The computer does not see the hdd what to do. How to restore visibility of your hard drive in Windows. Bios doesn't see hard drive

What to do if the computer does not see the hard drive?

What to do if after purchase, the computer does not see the hard drive? Or when he stops seeing a system component that previously worked normally? We will analyze all the problems and options for solving them.

Why doesn't my computer see my hard drive?

Read also:TOP 6 Ways to completely clear hard drive “C” of unnecessary files on Windows 7/10

Hard drive elements

It happens that not only a new element causes problems, but also the old one, which was working all the time, simply shows no signs of life, and the system cannot boot.

There are only five main reasons for this situation:

1. The problem occurs due to faulty wires/cables with which the hard drive was connected
2. The power supply or case cooling does not do its job well
3. The drive was connected to the PC for the first time
4. The BIOS is faulty or incorrectly configured
5. The disk has been subjected to shock or any other physical impact

In any case, the component does not work, and before going to the workshop, you can try to cope on your own.

All breakdowns are arranged in the correct order, in increasing order of difficulty of repair. So usually it doesn’t come to the last points.

But if it comes to the point that the above methods do not help, or you are seeing a computer for the first time in your life, you should not try to fix everything yourself, but rather turn to a knowledgeable person.

Damage to wires or connection slots

The computer may not see the hard drive because the operating rules have been violated, or the wires have simply become unusable. This is especially true for external SSD drives. For this type of memory, everything is simple - you need to check the USB cable on another device, and if it works, then move on.

The second way to fix this type of breakdown is connect the SATA cable to another slot on the motherboard. Usually there are around 4 of them, and reconnecting them eliminates the breakdown.

Perform all work with wires and drives with the PC completely turned off. Otherwise, there is a chance of serious damage to the internal elements of the system.

Beginners in this business may not connect some connectors tightly enough, or simply connect them incorrectly. You should check all inputs and insert the necessary wires more tightly. See if there are any unconnected elements, and if there are any, connect them.

Insufficient power supply

Read also:TOP 12 Best power supplies for your computer | Review of current models in 2019

Liquid cooling system

When connecting many elements to the system, there is a chance that the energy flow from the power supply will be distributed so much that it will not be enough to maintain the system’s functionality. Such an error can be analyzed and identified by listening to the operation of the computer when it is turned on.

When the user hears the buzzing and clicking of the power supply cycle changing, it means that the computer does not have enough power and it is necessary to replace this part with a newer one.

It also happens that the hard drive turns off due to simple overheating, when the standard cooling of the system cannot cope with the load imposed on it. Most often, such a breakdown is common among laptop users. The solution is quite simple, in the case of a PC - buy a more powerful cooling, and in the case of a laptop - a special cooling platform.

If a breakdown occurred at the workplace, then it is worth calling the system administrator to fix it.

The disk is connected for the first time

Read also:

Drive letter change menu

There is a problem when an SSD or HDD drive is connected to the computer for the first time, the system sees it, but it does not appear in the list for use. In this case, you need to work a little and perform a number of simple steps:

1 Press the Windows key and the English letter R at the same time. In the window that appears, enter compmgmt.msc and click “Run”

2 Find the item on the left side of the window that opens “Disk Management”, and select it

3 A list will open containing all drives connected to the system, even the problematic one

4 Click on the desired one and select the item “Change drive letter or path”

5 Change the letter to the required one, following the prompts on the screen

If an error occurs in the third step and the system does not show the required hard drive. You need to go to the Internet and download a third-party program with similar functionality, and repeat all the steps through it.

Be careful when downloading and installing suspicious software. Install only those files that you received from the developer’s website or from a trusted source.

When buying a computer, few users ask themselves how much hard drive capacity they need; they cannot predict in advance which files and how large they will be stored on the computer. Over time, the PC turns into a “file dump”. It’s a pity to delete everything, but in reality there’s not much that’s needed. However, during work or for certain needs, additional amounts of disk space are needed, which can be expanded by connecting an additional HDD or SSD drive.

Why do you need a second hard drive?

Often users want to separate the operating system, programs and user personal files. In addition, installing the system and programs on a separate fast (albeit not so capacious) SSD disk or HDD can significantly speed up system loading, improve responsiveness and increase productivity. Saving time is a significant factor.

How to connect an additional disk drive?

