason may lie precisely in the absence of the ones preinstalled by the driver for SATA 2. Only installing a newer operating system or, at least, Windows XP, but with SATA support, can help here.
This can also include the problem when the hard drive is detected, but the system boot files are simply damaged on it. In this case, Windows may simply not boot or the computer will constantly restart. You can probably log in using Safe Mode and roll back to a working and stable version thanks to a restore point. Otherwise, you still have to reinstall the operating system.
Device conflict
Usually, the problem manifests itself as follows: out of 2 installed hard drives, only 1 work. There can be two reasons here: it occurs when installing several identical or similar hard drives, they are not recognized at the same time, or the devices use different operating systems.
With the first option, you just need to manually assign a letter to the partition in which the second disk will be displayed. You can do it like this:
- Go to "Control Panel" from "Start";
- Next, in the "Administration" category, select "Computer Management";
- In the menu on the left, click on "Disk Management";
- Right-click the HDD without a partition letter and install it.
Another option is when, for example, Windows XP is installed on one hard disk, and seven on the other. Accordingly, the computer does not see the Windows 7 hard drive if the system is started from the first hard drive. It is also likely that the disk will be visible, but the explorer will freeze when navigating to it, or persistent errors will appear. Naturally, the solution would be to bring the disks to a common denominator or remove bootable Windows from one disk altogether.
The problem is a malfunctioning hard drive
Try using the Victoria program or any other to check the disk for bad sectors. If they are, and even more so there are a lot of them, then most likely you will have to replace the HDD soon.
If none of the solutions helped, then, most likely, the disk is simply faulty. Here you can't do anything with your own hands, you will have to either send it for repair or buy a new one. Of course, before proceeding to drastic measures, such as purchasing an HDD, you need to make sure that yours is defective.
If you still have questions on the topic “Why the computer does not see the hard drive? What to do? ", You can ask them in the comments
A hard disk drive (HDD) is the storage device or primary storage device in most PCs. A large number of people are faced with the fact that the computer (laptop) does not see the hard drive. What to do in this case?
In computer slang, it is called a hard drive, and it can be external or internal. The device, which works on the principle of magnetic recording, stores not only user information, but also the operating system, which operates with service data.
How can you solve the problem of hard disk "invisibility"? Let's take a look at what a hard disk is and how to make it so that the PC detects it.
If there is a problem with the hard disk, the computer does not display all the recorded information. The PC may not see the hard drive for many reasons. We will try to describe all the causes of malfunctions and the available methods for eliminating them.
All these reasons apply to both internal and external hard drives, and the "treatment" in both cases will be the same.
Diagnostic measures
If such a problem occurs, a diagnosis should be carried out initially. Its purpose is to identify the source of the malfunction. After all, the problem may not be in the hard drive, but in the operating system. To find out, the hard drive is connected to another PC.
If the computer boots, then it is not the hard drive that is "sick", but the operating system itself. And if not, the problem, accordingly, lies in the malfunction of the hard drive. In this case, it is most advisable to take the device to a workshop for repair or replace it with a new one, if the warranty is valid.
In the first case, when the problem lies in the operating system, you can fix it yourself. There are several methods on how to do it yourself, without spending money.
- 1. While the operating system is loading, click Del / F2 several times. If everything is successful, you will see the BIOS settings.
- 2. If you have disconnected the internal hard drive from the computer, wrap it in an antistatic wrap to prevent damage from electrostatic discharge.
- 3. Before all manipulations with the hard drive, study well how to connect it.
- 4. An antistatic agent is also useful for the bottom of the hard drive (where the boards are).
Major problems and solutions
There are some problems with hard drives that you can fix yourself. For example, if the contacts have moved away, it is not necessary to contact the repair shop.Outgoing contacts
If the contact has moved away, the computer will not see the hard drive. To fix the problem, reconnect all cables in the system unit. Check carefully all connections, and then, perhaps, the problem will be solved.Incorrect BIOS settings
Even if the BIOS (basic input-output system) does not see the hard drive, the problem may lie in the system date. If the operating system crashed, the date may have changed and your computer has moved back in time. Reset the system date settings by removing the battery on the motherboard for 20-35 minutes, and then reinstalling it.
If the problem lies precisely in the wrong date settings, the computer will detect the hard drive as a physical storage medium.
There is another problem, which lies in the fact that the devices are not loaded in the correct order. Find "Boot" in BIOS and make the HDD the priority device that boots up first.
Insufficient nutrition
If the hard drive makes suspicious sounds and from time to time it disappears, then it is "read" again, the problem is hidden in the lack of power, so the PC does not periodically see the hard disk drive (HDD). There are two ways to fix the problem: the first is to buy a good power supply, the second is to remove some device from the download.Device conflict
If two hard drives of the same model are installed on your computer at once, they may conflict with each other. In this case, the following will help you:- 1. Run diagnostics on both devices for troubleshooting.
- 2. Connect both hard drives to the operating system separately.
Bus version
Older versions of Windows OS may not support SATA.The wisest thing is to upgrade to a newer OS version. If for some reason you cannot do this, you need to reinstall the operating system and integrate the drivers that are supported by SATA.
The problem is in the settings of the operating system
If everything is fine in the BIOS, and the operating system does not recognize the device, it must be configured manually using the capabilities of the OS. Do the following:Step One Enter the "Control Panel" from the "Start" menu and click on the "Administrative Tools" section.
Step two Click on "Computer Management".
Step Three Click on "Disk Management". Here you will see all the drives that are connected to your computer. One of the devices will not have a letter. Right click on the unnamed device and open "Change Drive Letter" and assign your volume letter label.
After that, you need to reboot the system.
