Hard Drive Not Detected in BIOS? Try These 4 Simple Fixes
When your hard drive not showing up in BIOS, it can be very frustrating & alarming. The BIOS or Basic Input/Output system is the application that helps your PC or computer boot up and communicates with hardware components, including the hard drive. If the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) can’t find your hard drive, it means your system can not boot properly. There are a few of possible reasons for this issue, ranging from loose cables to faulty hardware. Luckily, there are a variety of steps you can take to diagnose and fix the problem.
Here in this blog, we will walk you through the causes and regular methods to help you get your hard drive recognized in BIOS. In case you are having a hard disk that is running on your machine. It could only be a matter of time before that fails. On the other hand, if you buy a fresh new hard drive, then it must be showing up in BIOS. The HDD manufacturer, the system manufacturer, the motherboard manufacturer,, as well as the BIOS manufacturer, along with the versions. This you can often find splashing across your system screen at the time you boot the computer first.
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Methods to Fixed Hard Drive Not Showing Up in BIOS Issue
In this section, you will find two quick and effective solutions to the problem of a not-found or hard disk not detected in BIOS that will help you regain access to your saved data.
1# Check the Physical Connections
- Switch off your computer completely and unplug it from the wall socket.
- Start the case of your desktop computer or laptop. For desktop, you might want a screwdriver to erase the side panel.
- Check Data Cables: Verify that the Serial ATA /SATA data cables are safely connected to both the motherboard and hard drive. If your system has a damaged or broken cable, verify that it is not damaged.
- If motherboard has a second SATA port, try swapping the cable to see if that resolves the issue. You can also use a spare SATA cable if you have one to rule out the possibility of a faulty cable.
For Laptop Users:
If you have a laptop, the hard drive is usually mounted somewhere accessible from the bottom or back of the machine – you may want to remove a screw or panel to access the drive.
2. Verify the Hard Drive in BIOS Settings
At times, BIOS settings can be configured in a way that stops the hard drive from showing up. BIOS has several options that can affect hard drive detection.
#Hard Drive Not Showing Up in BIOS – Check BIOS Settings
Reopen the computer system and pick the key to enter BIOS. Its button is usually F2, F12, ESC, or DEL depending on the system manufacturer. You should view the screen or check the user manual.
- Access Storage Setup: Once you are in the BIOS Setting Utility, Click to the “Boot” or “Storage” section. This division details all the devices connected to your computer, including your hard drive.
- Examine SATA Mode: BIOS generally permits you to change the SATA mode between IDE, AHCI and RAID. AHCI is the most common mode used for modern hard drives, but if it’s set to IDE or RAID, it may cause the hard disk not to show up. Try changing the SATA mode to AHCI if it’s not already set to that.
If the hard disk not detected on your computer, update your drivers in fix 2.
Important Note: Recover Data from Undetected Hard Drive in Advance
When we encounter disk problems such as unknown disks, inaccessible disks, damaged disks, unformatted disks, etc., we must first find a way to recover the data. Since many disk recovery methods can result in data loss, it is best to recover the data first. If your hard disk not detected in BIOS, don’t worry. The Hard Drive Data Recovery Tool can help. They can actually recover data from failed hard drives.
3. Update your Hard Drive Driver So it Can be Detected
Best for: fixing a controller and a hard drive not recognized in BIOS because they are out of date.
To update your computer’s memory controller and hard drive driver, you have three options:
1: Update your hard drive by contacting the manufacturer for assistance.
2: Download & Update the hard disk driver from the manufacturer’s website.
3: Update your hard drive drivers manually in Windows:
- Select the Start option, type “Device Manager,” and click Enter.
- Expand Disk Drives to find the hard drive name and right-click on it.
- Choose the Update driver software.”, “
- Then click Automatically search for updated driver software.
4: Run CHKDSK CMD to Check and Fix Internal Disk Errors
Applies to: Fixed an internal bug where the HDD/SSD would not be detected or recognized by the PC and would not appear on the laptop.
Once the hard disk not detected in BIOS, you can try opening it on your PC. If you still can’t open it on your computer, here’s how to run CMD to fix internal hard drive errors that are causing your computer to not detect or read the hard drive:
Note that this command will erase data while correcting disk errors. Therefore, before executing the command, be sure to recover your data using reliable file recovery software.
1: Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box, then type cmd and press the Enter key to open the Command Prompt.
2: Type chkdsk /f x: (x should be the letter of the undetected hard drive) and press Enter to start the disk check process.
3: Once the check disk process is complete, type exit to end the process.
Tips: If, however, your drive has data stored on it, then partitioning or reformatting are not recommended, as your data is at stake. By doing all these things, if you lose your data,. Then, you can visit the Data Recovery Service Center and recover your data from a dell hard drive or any brand of hard drive.
Final Verdict
After reading this blog, you will definitely get the solution for the hard drive not showing up in BIOS Windows 10. If you lost your data after performing a manual method, then the file recovery service provider is really helpful for you to restore your lost data. If you have gone through all the steps and still can’t detect the drive, it may be a sign of a more serious hardware failure that requires professional help. By following the tips in this guide, you can troubleshoot the problem and, in most situation, recover your hard drive’s functionality.