Any computer, even an ancient one, has the ability to connect several disks at the same time. All modern computers support the installation of drives with SATA1, SATA2, SATA3 interfaces. If your motherboard has a SATA2 interface, and the hard drive meets SATA3 specifications, then connection is possible (compatibility in connectors and signals), but the maximum performance of the drive will be limited by the motherboard interface, that is, the data exchange speed will not be higher than in SATA2.

To install an additional hard drive, you need to connect 2 connectors - power and data. All operations must be carried out with the power completely turned off. After installing the second disk and starting the computer, the new disk will be initialized, and then it will need to be formatted and partitioned (or left 1 partition). However, the additional hard drive does not always start working. Why?

Why doesn't the computer see the second hard drive?

There may be several reasons for this phenomenon. These are software or hardware failures of the equipment, lack of drivers, outdated operating system, incorrect connection and setting of HDD operating parameters.

The old computer does not see the second hard drive.

For older computers where the connection is via the IDE interface, all disk drives have jumpers to set the disk operating mode - Master (main, primary master), Slave (secondary, additional, slave). In this case, for the first one (for the old disk from which the operating system boots), you need to set the jumper to Master mode, and for the new one - to Slave mode. If 2 drives are connected with one data cable, then the Master drive should be closer to the motherboard (by connector) than the new drive.

The new computer does not see the SSD

For modern computers with SATA interfaces, the new drive may not be visible in cases where you connect an SSD drive. SSDs have built-in controllers that are not always compatible with the controllers installed on the motherboard. If the disk is not detected, you can connect it to another SATA connector on the motherboard (if it has several different controllers). Also, the new HDD may not be visible due to the incorrectly set operating mode of the hard drive controller. This mode is configured in the BIOS menu of the motherboard. For each BIOS manufacturer and motherboard model, the available operating modes and their names may differ.

The computer does not see the new HDD. How to fix it?

To correct the situation when the computer does not see the second hard drive, you should check the BIOS settings, connect the drive to a different data connector and power connector. If this does not help, then other methods will come in handy.

Most often, all equipment is in good working order and correctly configured, there are just a few points that you should not forget about. The new hard drive may not have a letter assigned or may not be formatted. The computer sees the disk at the stage of testing and loading to the operating system (white letters on a black background when the PC is turned on), but there is no new disk in Windows Explorer. This happens often. In a Windows system it is very easy to fix even without using additional programs.

We format the new disk and assign it a letter - Windows 7

We go to START. Right-click on “My Computer” and select the “Manage” context menu item.

Next, go to the Disk Management section. A list of drives connected to the computer will be displayed. Each drive will be displayed by partition with corresponding letters. If the disk is new, then there is a 99% chance that it is simply not formatted.

After successful completion of the operation, the option to create a partition on a new disk will be available.

This operation can also be performed using specialized software tools for working with HDDs and SSDs - Acronis Disk Director, Paragon Partition Manager and others.

In most cases, the information above will help solve the problem of the computer not recognizing the new hard drive. If this does not help, the best solution would be to contact a specialist who will find out and eliminate the cause.

Good day everyone, dear readers! In this article I will try to explain why the BIOS does not see the hard drive - as well as ways to solve this problem, I will tell you in my article.

This problem, when the hard drive is not detected by the computer, is the most common. It occurs on both old and new computers. This also happens with new and old, external and built-in HDDs.

First, of course, you need to find out the cause of this problem. Sometimes users can solve everything on their own and get things working with Windows and the laptop’s hard drive.

Why can't my computer see my hard drive?

Let me note right away that there are several reasons why a hard drive refuses to perform its functions. These reasons include:

1. For the first time, a new sata or ide drive was connected;
2. There were problems with the cable or wires;
3. Perhaps the BIOS is not configured correctly or is completely out of order;
4. Weak power supply;
5. Low cooling system;
6. The hard drive itself has failed.

Yes, you need to diagnose it, and only then solve the problem. Let's say that an inexperienced user will probably have some difficulties with this. Let me help you, and together we will figure out what and how.

First connection of the hard drive

If this is your first time connecting a screw, then most likely the system simply did not see it. Yes, physically it is in working condition, but it is not displayed among local disks.

In order to fix this problem, you need to press Win and R on your keyboard, write compmgmt.msc and select “Ok”.

Find and select "Disk Management".

In the window that appears in the middle, all your connected drives will be identified, including your problematic hard drive. As a rule, it is such because the assigned letter is incorrect.

Find the required drive and right-click on it, and then select “Change drive letter or drive path...”.

