Hard Drive Not Detected

[stinkytofu3]

I have a Hitachi Deskstar HDS722516VLAT80 hard drive (160GB), and the bios does not detect the drive at all. I've made sure my jumper settings are all correct, but the drive is still not detected. It might be that I accidentally deleted the system files on that disk, but even if I did, shouldn't it still detect?

I also found a site where I can get all the files. http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm
The problem is that I do not know which file to download. I need the tool that helps make my hard drive work.

I am also absolutely sure that my hard drive is not physically damaged. Before the hard drive had the detection problem, it had worked perfectly, but I probably modified some of the system files on the hard drive accidentally.

Before the problem, I remembered that the total capacity of my hard drive was 127/128GB, even though it is a 160GB hard drive. I am assuming that my bios or system cannot detect hard drives over 128+GB, so maybe that is why my hard drive does not detect. Maybe that is the problem.

If anyone has any ideas to get the hard drive to work, please help! I have no ideas as to how to fix it.
If it is easier to help me on AIM and if you have some questions that you want to ask, I am online on AIM (sn: stinkytofu3) (I am invisible)

Thanks

[Ob1]

if you cant see the drive in the bios then you have something connected wrong. deleting files off of the drive would not do anything as far as not seeing it in the bios. put the drive on its own ide channel and jumper it to cable select, and then go back into the bios to see if you can see it. try a different ide cable also.

are you running xp? if so do you have any service packs installed? if not, then install service pack 2 and then you should be able to see the remaining space on your drive. just right click on my computer and choose manage, then disk management. next you will see some unallocated space showing, just right click and make it a partition, then format it.

[stinkytofu3]

thx for the quick reply..

Uhh...i just tried everything you suggested, but my hard drive is still not detected by the bios. i've tried switching cables as well, which didn't work either.

I should have mentioned, the files that I deleted were system files (i went to control panel...and...checked the boxes that let every file show..and...disabled the hiding system files..so everything shows on the drive...recycler,..blah blah blah)..i deleted some of the system files from that. I am actually upgrading from a 30gig hard drive to a 160gig. the 30 gig detects fine, but the 160 doesnt. The 30 gig hdd is the one im running the computer on...and..it has sp2 installed. The 160gig hdd has NOTHING on it..and i deleted the config files that were hidden.

Maybe my hard drive's broken, but I highly doubt is, because before I messed w/ the system files, it worked.

[glc]

If the bios does not see the drive, it's not a software issue, it's a motherboard issue, cable issue, or drive issue.

[stinkytofu3]

Uhhhhhhh...no luck getting the hard drive to work.

I tried switching cable, changing jumper settings, trying on a different computer, etc. I know it's not a motherboard or cable problem, because I unplugged the drive, and plugged it to a different drive and it worked fine. When I stuck the drive into my external closure drive kit, the drive did not detect.

Now I know it's the hard drive problem, but I am not sure whether it's physically broken forever, or just not formatted and no configuration on the drive.

Does anyone think I can use one of the tools from the hitachi website, and try to fix the drive by bootup?

[tempus]

try formatting it and see what happens. maybe the hitachi software will let you do the format.

[Ob1]

tempus - you cant format a drive if its not being detected in the bios or windows for that matter.

if you have tried another drive on that ide cable with it jumpered correctly and it can be seen in the bios and or windows then you have a dead hard drive. if it originally came with the pc then contact the pc manufacturer to see if you can get it RMA. If you bought it at a store or online, contact hitachi to get the drive RMA.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by stinkytofu3 Now I know it's the hard drive problem, but I am not sure whether it's physically broken forever, or just not formatted and no configuration on the drive. Does anyone think I can use one of the tools from the hitachi website, and try to fix the drive by bootup?

Nope. If the hard drive isn't detected by the BIOS and everything else is working properly, the hard drive is dead.

Cricket

[tempus]

Originally Posted by Ob1 tempus - you cant format a drive if its not being detected in the bios or windows for that matter. if you have tried another drive on that ide cable with it jumpered correctly and it can be seen in the bios and or windows then you have a dead hard drive. if it originally came with the pc then contact the pc manufacturer to see if you can get it RMA. If you bought it at a store or online, contact hitachi to get the drive RMA.

i don't think that is true. I have done it with a seagate drive that was not detected in the bios. I used their software and it worked.

[glc]

Are you sure it wasn't detected, tempus? If you had it on a 3rd party controller (Silicon Image, Promise, Highpoint, etc.), it may not be seen in the main system bios, it's controlled by the "addon" bios.

[FantasySoul]

Pluggin into other computer and it still not detected?Well I doubt it was "near to the death"status.I got a Fujitsu HD long ago,work fine until 1 day it says system files not found in boot up.Reattaching it and it works then another boot up shows the msg again...This time no luck.It's really dead coz no matter how I attach it it will not boot again as well as in bios.But like 1% chance it will detect it.For ur new 160gb HD i think is time for warranty.