Question HDD spins, BIOS reads HDD, but windows/disk manager doesn't?

TryingtoFix · Wednesday at 10:48 PM

4tb seagate baracuda.

After my pc stopped working, maybe due to a bad PSU, bad motherboard, I don't know, I got my hard drives all removed and my two SSDs seem fine, but my 4tb Seagate baracuda HDD, no windows installed on it just a secondary internal hard drive, the one with lots of important files on it, spins up when plugged into another PC directly, it shows correct storage in bios, but not windows/file explorer, like, AT ALL. Not "unknown", not "not initialized" ... nothing. Doesn't show in device manager either, its like it literally does not exist.

The drive showed NO signs of slowing down or death before this. It still spins just fine, no clicking, seems completely and utterly fine

I have no earthly idea what went wrong with my PC which makes this so frustrating. Its definitely not the data cable because another HDD works just fine when plugged into another PC, but this hard drive is a ghost!

It spins, BIOS reads it, but in windows it might as well not exist.

What could possibly cause a drive to spin, be read in bios, but basically not exist as far as windows is concerned? Ive used this Hard drive for 2.5 years with zero issues.

Lutfij · Wednesday at 10:55 PM

Not "unknown", not "not initialized" ... nothing. Doesn't show in device manager either, its like it literally does not exist.
Chances are the PCB/controller/a fuse on the HDD went out. I wouldn't mess with it and try and look for a professional data recovery specialist in your locality.

What could possibly cause a drive to spin, be read in bios, but basically not exist as far as windows is concerned?
Part of the drive is receiving power, is my guess.

TryingtoFix · Wednesday at 11:16 PM

Lutfij said:
Not "unknown", not "not initialized" ... nothing. Doesn't show in device manager either, its like it literally does not exist.
Chances are the PCB/controller/a fuse on the HDD went out. I wouldn't mess with it and try and look for a professional data recovery specialist in your locality.

What could possibly cause a drive to spin, be read in bios, but basically not exist as far as windows is concerned?
Part of the drive is receiving power, is my guess.

Wouldnt a PCB issue manifest in the drive not even spinning at all?

It spins, bios even reads it, but windows doesn't detect it whatsoever

Edit: nevermind, missed your second part

fzabkar · 2024-09-26T01:30:54-0400

How does BIOS detect the drive? Does it report the correct capacity and model number?

TryingtoFix · 2024-09-26T07:48:35-0400

fzabkar said:
How does BIOS detect the drive? Does it report the correct capacity and model number?

Yes! it shows up as completely normal in BIOS, correct model, capacity number etc.

Where is this information stored on a hard drive? In a BIOS chip?

SkyNetRising · 2024-09-26T08:12:11-0400

TryingtoFix said:
Yes! it shows up as completely normal in BIOS, correct model, capacity number etc.

Please show BIOS screenshots.
Also screenshots from

Disk Management,

Device Manager - disk drives and storage controllers sections expanded and

Windows Storage Spaces (Control Panel/Storage Spaces)

(upload to imgur.com and post link)

TryingtoFix · 2024-09-26T08:28:36-0400

SkyNetRising said:
Please show BIOS screenshots.
Also screenshots from

Disk Management,
Device Manager - disk drives and storage controllers sections expanded and
Windows Storage Spaces (Control Panel/Storage Spaces)

(upload to imgur.com and post link)

Unfortunately, I dont have any at this moment but want to provide them soon.

But basically, it shows up in bios completely normally (4 tb, model name)

But in windows, nothing, absolutely nothing, as if it were not even plugged in

TryingtoFix · 2024-09-26T11:14:17-0400

Update: Just called a data recovery pro, seems to be a firmware issue caused by bad sectors, recovery will depend on what firmware was targeted, I hope for the best

USAFRet · 2024-09-26T11:16:23-0400

TryingtoFix said:
the one with lots of important files on it

Whether the data recovery works or not, please take this as a wakeup to institute a good backup plan.

Your data should never be impacted by a failed drive.

TryingtoFix · 2024-09-26T11:16:58-0400

USAFRet said:
Whether the data recovery works or not, please take this as a wakeup to institute a good backup plan.

Your data should never be impacted by a failed drive.

absolutely

fzabkar · 2024-09-26T15:35:38-0400

TryingtoFix said:
Yes! it shows up as completely normal in BIOS, correct model, capacity number etc.

Where is this information stored on a hard drive? In a BIOS chip?

The identity information for Seagate HDDs is usually stored in the reserved System Area on the platters.

TryingtoFix · 2024-09-26T15:53:38-0400

fzabkar said:
The identity information for Seagate HDDs is usually stored in the reserved System Area on the platters.

sounds like good news, means the heads are fine and reading

fzabkar · 2024-09-26T16:03:46-0400

TryingtoFix said:
sounds like good news, means the heads are fine and reading

Hopefully the data recovery will be non-invasive.

TryingtoFix · 2024-09-26T16:17:03-0400

fzabkar said:
Hopefully the data recovery will be non-invasive.

hopefully, I heard this could be caused by bad sectors on the platter, its a new drive so I doubt it degraded much, but maybe whatever killed my PC caused the HDD to develop some bad sectors?

USAFRet · 2024-09-26T16:20:01-0400

TryingtoFix said:
hopefully, I heard this could be caused by bad sectors on the platter, its a new drive so I doubt it degraded much, but maybe whatever killed my PC caused the HDD to develop some bad sectors?

Being a "new drive" is irrelevant.

I had a 7 month old Toshiba Enterprise generate 14k+ bad sectors in about a week.
A 5 week old WD die over a 36 hour period.

TryingtoFix · 2024-09-26T16:21:24-0400

USAFRet said:
Being a "new drive" is irrelevant.

I had a 7 month old Toshiba Enterprise generate 14k+ bad sectors in about a week.
A 5 week old WD die over a 36 hour period.

man thats scary

USAFRet · 2024-09-26T16:24:17-0400

TryingtoFix said:
man thats scary

It happens. And that is what the warranty is for.

Warranty replaces the physical drive, backups safeguard your data.

TryingtoFix · 2024-09-26T16:27:51-0400

USAFRet said:
It happens. And that is what the warranty is for.

Warranty replaces the physical drive, backups safeguard your data.

yeah. How sad it would be if its unrecoverable... I was going to back it up the day before my PC failed but got busy and pushed it back a day

Always do em asap

steveb1976 · 2024-09-26T21:28:16-0400

have you clicked on "this pc" , then "more options", then click manage" when "computer management" page pops up click on ""disk management" (understorage option)..
if it shows there but as "offline" click it and select "online" if its not there click "ACTION" (at top of screen) then "rescan"

this should make it show up and working ( you might have to allocate it a "drive designation"..

TryingtoFix · 2024-09-26T21:55:53-0400

steveb1976 said:
have you clicked on "this pc" , then "more options", then click manage" when "computer management" page pops up click on ""disk management" (understorage option)..
if it shows there but as "offline" click it and select "online" if its not there click "ACTION" (at top of screen) then "rescan"

this should make it show up and working ( you might have to allocate it a "drive designation"..

The disk did not appear in disk management whatsoever

my main theory is some sort of firmware issue atm, so I sent it to data recovery, I will keep this thread posted on if its successful

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Question HDD spins, BIOS reads HDD, but windows/disk manager doesn't?

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