What to do if Bios does not see the hard drive. What to do if the computer and BIOS does not see the hard drive? Can't see ide hard drive

Good day everyone, dear readers! In this article I will try to explain why the BIOS does not see hard drive— as well as ways to solve this problem, I will tell you in my article.

This problem, when the hard drive is not detected by the computer, is the most common. It occurs on both old and new computers. This also happens with new and old, external and built-in HDDs.

First, of course, you need to find out the cause of this problem. Sometimes users can solve everything on their own and organize work with Windows and hard drive laptop.

Why can't my computer see my hard drive?

Let me note right away that there are several reasons why a hard drive refuses to perform its functions. These reasons include:

1. For the first time, a new sata or ide drive was connected;
2. There were problems with the cable or wires;
3. Perhaps the BIOS is not configured correctly or is completely out of order;
4. Weak power supply;
5. Low cooling system;
6. The hard drive itself has failed.

Yes, you need to diagnose it, and only then solve the problem. Let's say that an inexperienced user will probably have some difficulties with this. Let me help you, and together we will figure out what and how.

First connection of the hard drive

If this is your first time connecting a screw, then most likely the system simply did not see it. Yes, physically it is in working order, but among local disks it is not displayed.

In order to fix this problem you need to click on Win keyboard and R, write compmgmt.msc and indicate “OK”.

Find and select "Disk Management".

In the window that appears in the middle, all your connected drives will be identified, including your problematic hard drive. As a rule, it is such because the assigned letter is incorrect.

Find the required drive and click on it right click mouse, and then select “Change drive letter or drive path...”.

A window will open in which you will have to click on the “Change” button.

Now select the desired letter and select "OK".

Invalid format

For normal functioning of the disk in Windows, the NTFS format is required.

Just as in the instructions above, go to “Disk Management”, that is, repeat the previous first two steps. After that, right-click on the disk and select “Format”.

Select file system– NTFS, and click “OK”.

BIOS does not see the hard drive - setting

In some cases, the BIOS may set the wrong priority for boot devices. When loading the PC, press F2 (or Del). Which key needs to be pressed will be indicated when the PC starts. By pressing the desired key, you will enter the BIOS.

Please note that due to differences in BIOS versions, the names of menu items here and below may differ slightly.

Find the "Boot" tab. Use the arrows to control. In the list of boot devices in first place (1st Boot Priority/First Boot Device) set your HDD.

Press F10 to save and exit and then press Y to confirm. After this, the PC will boot from the device you set.

SATA operating mode

Often, users do not have an operating mode in their BIOS that is compatible with the IDE. To make the change, you need to go into the BIOS, select Main, Advanced or Integrated Peripherals and find the SATA Operation, Configure SATA As, or OnChip SATA Type setting.

Select IDE or Native IDE, press F10 and enter Y.

BIOS does not show hard drive

If the BIOS cannot detect your hard drive, then most likely it is due to incorrect settings or failures.

Incorrect settings appear due to user actions, and failure can occur for various reasons. So, starting from power outages and ending even with system infection. This may indicate system date- if it is not accurate, then you have undoubtedly experienced a failure. To fix this problem, you need to reset all settings.

Find it on motherboard Clear CMOS jumper.

Change the jumper from contacts 1-2 to 2-3, hold them for 20-30 seconds and then return them to their original position. Besides, there is another way. Find the motherboard in the system unit and remove the battery from it.

You will need to return it back in 25-30 minutes.

Conclusion

Now you know what to do if the BIOS does not see the hard drive. I hope you were able to solve your problem, thank you all for your attention, and don’t forget to ask any questions in the comments!

Computer owners often have problems recognizing the disk. This is done by the BIOS environment. She is responsible for setting up the motherboard and finding the equipment connected to it. There are several main problems why the BIOS does not see the hard drive:

• Physical damage to the HDD;
• Problems connecting to motherboard;
• Factory defects in hard drive assembly;
• BIOS settings.

Physical damage to the hard drive

Main problem: damaged jumpers

It is difficult to damage a hard drive unintentionally. If after assembly the computer or laptop no longer sees the HDD, you need to check it for external damage. First of all, you need to examine its jumpers, since their failure is the most common problem due to which the hard drive is not detected in the BIOS. The jumpers are located on the back of the media. Problems visible to the naked eye: the jumper may bend, break partially or completely, fall off, or oxidize.

