Second hard drive not recognized

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  1. Posts : 51
    Windows 10
       #1

    Second hard drive not recognized


    Hi,

    I bought an additional used 2.5" HDD (1TB Toshiba MQ02ABF100) for my desktop which has an ASUS Motherboard ROG Strix B350-I Gaming.

    Since I already had an external 2.5" drive (512gb Western Digital WD5000BEVT) in a USB caddy, before installing the 1TB in my desktop, I switched the 1TB for the 512gb HDD to test it. Windows did not recogize the 1TB HDD.
    While considering why the 1TB drive did not work, I realised that the old 512gb HDD is a very old SATA II (2009!), and that the 1TB HDD is SATA III.

    I then installed the 1TB drive in the desktop, trying 2 different power cables/ 2 different SATA III cables and 2 different SATA III slots. Windows doesn't recognise it.

    I'm now wondering, could I have damaged the 1TB drive by placing it in the USB caddy which evidentally works with SATA II not SATA III? I bought it off ebay and the seller seemed decent.

    Thank you
    Matt
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2,487
    Windows 10 Home, 64-bit
       #2

    robocop said:

    I then installed the 1TB drive in the desktop, trying 2 different power cables/ 2 different SATA III cables and 2 different SATA III slots. Windows doesn't recognise it.

    I'm now wondering, could I have damaged the 1TB drive by placing it in the USB caddy which evidentally works with SATA II not SATA III? I bought it off ebay and the seller seemed decent.
    When connected to your motherboard, is the used 1 TB drive seen in the BIOS, before Windows loads?

    I doubt that the USB caddy would be relevant.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #3

    What do you mean by Windows won't recognize it? Do you mean a drive letter in File Explorer, or do you mean as a disk in either diskpart or disk management? If you mean just file explorer, than likely you have to create a partition on the drive and assign a drive letter to it. That would be the same result whether it was in the USB enclosure or connected to the motherboard.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 51
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #4

    ignatzatsonic said:
    When connected to your motherboard, is the used 1 TB drive seen in the BIOS, before Windows loads?
    I cannot see drive in the BIOS. It uses a UEFI BIOS utility version 2.17.1246.
    Windows says the BIOS Version/Date is American Megatrends Inc, 5220, 12/09/2019

    Clearly the BIOS is not that old, I'm wondering if I should update the BIOS but I read a page which advised against doing so unless really necessary.

    Please if anyone knows the relationship between the UEFI BIOS Utility & ASUS (motherboard), I don't understand fully, but I think if I want a new BIOS I download from ASUS, not AMI.com??
    ignatzatsonic said:
    I doubt that the USB caddy would be relevant.
    Thanks, I hope so, I feared I maybe damaged the SATA III drive....

    - - - Updated - - -

    NavyLCDR said:
    What do you mean by Windows won't recognize it? Do you mean a drive letter in File Explorer, or do you mean as a disk in either diskpart or disk management? If you mean just file explorer, than likely you have to create a partition on the drive and assign a drive letter to it. That would be the same result whether it was in the USB enclosure or connected to the motherboard.
    Disk manager didn't recognize. And I later learn drive not visible in BIOS. Thanks


    Thank you for your replies
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 2,487
    Windows 10 Home, 64-bit
       #5

    When the drive was in the caddy and the caddy had power-----could you even hear the discs spinning within the drive?
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 51
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #6

    I didn't try listening when I first put in the caddy, the caddy light came on. I don't want to put it back in the caddy as it may be a SATA II caddy like the SATA II 512gb drive.

    When it was in the desktop, I tried to listen but with the pc & cpu fans buzzing and blowing I was unclear if I could hear or not. I couldn't really feel a vibration. I'm unsure how loud or how much vibration experience I should get, but there was nothing obvious.

    Thank you
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #7

    Sounds like the drive is bad. Putting in a SATA II enclosure will not hurt it at all. Hundreds of thousands SATA III hard drives and SSDs are connected to SATA II ports. They just run at SATA II speed.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 51
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Very interesting to hear, thank you NavyLCDR

    - - - Updated - - -

    NavyLCDR said:
    Sounds like the drive is bad. Putting in a SATA II enclosure will not hurt it at all. Hundreds of thousands SATA III hard drives and SSDs are connected to SATA II ports. They just run at SATA II speed.
    Last questions regarding difference between the SATA types. Before I realised the 512gb was SATA II, I had intended to install the 512gb in the desktop and put the 1TB in the caddy. Can the 512gb SATA II be used to connect on a SATA III desktop socket connection. I'm not concerned about performance, this is a low use storage drive.

    How can I tell if the caddy is either SATA II or III? (there's no label)

    Thanks

    Matt
    Last edited by robocop; 19 Apr 2020 at 17:57.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #9

    Yes, SATA II drives can be connected to SATA III ports and vice-versa. Everything will just run at the lowest speed of either the drive or the port. The only real way to tell if the caddy is SATA II or III is pretty much to look up the specs by its model number. Maybe the circuit board might be labelled.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 51
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #10

    thank you!
      My Computer


 

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