External drives are handy to use and enable users to store additional data. The device is easy to configure in the PC and works efficiently. But, sometimes, the coordination between the Windows and Hard drive lacks, and as a result, an issue arises popularly known as ‘Hard Drive not detected’. Such problems could be with both the internal or external hard drives. So, if you are facing any issue, then don’t worry because here you will get the finest solution to resolve such an issue. But, before moving further, let’s find out the reasons behind an issue.
Why Hard Drive not detected on my PC screen?
The Hard drive not detected or not recognized simply denotes that Windows is not accepting such drive and the reason may be the improper partition, USB Port failure, Lack of driver update, and other. The above-mentioned reasons are the primary ones which led to such an issue. Now, let’s move to the solution part.
How to Fix the Internal Hard Drive is not Detected?
Almost all of us simply restart our system if the computer or laptop is not detecting the internal hard drive. Sometimes it may work, however, if it is not working then follow these easy solutions to fix the issue.
Driver Not Enabled in BIOS
If the hard drive is not detected then there are chances that it is not enabled in system setup. There are some manufacturers that tend to disable the unused ports in BIOS by default. To verify their current status you have to enter the BIOS. To do so follow these steps:
- Go to the Start menu and click on the Settings option.
- Select the Update and Security option.
- From the left pane click on the Recovery option.
- Move to the Advanced Startup option and click on the Restart now button.
- Your system will reboot and select the Troubleshoot option.
- Navigate to the Advanced options.
- Select the UEFI Firmware settings and then click on Restart.
Check Cables within the Motherboard
Faulty cables are also a reason behind this issue. You need to inspect the motherboard and hard disk connections for any misalignment or broken pins. Sometimes the exterior shield of the wires seems perfect however the Folded, crimped or creased data cables are also responsible for the internal break within wires insulation. If you are uncertain about the status of any of your data cable then it should be replaced. If the cable is damaged or the connections are not proper then the BIOS will ensure that the hard disk is not detected.
You need to check the health of the ATA cables also as there are certain ATA cables that can fall out of their connection port. Apart from this, you can check for the connectivity of SATA cables.
If replacing the cable didn’t resolve the issue means that the cables were perfect and the issue is somewhere else. Head on to the next solution to fix the issue.
Check if the drive is spinning up or not
If the drive is not getting sufficient power then it will not spin and will show this error. You can check for this reason by performing these steps:
- Shut down your computer.
- Open the case of your computer and remove the data cable from the hard drive. This will cease the power saving commands.
- Power ON the computer and check if the hard disk is spinning. If you touch the hard drive you should feel slight vibrations and if you didn’t feel any vibration it means that the hard drive is not detected and it won’t start.
If you are unable to find out the drive spinning then you can follow these steps further:
- Boot the computer and try to observe some sound.
- Power off the system.
- Now disconnect the power supply cord from the system.
- Remove the power cable of the hard disk not getting detected.
- Again connect the power cord to the system and boot the system to check if the hard disk sound is audible.
- Reconnecting the hard disk should help you to observe some sound.
- If not then change the power cables with a device like an external CD or DVD in order to check the connecting cable.
- Check the power supply on the computer to ensure if there is enough electrical power to operate the drive.
- Connect the drive to another system to ensure the power supply requirements and cables issue.
- Ensure that you have connected the drive in a SATA-USB enclosure and check if the hard disk is not detected is fixed.
- If this doesn’t help you then contact the manufacturer.
How to fix an issue ‘External Hard Disk not detected’?
As stated earlier, there are many causes behind an issue, so obviously you must follow few advanced solutions to get rid of this issue. The detailed procedure is listed below and your job is to follow them until you find the success.
Check whether Windows is detecting the Hard Disk or not
This is the primary task and before moving to the troubleshooting steps, let’s checks whether the OS is supporting the Hard Drive or not. The process is simple and the quick steps are listed beneath.
- Open the ‘Run’ box by pressing the ‘Windows+R keys together.
- Now type, ‘diskmgmt.msc’ in the dialog box and then hit ‘Enter’.
- Thereafter, a new window will appear and it will show the list of drives and the compositions.
- However, if you are unable to trace your external hard drive, then don’t get annoyed. Might be Windows has not detected the drive. Now, move to the next section and allow Windows to recognize the hard drive.
Enable Windows to detect the Hard Disk
- Press ‘Windows’ key and ‘R’ key together to open the ‘Run’ dialog box.
- Type ‘devmgmt.msc’ in the box and hit Enter.
- Thereafter, you will find a new window symbolized as ‘Device Manager’.
- Now, move to the ‘Disk drives’ section and click on the arrow button to expand its features.
- Upon expansion, you will get a few drives and your job is to select the appropriate one and then double click on it.
- Again, a pop-up will appear on your PC screen and this time, it will show the relevant features of the selected hard drive. Click on the ‘Driver’ tab, located at the top of the page.
- Thereafter, you will find the advanced options of the hard drive.
- First and foremost, update the driver and for the same, click on the option ‘Update Driver’.
- After updating, if the issue still persists, then you can go with an option ‘Roll Back Driver’. This feature will bring back the hard drive to the previously installed driver.
- However, if all fails, then ‘Uninstall’ the driver and then take off the Hard Drive. Now, restart your computer.
- Insert the Hard drive on the USB port of the PC and allow the Windows to configure it automatically.
Assign the Drive Letter to the Hard Disk
Windows recognize those hard drives which are symbolized with the Drive letters. However, if you have set up Hard Drive manually and unfortunately overlooked the Drive Letter section, then this led to an issue ‘Hard Drive not detected’ on the PC screen. The steps for the above solution are listed below which will help you to make changes in the Hard Drive.
- Open the ‘Run’ box by pressing the ‘Windows’ key and ‘R’ keys together and type ‘diskmgmt.msc’ in the space provided by the dialog box and then click on the ‘OK’ button.
- Now, select the drive from the list of available drives. After selecting the hard drive, right-click on it and select an option ‘Change drive letter and path’ from the drop-down menu.
- Thereafter, a pop-up will appear on the screen which will give you access to change the ‘Drive Letter or Path’. Click on the box ‘Assign the following drive letter’ and then choose the letter from the drop-down menu, located at the extreme right of the Device Management page.
Format the Hard Disk
Formatting the Hard Drive will fix the issue ‘Hard Drive not detected’ on the computer. But, before moving ahead, make sure to take the backup of the data stored in the hard drive, otherwise, you will lose all the data amid the operation.
- Open the ‘Run’ box by pressing the ‘Windows’ key and ‘R’ key together. Now, type ‘diskmgmt.msc’ and click on the ‘OK’ button.
- Thereafter, a new window will open which will feature the list of drives. Select the appropriate one, right–click on it, and select ‘Format’.
- A new pop-up will appear on the screen and will seek the permission, click on the ‘OK’ button.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned solution will fix the issue ‘Hard Drive not detected’. However, if you stuck amid the steps or failed to complete the task, then feel free to contact us. We will offer the utmost solution and will resolve the issue within a short span of time. Being a prominent technical firm, we retain the skilled and highly experienced geeks whose prime aim is to fix the issue by utilizing the advanced tools and technology. If you feel this article helpful please like, share, and follow our Facebook page and stay tuned with us and enjoy the salient features of the Operating System without any interruption.
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