A window will open in which you will have to click on the “Change” button.

Now select the desired letter and select "OK".

Invalid format

For normal functioning of the disk in Windows, the NTFS format is required.

Just as in the instructions above, go to “Disk Management”, that is, repeat the previous first two steps. After that, right-click on the disk and select “Format”.

Select the file system – NTFS, and click “OK”.

BIOS does not see the hard drive - setting

In some cases, the BIOS may set the wrong priority for boot devices. When booting the PC, press F2 (or Del). Which key needs to be pressed will be indicated when the PC starts. By pressing the desired key, you will enter the BIOS.

Please note that due to differences in BIOS versions, the names of menu items here and below may differ slightly.

Find the "Boot" tab. Use the arrows to control. In the list of boot devices, set your HDD to first place (1st Boot Priority/First Boot Device).

Press F10 to save and exit and then press Y to confirm. After this, the PC will boot from the device you set.

SATA operating mode

Often, users do not have an operating mode in their BIOS that is compatible with the IDE. To make the change, you need to go into the BIOS, select Main, Advanced or Integrated Peripherals and find the SATA Operation, Configure SATA As, or OnChip SATA Type setting.

Select IDE or Native IDE, press F10 and enter Y.

BIOS does not show hard drive

If the BIOS cannot detect your hard drive, then most likely it is due to incorrect settings or failures.

Incorrect settings appear due to user actions, and failure can occur for various reasons. So, starting from power outages and ending even with system infection. The system date may indicate this - if it is not accurate, then you have undoubtedly experienced a failure. To fix this problem, you need to reset all settings.

Find the Clear CMOS jumper on the motherboard.

Change the jumper from contacts 1-2 to 2-3, hold them for 20-30 seconds and then return them to their original position. Besides, there is another way. Find the motherboard in the system unit and remove the battery from it.

You will need to return it back in 25-30 minutes.

Conclusion

Now you know what to do if the BIOS does not see the hard drive. I hope you were able to solve your problem, thank you all for your attention, and don’t forget to ask any questions in the comments!

Question from a user

Hello.

Not long ago I bought a new computer (I ordered it with 2 hard drives). In order not to pay for installing Windows, I decided to do it myself, everything seems to work. But I go to “My Computer” and see only one drive (“C:\”) on which the system itself is installed, and the second is not there. Is it not working, or am I missing something?

By the way, when installing the system I saw two disks that could be selected for Windows. It's strange somehow...

Michael (note: contacts are worn out)

Good day!

If you were able to select both disks for Windows when installing it, then the disk is probably now invisible in Explorer due to the fact that it is not formatted (this happens all the time with new PCs/disks). As a rule, it is enough to open the special. utility in Windows "disk management" (or third-party analogues) and format it.

Below in the article I will show you how to do this step by step, and also give a number of other reasons. So...

The drive is not formatted

The most common reason: Explorer simply does not display an unformatted drive that it cannot recognize (and to which you, in principle, cannot write anything yet) . To view all “visible” and “invisible” drives connected to the computer by Explorer, you need to run the utility "disk management" .

To open it:

1. press a combination of buttons Win+R;
2. enter the command diskmgmt.msc to line "Open" ;
3. click OK (screenshot below).

Screenshot: How to open Disk Management

Next, you will see a list of drives: usually new drives are marked “black” (as an unallocated area, see the screenshot below). To bring them into a “working” state: right-click on the unallocated area and select from the menu "Create Simple Volume" .

Note!

If your drive is not displayed in Disk Management, I recommend that you see if the PC was able to detect it at all. More details about this in the article below.

By the way, the created volume must be format (when formatting, most often the NTFS file system is chosen. You can see the difference between file systems).

Important! Formatting will delete all data on the drive.

Disk management - format the drive

I note that after formatting the disk becomes visible in “My Computer” (“This Computer”).

ADDITION!

In addition to the standard Disk Management utility in Windows, you can use special programs for working with hard drives. For example, AOMEI Partition Assistant, Acronis Disk Director, MiniTool Partition Wizard, etc. They are also capable of “displaying” all disks connected to the PC and formatting them.

Drive letter conflict

By default, Windows automatically assigns a specific letter to all connected drives, say, “Drive D:\” or “Drive E:\”, etc. But sometimes it happens that there is an “overlap” and the letters match (for example, the hard drive letter may match some) . Because of this, it is possible that your drive will not appear (even if it is formatted).

