BIOS can see HS, but not Win 7 (not like from other posts, I hope)

OldNick

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I have W7 Home Prem 32 bit.

I _hope_ my problem is different enough I don't get mauled for posting.:D

I am setting up a new machine. I have installed Windows onto the boot HDD and that seems OK.

But then I tried to add the secondary HDD, a 2TB WD. The BIOS sees the HDD, but when I fired up windows, it would not. So I went into Disk Management and it was not there either.

Then I read here about Diskpart/list disk on the installation DVD. But that has the same problem. I tried another HDD and ran diskpart. That worked fine (although I only did list disk and did not partition the HDD!)

I have tried using a different SATA port, but that does not help. As instructed, I removed all other disks for both diskpart/list disk, so that the machihbne had only one disk. I figure that this also removes any question of some sort of onterference or overload.

I have also tried different SATA cables.

In all my confusion, I am not sure, but I _think_ that the BIOS did not see the HDD a couple of times as well. Unplugging and replugging the SATAcable seemed to fix this....

So. Is there anything else? Or do I have a dodgy HDD?

Any help greatly appreciated.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Home Premium 32bitIntel2GBonboard
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HP Compaq 620
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit
CPU
Intel
Motherboard
Don't know
Memory
2GB
Graphics Card(s)
onboard
Sound Card
onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
inbuilt
Hard Drives
250GB WD 7200
PSU
inbuilt
Case
laptop
Cooling
???
From your description plus the fact that another HDD showed up without any problems I may consider that the new HDD is indeed dodgy. It could well be a dry joint where the sata connector is fixed which gives an intermittent connection. I would close my eyes and return it to the vendor to get a replacement and would bother further only if such a replacement also exhibits the same problem. :D

When you buy a new HDD make sure that it does not have any hardware encryption . I would generally stay away from Western Digital.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
Thanks for that. So it's as I feared I guess :(

I will check out hardware encryption. I was not aware of such a thing.

Why not WD? I have used WD exclusively for many years and had nothing but good from them.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7 Home Premium 32bitIntel2GBonboard
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
HP Compaq 620
OS
Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit
CPU
Intel
Motherboard
Don't know
Memory
2GB
Graphics Card(s)
onboard
Sound Card
onboard
Monitor(s) Displays
inbuilt
Hard Drives
250GB WD 7200
PSU
inbuilt
Case
laptop
Cooling
???
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