If the hard drive on a laptop or computer is new, then it must be returned to the store for replacement. If the media has been used for a long time, you will have to change it.

If the jumpers have undergone an oxidation process, then the problem on the computer can be solved in two ways:

1. Carefully treat the jumpers with a special solution that removes rust. You can purchase the product in a specialized store;
2. Clean the jumpers with sandpaper. In this case, you need to be extremely careful. One wrong move and the hard drive will have to be replaced.

Problem: external physical damage

When inspecting the surface, external physical damage can often be revealed. The following types of defects are common:

• Damage to chips on an unprotected HDD board;
• Defects in the outer casing;
• Malfunction of parts. For example, a motor.

If defects are detected, it is necessary to assess the extent of the damage. You can carry out the procedure with specialists or yourself. If the disk is suitable for repair, it should be sent to service center. If not, you will have to purchase a new one.

Connection problems with the motherboard and power supply

Problem: SATA cable is faulty

If the HDD is connected incorrectly to the motherboard, it may be difficult to read information from it on the computer. After checking external defects, it is necessary to test the cable. It must be intact and fit snugly against the jumpers on both sides. The wires must be insulated.

If a faulty cable is detected, it must be replaced with a new one. If it is discovered that the cable does not fit tightly, then to solve the problem it is enough to correct it.

Interruptions in the operation of the device often occur due to the fact that in one SATA cable Several slots are occupied. It is important to check how many ports are connected to one loop.

Provide a separate SATA cable for each HDD.

Problem: Lack of electrical power

Due to insufficient power supply, the hard drive may not have enough energy to operate, so it is not recognized by the BIOS. It is necessary to check the quality of the connection of the wires leading to the unit. There is also a possibility that the power supply cannot cope with a large number of devices.

If the power supply wires are faulty, they must be replaced. If the power supply cannot cope with a large number of devices. It is recommended to replace it.

Incorrect BIOS setting in Windows

Problem: hard drive search functionality is disabled

Often the computer BIOS stops seeing the HDD due to failures standard settings. There are many reasons for this: power outages, installation of new equipment on the laptop, infection with Windows operating system viruses.

The first thing you need to do when starting your computer is go into the BIOS. Depending on your motherboard, there are different login keyboard shortcuts that appear on Windows at startup. Once in the BIOS, you need to check whether the functionality for detecting the HDD is enabled. To do this, select the Integrated Peripherals item in the menu and find the Onboard IDE Controller section, opposite which there is an inscription: Enabled (enabled) or Disabled (disabled).

If Onboard IDE Controller is marked Enabled, then there is a problem with the hard drive. IN otherwise change the HDD status.

If this procedure did not help and the hard drive is still not detected, then you need to reset the BIOS settings to factory settings. To do this, turn off and unplug your computer or laptop. After that, on the motherboard we look for a round, silver-colored battery.

It is quite difficult to confuse a battery with something else. We take it out of the computer and wait 20-25 minutes. We put the battery back.

Comment. Do not be afraid that when you reset the BIOS to factory settings, the driver settings will be lost. They are not related to the BIOS environment.

Factory defects

Problem: manufacturing defect, invisible from the outside.

If all the previous methods did not help, then you should think about the presence of manufacturing defects. In this case external inspection, setting up the BIOS and checking the cable will not give any results. Typically, such problems occur with newly purchased hard drives. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the receipt until the warranty period expires, so that there are no difficulties in returning a low-quality product to the manufacturer.

Solution:

It is important to buy hard drives only from trusted stores with a good reputation. It is not recommended to purchase HDDs from dubious companies or from unfamiliar individuals. If the warranty period has expired, you can take the disc to specialized service centers.

If there are problems with detection in the BIOS hard drive you need to be extremely careful and attentive when identifying the problem. The breakdown can often be solved independently by resorting to the above instructions, but if all else fails, then best solution– service centers.

If you turn on your PC and its BIOS does not see the SATA hard drive, then, despite the fact that this situation, of course, cannot be called pleasant, in some cases it can still be successfully resolved. However, the methods for solving the problem and the likelihood of success largely depend on the causes of the malfunction, of which theoretically there can be several.

