Question Does adding a second storage device need any special software?

Apr 20, 2019
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I was only using a 256 gigabyte ssd from Samsung before, but I recently bought a 480 gigabyte ssd from a small brand. When I booted, the pc didn’t recognize the new ssd. I changed the Serial ATA cables and the power connectors around, but nothing changed. Is this a DOA ssd or just me not knowing that there is some software needed?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
I was only using a 256 gigabyte ssd from Samsung before, but I recently bought a 480 gigabyte ssd from a small brand. When I booted, the pc didn’t recognize the new ssd. I changed the Serial ATA cables and the power connectors around, but nothing changed. Is this a DOA ssd or just me not knowing that there is some software needed?
Does this new drive appear in Disk Management?
 
U can add as much storage as u want as long as there are SATA connectors for them.

While a typical storage device come pre-partitioned and pre-formatted and immediately recognized by Windows, sometimes they do not, so this is where user intervention is required, so sorry this is not easier.

First thing u have to do is, DOES BIOS RECOGNIZE IT? what the dicken that means? You boot into BIOS, don't boot Windows just yet, and one of the BIOS screens u should see ALL of your storage devices. U must see them here else nothing is going to work. Don't see it here, something fundamentally wrong. DOA, bad cable blah-blah.

Once BIOS recognize it, then you boot into Windows normally, and again if God is on your side it's all pre-partition and pre-formatted and Windows automatically assigns it a driver letter. Don't see this, then you have to fire up DISK MANAGEMENT and do the partition and formatting yourself. What the dickens does that means? Gosh we can spend a whole day here holding your hands or you can GOOGLE INITIALIZING STORAGE MEDIA.
 

maximdelaet

Reputable
Oct 31, 2015
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4,510
Since you are talking about SATA for the connection to your SSD, I assume this is a normal SATA interface SSD (there are literally 5 types of SSD I can come up with and all could have different reasons of not being detected straight away by your computer).

Since you replaced one SATA SSD by another and this one is not discovered straight away, it makes most sense to use Windows Disk Management to check if the drive shows up and can be initialized. You can do so using this Microsoft guide.

However, I want to note that in some cases the only way to recognize a (new) disk is upgrading the BIOS, this can especially happen with M.2 interface SSD disks, in that case Windows Disk Management will not help you.