To fix this, simply manually change the assigned drive letter. To do this you need to open "Disk Management" (a little higher in the article it is described how this is done) and right-click on the disk name, for example, "Local D"(see example below) - select from the menu "Change drive letter or path..." .

After changes, restart your PC.

Is the hard drive visible in BIOS/UEFI?

It also happens that the disk is not visible anywhere: neither in Explorer, nor in “My Computer,” nor in “disk management,” nor in any special settings. programs for formatting drives.

In this case, you must first make sure whether the drive is visible in BIOS|UEFI. It's just that if it doesn't appear in the BIOS, then you won't see it in any Windows program...

Help!

If you don’t know how to enter BIOS/UEFI, then here is a short instruction on this topic:

In addition, usually when purchasing a laptop/PC, it comes with technical support. documentation (it also shows how to enter the BIOS and configure it).

In most cases, in modern BIOS versions information on drives is immediately visible (you don’t even need to open any partitions). See if the disk model, its capacity, and serial number are displayed.

Is the disk visible in UEFI (its model, size, etc.). In the screenshot the arrow shows the hard drive (Storage) - its model has been determined, i.e. the disk is “detected” (clickable)

What to check first

If the disk model is not defined in the BIOS (or it is not visible at all that the disk is connected), then going to Windows and trying to configure it is pointless. Most often, the problem lies in the hardware.

Outgoing contacts

First, turn off the computer and check all cables and disk contacts. The most common cause of "invisibility": poor contact between the contact tracks of the disk and the cable.

By the way, if you have a used disc, take a closer look at these “tracks” to see if they are covered with dust or have become acidic. It is advisable to carefully clean them with an eraser (eraser, see screenshot below).

If you have a PC (and not a laptop, where there is no “choice”), try connecting the drive to other cables (often, when one of the cables is “loose” and does not provide a reliable connection).

Lack of nutrition

Another very common problem when connecting a second/third drive to the system is lack of power. Typical office system units suffer more from this, in which, for the sake of economy, inexpensive low-power power supplies are installed. As a result, when an additional drive is connected to the system, there may simply not be enough power for it.

How to recognize/define this?

1. monitor the operation of the disk (a characteristic feature of this operation): if there is a lack of power, the disk can be detected normally, but as soon as data begins to be written to it, an error occurs and it “disappears”, becomes invisible (after a while it may “appear” again).
2. you can try running the HWMonitor utility and look at the voltage surges under load: if there are “dips” of 5%-7% (or more) - the power supply is clearly not coping;
3. the easiest way: use a special device to connect the disk to a USB port (they are simply called BOX for HDD). Moreover, BOX can be of different configurations (with and without power supply): You need one that has its own power supply! If a disk with a power supply works normally, but without it it constantly “disappears” - there is a problem with the power supply.

Try connecting the drive to USB/another PC

The easiest way to check the operation of the disk (as already recommended above) is to use special. BOX. With its help, you can connect the disk to a regular USB and see how it works.

Pay attention to the BOX design: there is nothing complicated about it. As a rule, all you need to do is insert a disk into a box with a compartment, close it, connect the disk to USB and the power adapter using cables, and turn it on.

Where can I buy such a thing? In any computer store. If you're not in a hurry, you can order for pennies in Chinese online stores:

BOX for connecting the drive to a laptop/PC

You can also use another PC/laptop to recheck the disk.

Help!

How to connect a hard drive from a laptop to a computer -

Disk hardware failure

If no tricks allow you to “see” the disk, it is possible that it has simply become unusable. By the way, there are statistics that 0.1% -0.3% of disks are damaged and become unusable during “long” transportation (especially in our country, where it is not uncommon for boxes with drives to be thrown and abandoned during unloading) . Add to this a possible manufacturing defect... Therefore, even a relatively new disk can fail, and this is not all that surprising...

If the drive is under warranty, just replace it. By the way, if you are dealing with an external HDD, do not rush to throw it away. The fact is that you can try to restore some of them: and this can often be done at home. I provide a link to the article below.

External hard drive repair at home // attempt to restore functionality -

For additions on the topic - a separate merci...

That's all for now, good luck!

This article will help you understand what to do when the computer does not see the disk. Perhaps it will give you an idea of ​​​​things that you did not know about, but “heard”. The main thing is that it will help you take concrete steps towards solving the problem or protect you from rash actions. To ensure this is the case, please do not try to treat this text as a step-by-step instruction. First, read the entire article, think about it, and only THEN start (or don’t start) acting.