Hard drives have long taken leading positions in the field of long-term storage information as devices combining high capacity, low price and acceptable reliability and speed characteristics. While hard drive technology may not have advanced at the same rate as other computer components such as the processor and memory, hard drives today are far superior to their predecessors in terms of capacity and speed. In the last decade, significant progress in improving the parameters of hard drives was largely associated with the transition to new technology data exchange between the hard drive and the motherboard - . Currently, SATA hard drives have practically replaced hard drives with an IDE interface from use, largely due to their high speed operation and lack of limitations typical for IDE drives. In particular, connecting SATA hard drives to a computer is much easier and faster compared to IDE drives.

However, users of drives with a SATA interface are not immune to problems. There is often a situation when the hard drive does not see the old operating system. But a particularly unpleasant problem is that the hard drive is not recognized at the BIOS level. In such a case, naturally, this hard drive cannot be used to store data; In addition, it is impossible to download from it personal computer.

There may be several reasons for the situation when the BIOS does not see the hard drive, but basically they can be divided into the following categories:

• Hard drive or motherboard failure
• Error connecting the drive
• Error when setting BIOS options

Errors when setting BIOS options and fixing them

Many BIOSes have a number of options that allow you to configure the operating parameters of the host built into the motherboard chipset. SATA controller. In some cases, incorrectly setting the values ​​of such options can lead to the inoperability of all or some of the hard drives connected to the computer, or to the inoperability of certain types of them, for example, drives connected to IDE or SATA connectors.

In particular, the option found in some BIOS has the value PATA Only, which disables support for SATA hard drives, leaving only IDE interface drives for use. In addition, if the controller in the BIOS is configured in such a way that it supports the traditional mode of accessing drives in IDE mode, then in this case the system can support no more than 4 drives, and all extra drives will simply not be visible.

Sometimes it happens that the BIOS does not see the second one already installed in the system is hard SATA drive. IN in this case the problem may be either a BIOS error or the fact that the SATA drives belong to different versions of SATA, for example, the first is SATA-2, and the second is SATA-3. In this case, it is best to install second hard The drive can also be switched to SATA-2 operating mode using the corresponding jumper on its case.

Some options, such as Serial-ATA Controller, allow you to disable the SATA controller altogether. In this case, all drives connected to the motherboard connectors will not work.

You should also note that in some BIOS you can disable automatic detection hard drives. Check if you have such an option, and if so, then its value should be set to Auto.

Additionally, in some cases, especially with older motherboards and BIOS, there may be errors in the BIOS that prevent the system from recognizing the hard drive correctly. To eliminate this possibility, you need to reset the BIOS to default settings, and if the BIOS still does not see the disk, then update the computer's BIOS version.

Errors when connecting drives to the motherboard, physical malfunction of drives and other components of the system unit

SATA hard drives do not require jumper settings to select modes Master's work and Slave, which are vital for the functioning of IDE drives, so their configuration in the system is not required. In addition, SATA connectors and cables are much more convenient than IDE connectors and cables, and therefore most users do not have any problems connecting SATA hard drives. However, insufficiently tight contacts between cables and sockets can also lead to a situation where the BIOS does not see the SATA hard drive installed in the system. If you have made sure that the controller configuration in the BIOS is configured correctly, but the BIOS still does not see the disk, it makes sense to check the reliability of the cable connections to the motherboard, and also check the cables themselves by replacing them with other cables of the same type.

If after this check procedure the BIOS still does not see the hard drive, then it makes sense to check it in another place, taking a second system unit - it is quite possible that the problem lies in the hard drive itself - in the disk controller or in the mechanical drive. In the first case, the disk can most likely be repaired; in the second case, you will have to look for a replacement.

In some cases, the problem may not be with the hard drive, but with the SATA host controller on the motherboard. If this is the case, then the motherboard will most likely need repair. There are also cases where the BIOS does not see hard drives due to a faulty power supply.

Conclusion

A situation when the BIOS of a personal computer does not see one or more hard drives operating using SATA interface, fortunately, does not occur very often. However, a similar problem may occur, especially if the computer is using an old BIOS version containing errors, and also if two SATA drives belonging to different generations of SATA are simultaneously installed in the system (in such a case, the second drive may not be detected). Also, in some cases, there may be incorrect settings of BIOS options, incorrect or careless connection of disks using data or power cables. The user is not immune from hardware failures in the operation of the disk controller, as well as in the operation of the SATA host adapter located on the motherboard. In the latter cases, the problem can be corrected, as a rule, only by contacting the service center specialists.

