Member Avatar for cdbhouston

My desktop computer will not detect the harddrive that inside. I do not hear any annoying clicking noise from it. When I try to install the windows operation system it tells me it does not detect the hard drive. I checked all the connections. They were intact. Any thoughtful suggestions?

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by WASDted

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Good starting points from and . The suggestions below add diagnostic steps and safe recovery options that go beyond connection checks and simple enclosure tests.

First, gather device-level evidence before doing anything risky. Boot a rescue USB (a small Linux live image is fine) and capture SMART data and kernel messages. Useful commands (run as root) include:

smartctl -a /dev/sdX
smartctl -t long /dev/sdX
dmesg | tail -n 50
ddrescue -f -n /dev/sdX /path/to/image.img /path/to/logfile.log

Look for nonzero values in attributes such as Reallocated_Sector_Ct, Current_Pending_Sector, or Offline_Uncorrectable — those indicate media problems. Use ddrescue to image the disk before further writes if recovering data.

Do a careful hardware inspection that does not repeat simple cable checks: look for burnt/broken components on the drive PCB, corrosion, melted plastic on the power/data plugs, or bent pins. Try a different power connector from the same PSU (not just re-seating the same cable). If the PCB looks damaged, swapping boards is not a reliable DIY fix unless the donor is identical and the donor's ROM/firmware area is handled by a specialist.

If diagnostics fail or SMART shows serious errors and the data is important, stop further DIY attempts and consult a professional data recovery service — further power cycling or invasive tricks (freezing, opening the platter) can make recovery impossible. If data is not critical and tests show the drive is failing, replace the drive and update motherboard firmware/chipset storage drivers before reinstalling the OS.

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Member Avatar for saxmaster49

Check first that its partitioned correctly. If you have access to another computer, drop it in there and see if it shows up. If not, its dead.

Does your computer detect it in the bios? if its not showing up in windows but its showing up in the bios its a dead hd.

Edited by saxmaster49 because: n/a
Member Avatar for WASDted

try attaching it to an external USB enclosure and see if you can access its files on another computer. otherwise hold the drive in your hand while turning on the PC and feel if it seems to spin up and work.

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