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Fixed: ATA/SATA Hard Drive Not Detected or Recognized in BIOS

This article offers two quick solutions and three reliable methods to assist you in resolving the issue of an undetected or unrecognized ATA or SATA hard drive in BIOS. If your computer fails to detect your hard drive or the BIOS is unable to read or recognize the ATA or SATA hard drive, relax and simply follow the steps outlined below to repair and fix the problem of an ATA/SATA drive not being detected in BIOS.

ATA/SATA Hard Drive Not Detected in BIOS, Assistance Needed!

"Hello there, have you ever encountered an issue where the hard drive suddenly becomes undetectable on your PC? I'm currently facing a problem where my computer fails to recognize the second hard drive installed in my system. My friend assisted me in checking the hard drive through BIOS, but no information about it is displayed. It's quite peculiar. Could it be damaged? What steps can I take? I still need the drive. Do you have any methods to resolve this issue? If you have any solutions, please assist me, thank you."

Are you experiencing a similar issue with your hard drive? If your ATA or SATA hard drive is no longer being recognized by BIOS or your computer, don't worry. Simply follow these quick fixes and effective solutions to resolve the ATA/SATA not detected/recognized in BIOS error and get it to appear in your PC and function again.

Also read: Boot Drive Not Showing Up in BIOS

Quick Fix 1: Connect the ATA/SATA Hard Drive to Another Cable Port

Occasionally, when the hard drive data cable becomes loose, the drive may not be recognized or detected by the PC. In such cases, you can attempt the following two methods to ensure that your ATA or SATA hard drive is detected and readable by your computer immediately: 1. Check and Secure the Data Cable Connection: - Turn off and unplug your computer to ensure safety. - Open the computer case and locate the hard drive. - Gently inspect the data cable connecting the hard drive to the motherboard. Make sure it's properly seated and securely connected on both ends. - If necessary, remove and reinsert the cable to ensure a firm connection. - Close the computer case and power it back on to check if the issue is resolved. 2. Use a Different Data Cable: - If the existing data cable appears damaged or suspect its functionality, replace it with a known good data cable. - Ensure the new cable is compatible with your ATA or SATA hard drive. - Follow the steps mentioned above to connect the new cable securely. - Restart your computer and see if the hard drive is now recognized. If these steps do not resolve the issue, there might be other underlying problems, such as a faulty hard drive, BIOS settings, or driver issues. Further troubleshooting may be required.

1. Reconnect the hard drive to the data cable port, or attach the ATA/SATA hard drive to a new data cable on a different PC; 2. Connect the hard drive to another desktop or laptop as a secondary HDD.

If the computer can read and detect your ATA or SATA hard drive after this, then the problem is solved. If not, don't worry. Try the following solutions to address the issue.

Quick Fix 2: Enable ATA or SATA Hard Drive in BIOS

If your hard drive is a new disk and connected as a secondary drive on your PC, it will not be recognized by the computer until you enable it in the BIOS settings.

Don't worry if your issue remains unresolved. Proceed to follow the next three methods to address your problem immediately.

Method 1: Update Hard Drive Drivers to Enable Detection of ATA/SATA Hard Drive

If the hard drive device drivers are outdated, the computer will be unable to function with the hard drive or read data from it. You can attempt to update the hard drive drivers using one of the following three options:

1. Contact the hard drive manufacturer for assistance and update the hard drive drivers;
2. Download and update the hard drive driver from the manufacturer's website;
3. Manually update the hard drive device drivers in the Windows system;
4. Automatically update device drivers using DriverHandy tool:

This is a professional driver manager that can assist in updating your drivers and automatically scanning for outdated ones. This helps prevent many errors resulting from outdated drivers. Download it now and update your hard drive device drivers.

Step 1. Open the tool DriverHandy and click "Scan."

Click the button to scan

Step 2. Locate the drivers and click "Update."

Method 2: Initializing an ATA/SATA Hard Drive to Make It Recognizable

When a hard drive, especially a new one, fails to initialize, users are unable to install programs or save data on it. If you are unsure how to initialize a hard drive, don't worry. A professional partition manager software - tools Partition Master tool will assist you in getting the job done for free.

You can directly download the software for free and refer to the tutorial article: How to initialize a hard drive/SSD in Windows 10/8/7, which will help make your hard drive detectable in BIOS and on your PC.

Method 3: Check if the Drive is Spinning Up

1. Turn off the PC and open the computer case to disconnect the data cable from the hard drive; 2. Reconnect the drive with the data cable and restart the PC; 3. Observe if the drive is spinning or not; 4. If not, attempt to disconnect and reconnect the power cable on both the computer and hard drive, repeating until the hard drive starts spinning; 5. If it still doesn't work, try repeating these steps using a different, new PC; 6. Alternatively, connect the drive to a SATA-USB enclosure or similar device; 7. Or, obtain a warranty replacement from the hard drive manufacturer to test if it functions properly.

Additional Tip: Format an ATA/SATA Hard Drive to Make It Functional for Data Storage

If you're still unable to use an ATA or SATA hard drive for data storage, you can format the hard drive on your PC to make it functional for data saving:

1. Access the Disk Management tool by right-clicking "This PC/My Computer" and selecting "Manage"; 2. In the Device Manager, click on Disk Management, then right-click on the ATA or SATA hard drive partitions and choose "Format volume" or "Delete volume" to reset the hard drive for data storage once more.