Below is a list of the main problems due to which BIOS does not recognize a SATA hard drive. To find out the true cause of the malfunction, you need to carry out sequential diagnostics of all interconnected components of the computer to determine if they are working properly.

• The hard drive is not set as enabled in the BIOS.
• Serial ATA drivers are installed incorrectly or not installed at all.
• The data cable is damaged or not connected.
• The disk drive does not spin.
• The jumpers on the drive housing are set incorrectly.
• The hard drive itself is faulty.

First you need to make sure that the device you are testing is enabled in the BIOS. To do this, you need to enter the settings - at the very beginning of the operating system startup, press the F2 or Del key. Depending on the modification of the system, there may be different options. What exactly do you need to click to enter the BIOS settings? A message appears briefly at the bottom of the screen when you turn on the computer. If you miss the period, you will have to turn off the computer again and wait until you enter the settings.

Find the hard drive that is not detected on one of the settings screens and look at what is written next to it. Automatic detection must be specified. If it says Off. (Off) you need to switch to automatic detection. This problem is typical in cases where a newly installed hard drive with a SATA connection is not detected.

Motherboard drivers not loaded

Problems with driver installation most often occur in cases where Windows OS is installed on a disk drive that is used as the main boot drive. Then the Bios does not see the SATA hard drive due to problems with the drivers.

To correctly download and install drivers, perform the following manipulations:

1. Load the Windows distribution into the DVD drive tray. After this, disconnect the computer from the power supply.
2. Insert the SATA hard drive and connect it. Turn on your computer.
3. During the installation process, you will need to press the F6 key at the appropriate moment to start the driver installation process. During the normal course of the system installation, a screen will briefly appear stating that in order to install the system normally, you need to download the missing drivers: “Press F6 if you need to install a 3rd party driver.” Try not to miss the moment, otherwise you will have to start all over again.
4. After a while, an interface for loading drivers for the SATA controller will appear. Press the S key to continue installation.
5. To download the drivers, you will need disks with installers; this must be found and downloaded in advance on the Internet, on the website of the manufacturer of the motherboard that is installed on your computer.

Data cable fault

Open the system unit and carefully inspect the cables connected to the motherboard and hard drive. If there is visible mechanical damage, this is the problem. Data cables are easily bent and broken, which leads to a lack of contacts in the connections. It is advisable to check the cable by replacing it with a known working analogue.

Seagate Technical Services would like to point out that for normal operation devices, the length of the SATA cable did not exceed one meter. SATA cables often simply fall out of the connectors due to vibration of the computer during operation. Check the reliability of the cable connection to the SATA ports.

When connecting loops, be guided by the following conditions:

• The blue connector must connect to the motherboard controller.
• The gray connector is used to connect a Slave – an auxiliary hard drive.
• The black connector is for the Master – the main drive.

If the cable assignment order is mixed up, it confuses the BIOS and leads to device identification errors.

The disk does not rotate

The hard drive will not be found if it is not receiving power and is not spinning. It is impossible to see the rotation of the disk externally; one can only rely on indirect signs.

With the power off, open the system unit, then turn on the computer and listen. Taking precautions, try touching the side wall of the hard drive. If vibration is felt, the disk is rotating.

If nothing is clear, try turning the drive's power cable on and off and comparing the sound. To check the functionality of the power cable, connect it to a DVD drive, where you can accurately see whether the disc is spinning or not.

It is also useful to check whether the installed power supply supplies sufficient power? It is quite possible that with upgrades system unit energy consumption has increased significantly and now there is simply not enough current to maintain the required performance of the equipment.

To make sure that the device being tested is working properly, remove it from the system unit being tested and install it on a known-good computer. If it doesn’t work, the hard drive itself is faulty.

The BIOS tools include a function for testing connected drives for functionality. Run the test and see the results. If any disk is faulty, it will be clear after the test.

Incorrect installation of jumpers on the drive housing

First you need to check whether the jumpers on the Master-Slave attribute are correctly distributed. If both devices have the same settings, the BIOS will not be able to detect them correctly.

A diagram of the correct location of jumpers is drawn on the drive housings. Set them according to the required priority for selecting disks in the BIOS.

Some users sometimes encounter the fact that the system does not see the hard drive, and not only the one connected as additional device, but also an already installed hard drive, on which the operating system intended for loading is located. What could be causing this and how can I fix this problem? The following are several basic solutions that should help in most cases. True, you will first have to find out the true cause of the failure.

