I failed installing a SSD and swapping out multiple HDDs.

It all started out a project I was sure I could handle. I wanted to install an SSD with a clean Windows 10 x64 install as my boot drive. Then I wanted to swap out my full 2TB HDDs for new 5TB ones. As I got into it, I couldn't get the SDD to boot, then Windows Explorer couldn't see any of the new HDDs. I started to read and watch videos about my attempted task. And I now don't know how to set or convert BIOS LEGACY to UEFI, MBR or GPT, so I've got an assortment of different settings and drives. One thing I did discover was that none of the drives appeared in Windows Explorer when physically attached to the PC, but they are recognized and functional when mounted in a USB dock(!). So now I'm running off a clean Windows install on my SSD and one HHD running in my USB dock...and that's it. I have all my other drives scattered about until I can find a sympathetic super-geek to lead me out of the woods. Can someone help, please? Or perhaps refer me to a complete, thorough, and easily understood guide.

What are your system specs? It will be easier to advise you know them.

We need more details size of SSD is it uefi gpt or mbr did you only have that drive in when you did an install? what are the other disk gpt,mbr. Did you check disk manager it may just need a letter assigning to the drives a screen shot from disk manager would help. Check the bios is it set to uefi and is secure boot set

Thanks to both thomaseg1 and Samuria for your kind responses. I'll give you all the details I can find...Wayne SSD, Disk 0 (C:), is 500GB (MBR); HHD Disk 1, (G:) Wayne's 4 is 4TB (GPT); HHD, Disk 2 (E:) New is 4TB (GPT). Screen shot Disk Mgr.

BIOS is set to Legacy and I can't find a way to change it to UEFI. Don't know "secure boot" set.

When the install was done, I went from the ISO on thumb drive to SSD. No other drives were attached. PC is Windows 10 PRO x64. Screen shot PC specs.

I've got the PC running, finally, but only the SSD is actually attached, the HHDs are mounted and will only run from a USB dock.

Have you tried just connecting just one of them (wayne 4) , then entering the bios , see if both the ssd and the hdd are listed?
As for checking your drives for being mbr or gpt open disk management and right click on drive 0 (or 1 or 2) the box
on the left side choose properties and move over to the volumes tab. if nothing is showing just hit the populate button.

As you suggested I tried connecting Wayne 4 (4TB, GPT) directly to the PC and damned if it didn't work! So then I tried disconnecting it and connecting Wayne 5-1 (5TB, GPT). With this drive connected I couldn't even boot up. When I removed the 5TB drive and replaced it with the 4TB drive, I was able to boot up and both the SSD (MBR) and the HHD appeared when I opened Disk Manager as well as Windows Explorer. So, obviously I have mismatched "formats" for the hardware I want to run. What I need is to have the configuration I should be using for the boot drive (SSD) as well as the 4TB and 5TB HHDs drives.

I don't understand your "entering the BIOS" phrase but hopefully this information will serve. So, please specify exactly what I need as far as BIOS Legacy or UEFI, MBR or GPT, and whatever else come into play. Also instructions as to how to set each component. My objective is to have the SSD boot drive and 3 5TB HHDs in the system.

Out of curiosity, I checked: the HP 304bh motherboard uses an nVidia nForce 430/ gForce 6150se chipset. It's old (released in 2006) and no longer supported by nVidia. I'm pretty sure that it doesn't do UEFI. That shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't try to use a boot drive larger than 2TB. Data drives can be larger than that, but they may need to be GPT rather than MBR.

I'm not trying to be snarky, but that PC may not be an ideal platform for major HD upgrades.

in disk management pic one disk 2 is showing a 100 meg fat 32 partition.
Was this your original OS drive? Probably your best bet is to copy any data you want to keep while its connected as usb.
and in disk management delete all partitions and build another. full size and format it gpt.

I would suspect the bios setting is the problem if its set to legacy it wont be able to see large disks you need to change the legacey if you cant find it give us the exact model of the pc or check the manual

Computer...HP 8100 Elite CMTRB-825633301528Windows 7 Product Key...XBJM6-T4GQJ-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx S/N...2UA03709HQProd#...SJ514UC#ABA


Hope this is the information you asked for.

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Thanks for your comments, bobkn. I realize I'm dealing with an older machine but I wanted to try an SSD. My boot disk (SSD) is 500GB and I storage disks that will be 4TB (GPT) and 5TB (GPT). Will I be able to use all of these to capacity on my Legacy PC?

I'm still able to connect my 4TB HDDs (GPT) directly to my PC, but my 5TB HDDs are only usable from a USB dock.

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I'm really not sure at this point, thomaseg1. I think you suggestion is best for this HDD...it will be used as storage anyway, but can my Legacy PC use all 5TB of space?