If the laptop does not see the hard drive, then the user cannot communicate with the computer in any way: there is no access to memory, the actions of the operating system (which is also recorded on the hard drive) are limited. It is possible that a computer part simply cannot load large data or does not reproduce some of it, and writes errors: “Damaged file” or “Unable to reproduce.”
The solution depends on the cause of the problem. It is easy to damage or break a hard drive: it is susceptible not only to impacts on hard surfaces, but also to strong shaking.
HDD malfunction
It happens that the computer does not see the hard drive due to damage. Then other methods will not be able to fix the problem, and the only solution is to replace the HDD with a new one. The data will be partially or completely lost. You can restore the remaining information at the service center. There, the technician will explain whether the hard drive can be repaired.
However, HDD malfunction is sometimes caused by the fact that the fans cannot cope with the load and the computer overheats. The disk cannot function normally because dust has accumulated inside the laptop. You can remove it from your computer at home (observing safety precautions) or pay for the work at a technical center.
Initialization
As we said above, new HDDs sometimes do not work the first time they are connected. However, there is nothing to worry about, since if the drive does not initialize on its own, then this process must be carried out manually.
We do the following:
- We repeat steps 1 and 2 from the first instructions again.
- Find the desired hard drive, click on it and select “Initialize disk”.
- In the window that opens, mark the disk that is no longer displayed, select MBR and click “OK”.
- Right-click again, only on the initialized hard drive, and click “Create a simple volume.”
- The Volume Creation Wizard will launch, click “Next”.
- Next you need to specify the volume size. By default, the maximum size is set; it is not recommended to change the number set by the system. Click “Next”.
- Select a letter and click “Next”.
- We find the item “Format this volume ..”, and in the “File system” field we set NTFS. Leave the remaining fields as is and click “Next”.
- The last window will open in front of you, in which all the specified parameters will be displayed. If you agree with them, click “Done”.
After this, the disk that was installed earlier will be initialized, and all you have to do is restart the computer and begin full-fledged work.
Incorrect connection
This diagnosis is made if the hard drive works properly on other laptops, but is not in contact with the user’s personal computer. The correct order for connecting a hard drive is as follows:
- Find out the model of your HDD: IDE or SATA. The first type is similar to a floppy disk or cassette, and the distinctive mark of the second is its resemblance to a vinyl record player. The type can be found on the packaging or in the instructions.
- Find the adapter wire coming from the motherboard and insert it into the corresponding connectors of the hard drive.
- Secure the hard drive tightly.
Dell Service Center Warranty
The center's engineers will inexpensively repair your hard drive urgently. We will develop the optimal solution for safe laptop repair with a guarantee of complete storage of information on the HDD. After a free diagnosis, the customer will be contacted and the cost of repairs will be agreed upon. To find out in advance how much the service costs, look at the prices in the price list on the website. We guarantee impeccable quality of repairs and provide free delivery to the cities of Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Volgograd, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Voronezh, Kazan, Tyumen, Ufa, Chelyabinsk, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk.
Problems with the motherboard
Due to the fact that the HDD is connected directly to the motherboard, the laptop may not see it precisely because of problems with the chip. The board may not support the current drive model. Signs of a broken motherboard:
- When the computer starts, there is no characteristic sound (usually a short squeak). The sound will also not be heard if it has been disabled in the BIOS settings.
- The screen remains black. There is no way to determine what is happening on the screen except by sound signals. But this symptom alone does not allow us to accurately identify a board malfunction, since if the video card is broken, the “symptoms” will be the same.
- The processor does not heat up when the computer is running. There will be no picture, but you can still leave the laptop running for a few minutes. During this time, the CPU should warm up a little. Then you should turn off the laptop and check the internal temperature.
- In the BIOS, the motherboard is not displayed or the I/O system does not boot at all.
The only way out is to replace the faulty element. You may also have to purchase a CMOS tablet.
Important! You need to choose a chip so that it fits the hard drive you have already purchased.
The laptop does not see the hard drive, what should I do?
If this happens for the first time, you first need to check the settings. It happens that after an emergency exit of the laptop from the system (for example, when it is running from the outlet and the power suddenly goes out), the system settings are lost and the hard drive is not detected. This also happens with the settings of the device itself. When you turn on the laptop, not only will it not see the hard drive, it won’t even load the OS. Therefore, first of all, you need to check the BIOS settings.
- When you start the laptop, you need to go into the BIOS. This can be done in different ways on different models (most often using the F2 and F4 keys).
- In the window that appears, you need to find the hard drive and look at what is written next to its name. The inscriptions ENABLED or ON indicate that the computer sees the hard drive. If DISABLED or NONE is written, the hard drive is out of sight of the system. You need to switch the position from “off” to “on”. After this, if there are no other problems, the system will boot normally and the hard drive will work.
- If the previous point did not work, you can try to return the settings configuration to the factory settings (modern models have this function).
- Another way to get your drive back working is to uninstall and reinstall Windows.
- Check download priority. Sometimes in the BIOS parameters the first number in the boot order is the disk drive or USB. If there is nothing in these slots, then the system will check them when trying to boot, find nothing and move on to the next device in the list. This way it will get to the hard drive and boot from it. If a flash drive or DVD is left in the slot, the system will first try to boot from them. If unsuccessful, the OS will display information about a boot error. Solution: put the hard drive first in priorities.
