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The hard drive (HDD) is an essential component in a computer, storing all user data (operating system, personal data) and being accessed regularly by users.
Guide to Fixing HDD Not Found Error on Computer
HDD Not Activated in BIOS
To access the system BIOS, you need to understand the settings on your device. Different systems have different ways to access the BIOS. Each system will display system setup prompts right after the user turns on the computer. System Setup is often referred to as System BIOS or CMOS Setup.
If the HDD, computer hard drive is still not found, the reason may be that the hard drive is disabled in System Setup. Some manufacturers tend to disable unused ports in the BIOS by default. Users need to access the BIOS to check the status of the ports.
If the second hard drive is not found after being connected, users will have to manually activate the hard drive in this BIOS.
- Accessing BIOS on Windows 10:
The latest version of Windows boasts faster processing speeds, so pressing any key during the boot process to access BIOS won't make a difference. To access BIOS on Windows 10 and activate the hard drive, follow these steps:
Step 1: Firstly, on the Start Menu, locate and click on Settings (the gear icon).
Step 2: In the Settings window, find and click on Update and Security.
Step 3: Scroll down to the Recovery section on the left panel.
Step 4: Next, click on Restart under Advanced startup. This action will boot your computer into a special menu.
Step 5: Choose Troubleshoot.
Step 6: Scroll down to the Advanced options section.
Step 7: Select UEFI Firmware settings and then choose Restart.
Faulty motherboard cables
It's highly likely that the cause of the HDD not found error on your computer is due to faulty cables on the motherboard. First, check the motherboard and the connected hard drives to see if the pins are misaligned or bent.
Note that bent or folded data cables can also cause the wires inside the insulation layer to break. If you're unsure if the cable is still functioning properly, Mytour recommends replacing it with a different USB cable.
If the data cable is damaged or improperly connected, the computer hard drive in BIOS will not be able to be found.
Typically, some types of cables like ATA are prone to damage. Meanwhile, SATA cables are more reliable and tightly connected to the SATA port.
If you've replaced the cable and the issue persists, the problem of not finding the computer HDD, hard drive may lie elsewhere.
The error of not finding the computer HDD, hard drive may be due to the drive not spinning
This error arises when the drive lacks power or insufficient power to operate, thus the drive doesn't spin. To diagnose the issue, follow these steps:
- First, shut down the computer.
- Disconnect all USB cables from the hard drive, this is to conserve power being used for other devices.
- Turn the computer back on and check if the hard drive is spinning. You should feel it vibrating when touching the hard drive, if not, a computer HDD, hard drive not found error may occur.
If unable to determine if the drive is spinning or not, follow the steps below to fix the computer HDD, hard drive not found error:
- Restart the computer and listen for any noises.
- Shut down the computer.
- Disconnect the power cable from the system.
- Disconnect the power cable if the computer hard drive is not found, or the hard drive you are repairing.
- Reconnect the power cable to the system.
- Then restart the system to check if the hard drive sound is emitted.
- Reconnecting the hard drive will help you detect some noise.
- Swap the power cable with a device like an external CD or DVD drive to ensure the cable is not faulty.
- Check the computer power supply. This helps you determine if the power supply is sufficient to operate the drives and devices in the system.
- Then connect your hard drive to another system.
If the error persists, the final solution for you is to try contacting the manufacturer for support.
Method 1 Check Inside HDD
The HDD may have corrupted file table (NTFS...), lost Master Boot Record boot files... This situation can be caused by Virus corruption or prolonged HDD usage...
Resolution: You can use Hiren BootCD to scan the hard drive to see if the Windows partition contains physical damage (bad sectors) or not? To see if the machine recognizes the hard drive from DOS.
If there are no issues then start scanning the entire hard disk for viruses using the virus removal program on the boot disk. Then, restart the machine at the hard disk boot position to see if the machine recognizes the hard drive and if it can boot into Windows.
Method 2 Check HDD Hardware
To check the hard drive, first, if you can see the hard drive in the BIOS but not in the boot, check the SATA mode to see if it's set to IDE or AHCI mode. If it's in AHCI mode, switch it to IDE mode immediately and it will be recognized.
Or if you still can't see it in the BIOS, then the motherboard hasn't recognized the hard drive. This could be due to the processing signal jack. So if this part encounters a problem, you should replace the processing signal jack with another one.
In case it's the power jack, you can check if the hard drive is spinning. If replacing the power jack or swapping the hard drive to another machine doesn't make it spin, then that hard drive is damaged. You should consider replacing it with a new one.
If you've tried all the above methods and still can't find the hard drive, you can take the machine to computer hardware service centers for further examination.
These are all the methods related to computer HDD not found error. Through these tricks, you can apply them to troubleshoot the issue of HDD not found on your computer.