1. How it happens

1.1. Alarm messages

– often this is the message that users see when they decide that their computer “does not see the disk.” Depending on the platform and type of equipment (computer, laptop or some kind of multimedia device), other alarm messages are possible: “ Correct hard disk not found», « WARNING! HARD DISK NOT FOUND! PRESS ANY KEY TO CONTINUE!», « Internal hard disk drive not found», « Hard Disk Drive Failure», « …did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer"and so on. There is no point in listing everything. Their essence is clear - the computer does not see the disk. In addition to HDD, we can also talk about CD/DVD, flash media or ssd. But in the first part of this article we will dwell in detail on the hard drive, as a more widespread source of problems.

1.2. The hard drive may not be visible in the BIOS

If this is the only disk in this computer from which the operating system must boot, then you will probably see the following message on a black screen: .

Logical. Since the disk is not detected in the BIOS, it is impossible to boot from it.

If you boot from another device (another HDD, CD or flash, it doesn’t matter), then in the Computer Management -> Device Manager menu (depending on the version of the operating system this may look different) among the disks the disk we need is not defined.

In both of these cases, by going to the menu " Standard CMOS Features» BIOS‘And you can make sure that the disk you are looking for is not among the detected devices.

1.3. List of suspects and search for the culprit

So, the following may be suspect: power and data cables, the motherboard and the HDD itself. Connect the hard drive to other free cables to eliminate the first suspects.

Then, if you have another hard drive that you know is good, plug it in in place of the problem one to make sure it's not the motherboard. If there is none, then you can connect the disk itself to another computer and see that the picture is the same.

Naturally, this article is not addressed to specialists in data recovery or computer setup and repair. And if you have read this far, I dare to assume that you are not a specialist of this kind. Therefore, I will not describe possible ways to further study your drive by measuring the resistance on various parts of the electronics board with a tester or connecting the drive to special software and hardware systems, like the PC-3000. But on the other hand, for some reason I want to believe that smoke and a pungent smell, rhythmic tapping, grinding or other extraneous manifestations from the system unit or laptop would have long since seemed suspicious to you, and you immediately turned off the computer’s power. Thus, if any of the above occurred, then all the diagnostic steps described above are irrelevant. Your disk is faulty. And you yourself already understood this. It is worth noting that in this case you are probably dealing with a malfunction of the electronics or mechanics of the disk.

In this case, you should not perform unconscious actions: once again supply power to the disk, try to test it with some programs, disassemble it to find out what’s inside, unscrew and change the board, and so on. Stop and think carefully about your main goal. It is important to understand what scares you most in the current situation: the need to spend money on a new hard drive or the lack of access to important data. If you suddenly had to choose: a working disk, but without data, or data from this disk on another medium (yes, unfortunately, you will have to buy it). Which would you choose? Of course, one may not exclude the other, but you still need to ask yourself this question. The answer to it will help you understand what is important to you and what is secondary. And which part of this article will be more useful to you.

1.4. The system does not see the disk

It happens that the disk is detected in the BIOS, but not in Windows. More precisely, Windows cannot work correctly with this disk (or flash drive). For example, in the device manager you can see quite peaceful:

But if you look at the properties of this flash drive in this case, right-click on it and select the appropriate item in the drop-down menu, you will see:

And in the disk manager there is such a strange picture:

The OS does not see any properties of this disk, including its size. You may have suspected something was wrong when you saw that your E: and F: drives had disappeared from the system, namely these letters were assigned to the partitions of the hard drive that you connected second. Well, if the partitions of such a disk are not assigned letters when it is connected second, then it’s easy to guess what will happen if you try to boot from it. That's right, nothing will happen. The OS will not boot, and you will read one of the inscriptions listed at the very beginning of the article on a black screen. It is likely that this drive has problems with service information - firmware that was hardwired at the factory. Without it, the disk can be considered faulty, even if you saw that it was found in the BIOS. The same diagnosis can be made in almost all cases when the disk outwardly behaves as if it is fully working (that is, it is not silent, but spins up correctly and unparks the heads and does not make any extraneous sounds), but is not detected in the BIOS.