Why doesn't the system see the hard drive?

The most common reason for such failures is that most experts tend to cite incorrect connection of the hard drive with cables to the motherboard. However, even with correct connection a situation may arise when, for example, the system does not see the new hard drive, although it is working, the operating system is in full working order, the drivers are installed, etc.

This problem most often refers to incorrect BIOS settings(this will be discussed in more detail a little later). The same situation can be observed in the presence of software failures, when the connected device is assigned a letter already used by the system. Finally, the disk may contain errors, and if it is the hard drive from which the OS is started, it may be damaged boot records and sectors that need to be restored.

Physical causes and ways to eliminate them

To resolve the question of why the system does not see the SATA hard drive (we take this device standard solely as an example), let's start by considering physical problems.

As is already clear, you should first check the correct connection and tightness of the cables in the corresponding connectors. In addition, a very common reason for incorrect HDD operation called overheating of the south bridge, which is more typical for laptops. In this case, first you need to turn off the device and let it cool.

For stationary units possible solution The problem may be to reset the settings by removing the CMOS battery from the socket for a couple of minutes (completely resetting the parameters).

Along the way, you should find a special Clear CMOS jumper on the motherboard, which, as a rule, is located not far from the battery. The jumper must first be switched to position 2-3 for 15 seconds, and then returned to the original connection 1-2.

It is also worth paying attention to the correctness of the Master/Slave connections (jumper positions). A hard drive with an IDE interface must have a Master connection, all other devices, including external hard drives or optical drives, must have a Slave connection. This, by the way, also applies to situations when the system does not see the second hard drive. But this is not all the problems.

The system does not see the hard drive: BIOS settings

Another reason why it is not recognized is that given parameters primary BIOS input/output system. If upon boot the system reports that system disk is not found and asks you to insert it, perhaps another device is set to boot priority.

In the corresponding section, you should select the HDD as the priority (first) device to boot. If even after this the system does not see the hard drive, you should go to the hard drive settings section and in the SATA configuration settings line, disable the AHCI mode, setting RAID or Standard IDE as the parameter used.

Disk management partition

But let's assume that the main hard drive is recognized and the OS boots without problems. The user connected a second hard drive, but there was no effect. So why doesn't the system see the external hard drive? There are a lot of reasons for this, one of which is that the disk is assigned the wrong letter.

This situation can be easily resolved: go to computer management, where we use a similar partition for disks. Absolutely all devices will be displayed here, even if they are not recognized at the initial boot stage or do not work correctly. Choose required disk, right-click to call up the submenu and access the line for changing the letter or path to the disk. After this, enter an unused value and save the settings. You may need to reboot.

Driver problems

Another problem for many users is missing or incorrect installed drivers, responsible for the operation and installed on the motherboard, and external hard disk.

If the user has a driver disk, which must be included with the purchase, there is no problem. We just install (or reinstall) the drivers. If there is no such disk, you can use a freely distributed directory or install a program like Driver Booster, which, when scanning, will identify missing, damaged or updated drivers and automatically integrate them into the system.

Checking the hard drive and boot record

Finally, the most unpleasant situation is when the operating system from the hard drive does not boot due to software errors or damage to the surface.

In the first case, you will need any boot disk(for example, LiveCD or system distribution), after which you will need to press the “R” key to call and go to command line, where first chkdsk command c: /f /r check the disk for errors, and then write the lines Bootrec.exe /FixMbr and Bootrec.exe /FixBoot (this will correct the boot records). If this does not give any effect, you need to rewrite boot sector, using the command Bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd. If the problem was really related to such a situation, after the restart the download will proceed normally without failures.

In case of mechanical damage, the hard drive will have to be replaced. Although it is stated that to restore bad sectors possible using HDD programs Regenerator by reversing the magnetization of the disk, this is hard to believe.

Conclusion

Finally, it remains to be said that for cases when the system does not see all the solutions, since it is simply impossible to foresee all situations. However, all of the above occurs most often, so depending on the situation, you can apply one or another technique that will eliminate the problem.

Problems where the hard drive is not detected by the system due to a virus (this also happens) were not deliberately considered here, because the protection own computer should be a priority for any user. Also, issues related to incorrect disk partitioning or formatting were not addressed. Well, when the hard drive, as they say, began to “crumble,” there was simply no other solution other than replacement.