If all these methods did not help and the computer (laptop) still does not see the hard disk drive (HDD), then most likely you need to bring it in for repair. You are unlikely to be able to detect a malfunction on your own, but a computer technician can do it quickly. And there are cases when only professional help is recommended.
Many users probably have such a problem when the computer does not see the hard drive and does not want to work with it. Before we understand why this is happening and try to find a solution, let's find out what it is and what it is used for.
A hard drive is a storage device. Any information available on a computer is stored on it. In addition, the operating system and all data associated with it are recorded on the hard drive.
Accordingly, if the system cannot detect this device, then all the recorded data immediately becomes inaccessible. Below we have collected the most common and common causes of problems when the computer does not see the hard drive, and effective ways to fix them. This article will help you take important steps to solve the problem and protect you from unnecessary and rash actions. The following problems also apply to external drives.
Diagnostic measures
If the hard drive is not detected by the computer, then the first step is to find the cause of the problem. First you need to determine what the problem is, in the system or in the device itself. To do this, let's try to connect the disk to any other device.
If the hard drive is recognized, then there is a problem with our Windows OS, if not, then this device is faulty and needs to be repaired or replaced. In this case, further work should be entrusted to specialists.
However, if only the system part of the hard drive is faulty, then there are several ways with which you can independently restore its performance.
Outgoing contacts
Perhaps the problem that the hard drive has ceased to be detected lies in the lack of contact. To fix this, you need to open the side cover of the PC case or the back cover of the laptop, find it and reconnect it.
If that doesn't work, try replacing the SATA cable with a new one. It is likely that the contacts on the signal cable are oxidized or it does not fit well in the power connectors that the motherboard is equipped with.
Motherboard
If the motherboard does not see the hard drive, then the problem may be in itself. You can check this in the following way:
Incorrect BIOS settings
The next factor that deserves our attention is the BIOS settings. Wrong it disrupts the operation of the OS as a whole.
System date
If the hard drive is no longer detected, then you need to look at the system date, the incorrectness of which indicates a failure of the settings. In this case, to correct the situation, you need to:
After restarting your computer, it should start showing, but if it is still not visible, move on to the next method.
Error loading
Also, the problem may be in the order of the boot devices. Perhaps in the first rows of the list is a non-existent floppy disk or USB flash drive from which the PC is trying to boot. And in case of failure, a "Disk boot failure" error occurs, or other similar errors related to "Hard drive", "Hard disk" or "Boot".
How to fix it:
Depending on the BIOS version, the interface may differ. In this case, you need to look for similar options with the name "Boot Device", "Boot Option".
Lack of nutrition
If your hard drive is still detected, but periodically disappears and appears, then you should pay attention to the sounds it makes. the sounds of changing work cycles indicate insufficient nutrition. That is, the hard disk does not have enough power to work properly.
There are three ways out of the situation:
Due to the fact that all devices and components must work for the computer to function properly, it is best to purchase a new power supply.
Device conflict
The next reason that a laptop or PC does not see the hard drive is a conflict of connected devices. As you know, two hard drives of the same or different brands can cause problems and conflicts in the system.
To solve this problem, you need to separately connect and configure each. Thus, they will not conflict and can work at the same time.
Letter assignment
Let's say the hard drive is spinning, visible in the BIOS, but not detected by the operating system. That is, the OS cannot work with it. In this case, it is necessary to carry out manual configuration using the means available in Windows.
To do this, you should:
The method is analyzed using the example of Windows 7 and is suitable for computers and laptops of any companies, including hp, samsung, packard bell, acer and asus. Only the operating system you have installed may have slight differences.
Invalid file system format
If the laptop or computer stopped seeing the hard drive, and none of the above methods solved the problem, then perhaps it is associated with an incorrect file system format. As a result, the OS and the disk "speak" different languages. This is especially the case when a PC is moving from Windows XP to Windows 7 or 8.
You can correct the situation in the following ways.
Formatting
It is necessary to format the HDD to NTFS. But this should only be done if the data stored on the drive is not important to you, since it will be deleted. In this case, the new version of Windows will independently set the required HDD parameters.
After the end of the process, the disk should be displayed.
Third Party Programs
The second option, what to do if the computer does not find the hard drive, is to change the file system using special programs. Among the huge number of them, utilities can be distinguished Partition Manager and Acronis... They are the most convenient to use, and you can download them absolutely free from the office. sites.
They are recommended for use when important files or documents are located on the hard drive of the netbook and you do not want to lose them. We've already covered several ways to recover partitions using Acronis in a similar one.
If removable media is not visible
Quite often it happens that an external drive is simply not visible due to a banal inconsistency in the USB protocol (1.1 / 2.0) or a poorly fitting connector. Therefore, this factor also requires attention and careful verification.
As for other reasons, you can familiarize yourself with them in this article devoted to it.
Physical or logical failure
One of the main reasons why a hard disk is not detected by the system is its failure. It can be of two types, let's stop and analyze each in more detail.
Some users without appropriate knowledge and experience in servicing hard drives are trying to disassemble and revive it on their own. But at the same time, they do not know that its assembly is carried out under the most sterile conditions and does not allow the presence of fingerprints and dust, which leads to physical damage and, accordingly, malfunction. This is due to the fact that there is such a small gap between the head and the disc that even a small speck of dust can scratch it and thereby disable it.
If none of the methods discussed above helped to solve this problem, then in this situation it will not be possible to do without the help of qualified specialists. It remains only to take it to the service center and wait for the diagnostic results.
More detailed instructions
youtu.be/2ROGLAhqvRU
Professional help
If it was not possible to fix the problems that have arisen on your own,
then most likely the problem lies at a more technical level.
This may be: breakdown of the motherboard, power supply,
hard disk, video card, RAM, etc.
It is important to diagnose and fix the breakdown in time,
to prevent damage to other components.
Our specialist will help you with this.
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