1.5. The system does not boot or slows down

Another situation is also possible. The disk is visible in the BIOS, but the system boots from it extremely slowly or does not boot at all. Moreover, even if such a disk is connected as a second one, even in this case Windows refuses to boot within a reasonable time. Sometimes, if in this case you listen to how the disk behaves, you can understand how it unsuccessfully tries to count the sectors it needs. And if Windows manages to boot, then with any movement it slows down terribly or freezes. The simplest operation of copying a small folder with data can turn into flour or lead to a nervous breakdown. There are probably bad blocks on this disk. And to tell the truth, trying to boot to it, much less from it, is harmful to this drive, especially to the data that is stored on it.

1.6. Logical drive not visible

Sometimes the user says that his computer does not see the disk even in situations where physically there is nothing wrong with the disk. As a device it is completely functional. It’s just that suddenly, when accessing familiar sections, inscriptions like “ The disk is not formatted. Should I format it?»

Or the disk began to be seen as an unallocated area. Sometimes such problems can be the result of bad blocks that have arisen unnoticed (not everything is in order with such a disk), but more often than not, some kind of program malfunction or a virus is to blame. The main thing in such a situation is not to do too much. It’s paradoxical, but it is precisely in such simple cases, when the disk is working, that users are most tempted to do at least something themselves, using available tools. The most common nonsense (Attention: none of the listed operations helps to return data!!!) - initialization, deleting partitions and creating new ones, full or quick formatting. And it’s really strange when this is done to save data. Allegedly, these are some kind of recovery programs that “force you to format the disk before using them.” It is likely that restoration in such cases will go to the same section, which is prohibited by all earthly laws.

2. What to do?

I will try to help you understand this issue. After all, people often don’t quite understand what they want. They were just scared. They pressed some buttons in some windows with some messages. The messages disappeared and were never read. Some processes have gone through. Has it gotten better or worse? How is it better?

2.1. We decide on the goals: repair or restoration

To ensure that your actions are conscious and do not cause you harm, let's first decide what your goal is. You have to choose - data recovery or repair. Yes, exactly CHOOSE. And I have to write about this because it has been explained orally thousands of times. However, “Do you repair disks?” - one of the most popular questions. At the same time, people most often want to know something other than what they are asking. You have to “choose” because restoration and repair are not at all the same thing. What's the difference? In order of priorities. I propose that data safety and disk performance be considered two possible goals.

Then data recovery- this is a sequence of actions aimed at returning access to data from a problem disk by saving it on a known good (easily accessible to the user) medium. In this case, the subsequent operating state of the “problem” disk is a possible, but not necessary, side consequence of these actions.

HDD repair- this is bringing the disk into working condition. Recovering lost access to data is also just possible, But optional, side effect.

We often have to participate in such dialogues:
- Do you repair disks?
- Are you interested in repairs or data recovery?
- The data is fine. My disk is broken. Will you help?
- Repair the disk - this means that you receive a working CLEAN, WITHOUT DATA, disk. Are you interested in this option?
- No! I need data too!
- This kind of “repair” of the disk, in which the data is saved, is called data recovery. In this case, the data is transmitted on a known good medium.
- Fine. So I need data recovery.

This is how difficult it can be to figure out your goals. And anyone who, without doing this, starts calling potential saviors risks participating in such nonsense:
- Do you repair hard drives?
- No.

Incredible but true! This dialogue, useless for both sides, has already taken place thousands of times. And it will happen many times in the future. (Depends where to call:)

I am sure that now you have clearly figured out what is more important to you.

2.2. If the goal is to repair the hard drive

I think you already understand how I feel about hard drive repair. I don’t care at all. I consider this a pointless exercise, namely a waste of time and money with the risk of subsequent even greater costs. I'm ready to explain. The cost of modern HDDs is so insignificant that repairs are simply unprofitable. Hard drives, unlike a car, are designed from the outset to be more cost-effective to manufacture with no plans for subsequent “maintenance” or repairs. They are riveted on machines in thousands of pieces. In terms of one disk, this is very cheap. And then it will become cheaper and cheaper. As for repairs, this must be the work of a highly qualified specialist with time costs from several minutes to several hours or days, CPU time, loading equipment worth tens or hundreds of thousands of rubles, using expensive or rare spare parts. How much could such work cost? Soooo, we need to think about it... At the same time, you need to fit in 1800 rubles - the cost of a new disk - an analogue of the one being repaired. And be prepared to repeat this work in the event of a warranty claim. No, I don’t even want to think about it. It’s strange that from time to time you have to deal with such “connoisseurs” of other people’s skills and working time, who are surprised that all this work is not done for 1000 rubles, preferably on the road. :)

I agree that these are arguments from the repairman. And that the average user - the potential customer of the service - does not care about them at all. Although it would be worth understanding them. I think many specialists in various fields who know the value of themselves and their working time will agree with this.

