Solved Windows 7 not recognizing second hard drive

[grieralexander]

Internal hard drive keeps disappearing
Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64 bit For some reason my secondary internal drive, a Samsung HD203 WI drive (2Tera), keeps disappearing randomly while windows is running.

The drive comes back fine and dandy if I completely shut down the machine and then boot it back up. The drive stays until some random moment when Windows doesn't see it anymore. Now, if I do a simple Restart the drive doesn't show up, ONLY after I shut down completely, and push the power button back on, does this work. There is nothing in the System logs, no error messages, nothing, it just vanishes and is completely random.

I've checked the hard drive with windows and other programs and it never reports any problems, the BIOS detects no problems, even Windows recognizes it for a while, then nothing. I read and old post about a year ago and the OP was told to update the drivers. Ok, I went into Management tools and have click on every single item to update the driver. All has come back that the Drivers are up to date.
Things I have checked and done thus far:
1. Checked energy cables, Mother board ATA connection cables.
2. Went into Disk management changed path and letter of the drive.
3. Downloaded SeaTools and scanned the drives (no error found)
4. Change the port for the ATA cable
5. Just now I disconnected my second DVD drive to see what happens
The problem is that it happens at random times and sometimes it will be three or four days without an episode.
Also read that it was a problem with Windows 7 follow the thread to a Hot Fix; well I've downloaded the 64bit and the 32bit versions; upon installation I get the message this update can not be installed in your system.
I have run out of ideas on what to do. I am not computer savvy, so there is not much I know how to fiddle with. I hope you may be able to help.

 

[armyslowrdr]

I went through the hot fixes also with a TB in size HD I have. Finally since I just built a new system, I thought I'd try it in the external docking port. Lo and behold it was recognized. The joy was short lived though as after about the 3d time of this it made loud clunking noises and just completely died. I am glad I got the few files off of it I truly wanted.

This is a long way of saying just because various tests say a drive is good does not mean it's not on its last gasp.

My drive was a Samsung SJ103 which had great reviews initially but then I think was found to have "issues". It was the newest and largest and even most infrequently used of my drives which is the head-scratcher.

Not sure which hot fixes you've tried but google around and you will see something about certain drives not spinning up fast enough when the computers been in hibernation... worth checking into perhaps.

 

[gregrocker]

Make sure the BIOS is set to monitor SMART. You can also install to your desktop CrystalDiskInfo - Software - Crystal Dew World to do this.

Sometimes this can be due to incorrect or changes in system configuration so if you'll post back a screenshot of your maximized Disk Management drive map we can look it over for you.

If there was ever an OS on the HD and it wasn't wiped sometimes boot code can also interfere.

 

[grieralexander]

Make sure the BIOS is set to monitor SMART. You can also install to your desktop CrystalDiskInfo - Software - Crystal Dew World to do this.

Sometimes this can be due to incorrect or changes in system configuration so if you'll post back a screenshot of your maximized Disk Management drive map we can look it over for you.

If there was ever an OS on the HD and it wasn't wiped sometimes boot code can also interfere.

Ok, I am downloading the tool you suggested and I am trying to find out exactly where on this PC is my disk management drive. I am living in Brazil at the moment and this PC is all in Portuguese, which at times posses a problem for me.
Thanks!

 

[AddRAM]

Hard Disk Sentinel is a great tool.

How old is the drive ? Have you contacted Samsung about the issue ?

Disk Management: Start>Right Click Computer>Manage, wait a few seconds. Left hand pane click
Disk Management.

 

[gregrocker]

Screen Shots

 

[grieralexander]

Ok Here is the screenshot you'll requested. I am still working on the Bios stuff. Give me some leadway here since is the first time that I'm actually messing with this computer other than installing or uninstalling programs.

 

[gregrocker]

Y is marked Active which a data drive should not be, only an OS drive. I would mark it Inactive using this method: Partition - Mark as Inactive - Windows 7 Forums.

If you want a picture of what you're doing, download free Partition Wizard bootable CD ISO, burn to CD using Windows Image Burner, boot CD, rightclick on Y to Modify>Set to Inactive, OK, Apply.

There is another drive appearing first in the list which doesn't have a letter that is also marked Active and could be causing problems. Unfortunately we cannot see it on the drive map below which needs scrolling, nor can we see its used space because you didn't Maximize the window as requested before capturing it. Can you determine what this drive is and why it has no letter and is marked Active?

 

[AddRAM]

Give Gregs suggestion a try. If that doesn`t work you should get your data off the drive then look into returning it if you can.

 

[grieralexander]

Ok, going to check on that right now.

Ok did the command prompt is not active any more, also I do believe that first disk is a DVD/CD rom drive.

Been checking on that one drive that has no letter assigment and I have no idea of what it is. It says that is 996MB and there are 996MB free. I only have one external drive, a pen drive I use as readyboot. There is also another DVD drive I unistalled today, basically unplugit, was what I did.

 

[grieralexander]

Ok you guys, this is what the disk management looks after following Greg's instructions

 

[gregrocker]

Again the window is not maximized so we cannot see the full listings. Is there a problem with comprehension?

There is a removable device which looks like an 8gb flash stick that has an unlettered partition marked Active. Why?

 

[grieralexander]

Again the window is not maximized so we cannot see the full listings. Is there a problem with comprehension?

There is a removable device which looks like an 8gb flash stick that has an unlettered partition marked Active. Why?

I did maximazed the window, I have no problem comprehending; however there is no need to be rude. I moved the other two columns to the side and see if it shows better this time. As I mentioned before that is a flash stick that I use as readyboot, suposely it helps improve the speed of the PC. As of our last posting I also removed the extra unmarked partition that was empty; I guess that it was left there by the Tech that put the PC together.
Thanks for your help.

 

[gregrocker]

Didn't mean to be rude, just asking.

Your configuration is correct although there could be boot code remaining on one of the data disks if they once had an OS, which can sometimes interfere. For this reason if other ideas do not work I would move it's data off and wipe it with Diskpart Clean Command, then Create and format several smaller data partitions.

First check your computer or mobo maker's Support Downloads webpage to see if there is a newer BIOS version which might be required to handle such a large data drive, as is common.

 

[grieralexander]

Didn't mean to be rude, just asking.

Your configuration is correct although there could be boot code remaining on one of the data disks if they once had an OS, which can sometimes interfere. For this reason if other ideas do not work I would move it's data off and wipe it with Diskpart Clean Command, then Create and format several smaller data partitions.

First check your computer or mobo maker's Support Downloads webpage to see if there is a newer BIOS version which might be required to handle such a large data drive, as is common.

OK, so far it has not gone missing, but then again, it stayed on for 2 days before. I ran the other tool you suggested and did the SMART. That also came back ok, after doing the diskpart. I already was contemplating have a friend hotwire my data off the disk and doing smaller partitions. I will check on the bios for the mother board. I need to ask the tech, since I have no idea which brand it is. Thanks for all your help and trouble. I really appreciated it!

 

[gregrocker]

Glad to help.

You can audit your hardware and software using Belarc Advisor - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

 

[rraod]

I had a similar problem before and the problem was a bad data cable. You can try replacing the ATA cable with a new one.

Also try swapping the power cable to HDD to another spare one.

 

[grieralexander]

I had a similar problem before and the problem was a bad data cable. You can try replacing the ATA cable with a new one.

Also try swapping the power cable to HDD to another spare one.

Thanks! will do that tomorrow also, anything to be sure. Thank you'll for the help really appreciated!