One of my hard drives does not show up on My Computer page

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  1. Posts : 36
    Windows 10
       #1

    One of my hard drives does not show up on My Computer page


    Hello

    So I've been having an issue with a drive on windows ten. Last night i noticed when accessing the contents for it, explorer would hang and stop responding and eventually like 20 minutes later it would actually load.

    Now today the drive doesn't show up in the list of hard drives in My Computer but all my other drives do. I am not sure if the drive is dead or not.

    Some additional things to note, i did recently buy a new power supply unit and had to re-attatch the sata cables to my drives since i cleaned the tower up, its possible it is not in the same sata slot it was before - not sure if that will cause the computer to get a bit confused?

    What steps can i take to determine if its dead or windows 10 is simply having issues accessing it. It worked fine all day yesterday until it started getting slow and then today its gone entirely.

    edit
    Further investigating, since unplugging the hard drive , the PC works fine and boots up. Plugging it back in and it won't even pass boot stage it just stuck on the republic of gaming splash screen.

    I don't know whether that means the drive is dead or the computer is unhappy with it for some other reason.
    Last edited by SirChick; 30 Oct 2016 at 17:51.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 10
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #2

    Yes, the drive is most likely dead. Computers don't post (or not properly) when they have a dead (or failing) hard drive.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 36
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #3

    What options do i have to recover the data from it?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 10
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #4

    You can:
    1-Send the drive to a professional data recovery service (most expensive but most likely to work)

    2-Get an external enclosure, or even a Sata to USB adapter, boot into Windows, and see if it shows up eventually. (less likely to work, doesn't ruin you data, not that expensive) I have recovered quite a few drives this way, as the computer boots up normally and the external drive doesn't affect its performance. I just needed tons of patience until the drives showed up, but it's not guaranteed they will at all. Keep in mind that 3.5" drives require a little extra juice than 2.5" ones, so you need an adapter or enclosure rated for 3.5" drives.

    3- Swap out the drive's PCB and replace it with an exact model PCB. (most risky solution, you can lose all the data on the drive, it requires some tinkering and you can only use the drive once after powering it up, which should be enough to get your data out of it). Also, the PCB can end up costing as much as a new drive, and that's assuming you can even find one for your model.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 36
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Hmm i don't know a lot about hard drives, will a power output for 3.5" still work for a 2.5" ?
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 10
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #6

    It should, as long as the power source is regulated. (an USB port for example)
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 36
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #7
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 10
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #8

    Yes, that should work just fine for 2.5" drives. You may get away with it working with 3.5" drives if you plug it directly to the motherboard and not a front panel USB port, however I don't recommend it. I used to do it frequently but I noticed that newer drives shut themselves off when they don't get enough power, which is why I ended up getting a proper enclosure for 3.5" ones. Having a few enclosures for Hard Drives comes in handy more often than not.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 36
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #9

    How do i know if my drive is 2.5" or 3.5" i presume measuring the outer case is not the right way to know the size internally of the disk?
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 10
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #10

    Well, the hard drives themselves don't really measure that entirely. The size refers to the platter inside which are the ones that store the data.

    A 2.5" drive is the one most commonly used for laptops, game consoles, and other external hard drives because they're thinner. The 3.5" drives are used on desktop computers and servers and are larger.

    https://www.google.com.pr/search?q=h...UIBigB#mhpiv=0

    Here's an example.
      My Computer


 

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