But there are other, closer to the user, arguments against HDD repair. First, it's always better to get a new drive under warranty. Secondly, your hard drive is the most complex mechanical device in a computer. Suppose it, made at the factory, breaks down, but you cannot claim under warranty. A craftsman was found who repaired it, gave a 2-week guarantee, and verbally promised that “now the disk will work for a long time.” Do you need such a disk? Will you trust him? And now about money. To find out its current value, try advertising the sale of this HDD with a truthful story about its biography. I am sure that you spent more on repairs than you can get for this disk.

But things are not always so bad. After all, not in all the cases described above it can be said that the disk is faulty. And if the problem is purely software, then the problem of choosing between data and repair is not worth it. Sometimes software repair of partitions may be required, but the physical state of the disk does not change. And specialists in data recovery from hard drives can perform such repairs so that you get your data and, for example, you don’t have to reinstall the system.

2.3. If the goal is data recovery

When the disk is not visible, but data is needed, first of all you should make sure that the HDD is to blame. The first part of the article will help you with this. Let's say it's installed - the problem is in the disk. By the way, later in the article the type of digital media is not of fundamental importance. HDD can be changed to Flash, SSD and so on. Depending on what exactly happened to the media, recovering data from it can be simple or complex. It is clear that such an assessment is very subjective and everyone may have their own criteria. Therefore, I will describe mine.

If the problem can be solved by an advanced PC user (not a data recovery specialist) using the tools available to him, then this is a simple case. As a rule, these are logical problems on FAT and NTFS file systems and problems with the electronics board on some lines of older drives. Logical problems are solved software. Previously, a faulty board could often simply be replaced with the same, but working one. Unfortunately, this is not the case on modern drives.

In other cases, expensive specialized software or equipment may be required, as well as knowledge and practical skills that only a data recovery specialist can have. Investing time and money in all of these tools is unlikely to pay off unless you intend to turn digital media recovery into your craft.

2.4. I want to save money

If your case is simple and you really want to save a little money, you might be able to do it. Methods for solving some simple problems are the topic of a separate article. And in the near future you will be able to familiarize yourself with it. But I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the savings are small, since data recovery specialists also solve such problems for relatively little money. You have to pay more for data recovery in complex cases, but it is almost impossible to deal with them yourself. This reveals another factor that influences the price of restoration in specialized companies, which is usually not talked about: the availability of the means by which the problem is solved. In practice, this can manifest itself in higher prices, for example, for the recovery of disk service information compared to logical problems. Although the working time and effort of a specialist, restoring a HDD service almost always requires much less than a long, tedious scan of a disk with broken logic. It’s just that for this purpose, a specialist, unlike an “advanced user,” has knowledge, skills and a software and hardware system. But you can’t download this on the Internet.

2.5. How much is your data worth?

In many cases, it will be helpful for you to ask yourself this question. Yes, it can be very difficult to value in rubles something that has not been bought or sold. Perhaps, in addition to the cost of an alternative way to obtain this data, such concepts as nerves, time, memories, work done or upcoming work, and so on will be involved in the assessment. But it’s still worth trying and understanding at least the approximate cost of the data. This will help you avoid confusion and take the right steps.

2.6. Diagnostics won't hurt anyone

Even if the problem seems simple to you, and the cost of data is low and you hope to save money by solving it yourself, I strongly recommend using diagnostics from a specialized company. I think everyone will agree with me that two doctors can treat the same disease differently. And often both will achieve positive results. But no matter which method of treating a particular disease the doctor chooses, the chances of a favorable outcome will be negligible if he made a mistake in determining the disease itself. In the case where the disk is not visible, this also works. Yes, perhaps your skills, computer literacy and luck are enough to solve some simple data recovery problems. But isn’t it better to understand for sure that at least the problem is defined correctly? After all, an error in making a diagnosis is dangerous not only because recovery will not give a positive result, but also because further attempts will be complicated and the likelihood of a successful outcome will be reduced. And no matter how optimistic you are about your chances, it will be better to increase them. Moreover, you don’t have to pay for it, since there are enough companies on the market that provide diagnostics for free.

