• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Hard drives not showing up in My Computer or Disk Management

D

dredd2929

Senior member
I'm using a Vantec SATA/IDE to USB 2.0 Adapter to go through some old IDE hard drives I had laying around. The plan is to wipe them clean and then through them away. I finished going through two drives, but I ran into an interesting problem.

I'm using a free program called File Shredder v2.0. I deleted all the information on the hard drives like normal, then used File Shredder to "shred" the free space. During this process for one of the drives, the program stopped responding. I had to force the program to close, and was able to properly disconnect the hard drive ("Safely Remove Hardware"). At this point my entire system froze, and I was forced to hit "Reset". Now when I try to reconnect the hard drive using the adapter, everything seems to be detected like normal, but the drives aren't showing up in My Computer OR Disk Management. They do appear in Device Manager though. This is happening with two different drives (I already threw the other away).

My question is: is it possible that File Shredder destroyed the drive's ability to be partitioned, rendering the drive permanently unusable (which would be fine since I was throwing the drive away anyway)?
 
It seems more likely that the enclosure is having problems. The best way to tell is if you remove the HD from the enclosure and then attempt to use the HD Mfg's diagnostic boot disk and do a write zeros pass.
 
I also have a SATA/IDE to USB adapter (a generic one and I don't remember where i bought it) which I am using to do the same thing as you, get data off some old IDE drives. Well, for me the adapter is very flaky. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Sometimes when I connect a drive I can hear that it's spinning but there's no activity and it doesn't show up in My Computer. So I just keep trying, connecting it in different ways like power first then data, or data first then power, or I will chant to the computer gods and twirl around, and eventually the drive will be recognized.

Anyway, it's entirely possible that I have a faulty adapter and this has no relation to your problem. It's also possible that we both have faulty adapters. Or, these adapters may just be flaky in general.

Long story short, I would blame the adapter, not the drives. I bet if you keep trying the drives you will get it to work again.
 
I'll try what you said MORPH. I was just worried that my system got screwed up somehow, but I doubt it. I don't see any other symptoms. After the problem started I tried connecting another drive that I haven't gone through yet, and it had the same problem, which is what got me concerned. But, it could be that the drive was toast to begin with, because it's pretty old. Can you teach me that chant by the way?
 
VirtualLarry: The drive is connect via an IDE to USB adapter, so I don't think a boot disk with help with diagnostics, or will it?
 
Well I fished a hard drive out of the garbage that I had already wiped and thrown away. It connected without any problems, so I think it's just that these two drives are bad.
 
Sometimes when I connect a drive I can hear that it's spinning but there's no activity and it doesn't show up in My Computer.
Click to expand...

I have waited as long as 10 mins. for an IDE drive to be recognized using one of those adaptors.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top