If, when entering the BIOS, a drive with the required name is not detected at all, there are two options: it has been physically disconnected or damaged. The first case can be corrected on your own. To do this you need:
- Carefully disassemble the laptop. After removing the cover, unscrew the hard drive fasteners;
- check if dust has accumulated on it, see if all the necessary connectors and cables are connected;
- put the hard drive in place, checking that it fits tightly into the socket, connect all cables, return the fasteners;
- close the lid and turn on the laptop.
If the cause of the problem was an incorrect connection of the drive, the device will start working.
If the drive is mechanically damaged, you will have to contact a workshop so that specialists can return the information accumulated on the HDD.
Using an additional cable
To connect 2 or more hard drives to a laptop, you need to use a cable. It looks like a strip of fabric with 4 inserts for connecting an HDD, as well as a connector for connecting to the motherboard.
If the computer does not see the second hard drive, then the problem may be in the cable, which is easy to damage.
To diagnose, you should first connect each drive separately, and then two more times, changing the positions of the “invisible” hard drive. If the problem is not detected for both disks, you should try replacing the cable: the problem may lie there. However, you shouldn’t rush to buy a new cable; just borrow it temporarily for testing.
BIOS settings may also prohibit seeing and using multiple hard drives. Only after considering this option should you contact a service center or store to purchase a new part.
Let's connect correctly!
External HDD/SSDs gained popularity several years ago, when their cost dropped significantly and the amount of stored information increased. This is a very convenient tool for storing data - not only documents, music, videos, but also operating system boot files.
But sometimes things don’t go according to plan, errors occur when trying to connect, and the media is not detected in Windows 7.
Immediately after purchasing the device, you should perform the following manipulations:
- After you connect the disk to the computer, you try to open it and you will see a notification in which Windows asks you to format it - you need to perform the required operation.
- For this purpose, you can use both built-in OS tools,
as well as third-party utilities, for example, Aomei Partition Assistant, which I talked about in the article “How to partition a disk.”
- The interface is in Russian, so understanding the controls will not be difficult. Simply right-click on the detected drive and select the formatting operation from the menu. Next, specify the file system type
After completing the procedure, you will be able to fully use the device.
But what to do if everything was fine, but suddenly the drive was no longer detected? Let's look at several methods to correct the situation.
Power supply problem
The power supply is also connected to the motherboard. Its purpose: to provide energy to all components and especially the hard drive. To get to it, Asus laptops will need to completely disassemble the insides of the device.
If electrolytes have leaked in the unit, chips have burned out, or one of the parts has failed, it stops working along with the motherboard and hard drive. The problem can also be solved by replacing the block or its individual parts. To avoid such a situation, you should be careful when storing your laptop: do not change the ambient temperature sharply (bring your laptop home from a cold street in winter and leave it in front of the fireplace) and “overclock” the device gradually.
Jumpers
If you own an old computer with a hard drive on an IDE interface, then pay attention to the jumpers. There is an additional connector on the case to configure HDD priority. One of the four pairs of contacts located in it is fixed using a special jumper.
The presence and correct location should be checked. If you want the connected device to be the main one, set it to the “ Master ” position. If you are connecting a second drive, you should set it to “ Slave ”.
Also be sure to check their condition in other similar devices. Most often, it is these smallest details that provoke problems in the system, due to which, in turn, Bios does not recognize the components.
Software
Additional software allows you to recover data from damaged disks, depending on the degree of damage. One of the most popular and convenient applications is Recuva. The program counts the data remaining on the disk and saves it to a new connected device (an analogue of a HDD can be a USB flash drive). Some information will be damaged, others will only be partially restored - it all depends on how well the electrons are preserved.
To check the health of the disk (to understand whether it is the root of the problem), you can use the Check Disk application, which reports if some part of the HDD has stopped functioning.
If the computer does not see the new hard drive, and all applications show that there are no problems with it, you need to look for a problem in other components.
Why did the laptop stop seeing the hard drive?
A laptop HDD is a very fragile part that requires careful handling. There can be many reasons for its damage:
- software. Often the laptop stops seeing the hard drive immediately after reinstalling Windows. The reason is that the new operating system does not have the necessary driver. The problem can be solved simply: the driver is downloaded from the Internet, loaded into the root folder, and launched. After some time, a signal from the hard drive appears;
- mechanical damage. This happens if the laptop is accidentally dropped or exposed to vibration (for example, in a car or on a train). The Winchester is fragile; a small shake is enough to destroy it. If the system signals that the laptop's hard drive is not visible, hold the device to your ear and listen to what's going on inside. If you hear strange sounds (squeaking, clicking, rustling), then the hard drive is definitely broken. If nothing like this is observed, use another method of checking. Remove the hard drive from the device, connect it to another laptop or computer (can be used as an external drive). If the system does not detect the HDD there, then the problem is definitely there. If everything is fine, the hard drive is visible and working, you will have to check other parts of the laptop;
- overheat. In this case, the hard drive may also not work normally. Overheating can be caused by improper use (for example, when the laptop is lying on a soft surface) or dust accumulation inside. To correct the situation, you need to turn off the laptop, wait until the system cools down and turn it on again. If the problem recurs, it means that the problem is not high temperature;
- natural wear and tear of the drive. A hard drive, like any piece of equipment, has its own performance limit. A few years after the start of operation, its mechanical parts begin to “crumble” by themselves, without external reasons.
In most cases, even if the drive is mechanically damaged, information can be pulled out, and repairing the hard drive does not always make sense. Sometimes it is cheaper to buy and install a new HDD. Moreover, today they are produced in large quantities and for any budget.