2.7. Making the right decisions

If You have chosen the right data recovery company, then as a result of the diagnosis you will receive answers to the following questions:

1. What is the nature of the malfunction?
2. Is data recovery possible?
3. How much will the restoration cost?
4. How soon will you receive your data?

Now you have all the information to make the right decision.

Situation 1. Of course, if the cost of recovery is higher than the cost of the data itself, you will refuse the company’s services. But now you know the correct diagnosis and it’s easier for you to assess your chances when trying on your own. If your assessment is optimistic, then try it. If you understand that you can’t cope, then it may make sense to postpone this problem for several months. Just put the disc away. Suddenly your financial capabilities or market prices, or restoration technologies change. It is possible that the value of lost data will change for you.

Situation 2. If the cost of the service (A) is approximately equal to the value of the data itself (B), then /B-A/ is a very insignificant value. This is the most difficult case for councils. I suggest you deal with it yourself, since logic is powerless here, and your heart can “tell you” what to do best. At the same time, your self-confidence (if you decide to restore the data yourself) will certainly be proportional to the values ​​of A(=B).

Situation 3. If the cost of the service (A) is significantly less than the value of the data itself (B), in other words, B-A is a very large amount for you, then it is worth ordering this service, no matter how highly you value the possibility of self-recovery. After all, for a non-professional, great chances mean “most likely”. And we are not talking about the fact that you will definitely receive your data, but that you at least will not worsen the situation so much that “now nothing can be restored.” Well, how do you feel about the prospect of “most likely” not losing a very large sum for you?

2.8. Example from life

For those who really like to play roulette or slot machines for money, thinking of making money in this way, it is better to skip this point. The rest probably have an idea about money and probabilities, and this example will be understood correctly.

Making decisions is easier if the problem can be formalized. In addition, this saves time and nerves. Here's a small sample of how this can be done.

For example, A-B = 90,000 rub. This is what happened if you value your data at 100,000 rubles. (which means the financial assessment of the current situation is minus 100,000 rubles), and the company asked for 10,000 rubles for data recovery from a very damaged disk. Then the financial assessment of alternatives for further behavior will be as follows:

Alternative 1. Use the data recovery service - minus 10,000 rubles. (or +90,000 compared to current position)

Alternative 2. Leave everything as is - minus 100,000 rubles. (that is, we remain in the current position).

The benefits of the first alternative are obvious, so we discard the second. Yes, and in this case the result is negative. But the minus is small. After all, the problem still happened, but was solved. It would be strange to end up in the black. But let’s say you want to improve this alternative too: do it at lower costs or even do everything yourself. Even if the optimistic assessment of our own chances obtained above, which we called “most likely,” is taken as 75%, then the financial assessment Alternatives 3– “Do everything yourself” will be equal to minus 25,000 rubles. And this is worse than minus 10,000 rubles. Here some may argue that 75% is too little. Believe me, 75% is an overestimate. A realistic estimate of the probability of not losing data when trying to retrieve it at home from a disk with a large number of bad blocks is no more than 50%. And a score of 90% is absolutely fantastic. But only if the probability of self-recovery is greater than 90% will the financial assessment of the alternative “I’ll do everything myself” be better Alternatives 1.

Yes, this example uses fictitious but concrete numbers. The problem may be different and it will cost differently. This applies to both the value of your information and probability estimates. But I hope this example will help you formalize your task with your data. Who knows, maybe the result will be different.

Conclusions

So we looked at what to do if the computer/laptop/camera does not see the disk. Obviously, the purpose of the article is to help you choose the right path to solve the problem and not make mistakes by choosing this path. The article contains links useful both to those who decide to fight for their data on their own, and to those who will look for professionals. Well, in the text itself, I tried to analyze in as much detail as possible all the arguments “for” and “against” certain steps that should be taken into account.

The need for this article is due to my understanding of what confusion is going on in the minds of numerous victims. We are talking about thousands of processed calls from potential and current clients for data recovery, when the person is in a state of confusion and is wondering what to do. The desire to help them with their problem forced me not only to answer their not always conscious questions, but to ask my own. And now these answers that people gave to themselves were almost always much more useful. And it was they who allowed me to write this article, putting in writing those ideas that have already been discussed orally many thousands of times with people who turn to us for help. Since at the moment thousands of people are already grateful to me, I hope that this article will help you too. In turn, I thank everyone who, having found themselves on this page and having read the recommendation at the beginning of the article, read it to the end. Now take action.

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