Windows does not detect HDD sometimes

[mboweman]

Hello, first post on these forums. I have a brand new rig I built recently and I've been a bit frustrated with this problem with my HDD. I have an SSD with Windows on my first SATA port, and an HDD on the second. My BIOS has no problem detecting the HDD, however it only shows up in Windows about half the time. When it doesn't show up I usually restart and it will appear. I have tried reseating the SATA cables numerous times. Everything in this PC is brand new, so I don't understand how it could be a failing drive/cable. If anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate it.

 

[bigmck]

Hello, first post on these forums. I have a brand new rig I built recently and I've been a bit frustrated with this problem with my HDD. I have an SSD with Windows on my first SATA port, and an HDD on the second. My BIOS has no problem detecting the HDD, however it only shows up in Windows about half the time. When it doesn't show up I usually restart and it will appear. I have tried reseating the SATA cables numerous times. Everything in this PC is brand new, so I don't understand how it could be a failing drive/cable. If anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate it.

Could you post the Disk Management using your Snipping Tool. If you could post the one where it does show and one where it does not show, that might help. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[mboweman]

Hello, first post on these forums. I have a brand new rig I built recently and I've been a bit frustrated with this problem with my HDD. I have an SSD with Windows on my first SATA port, and an HDD on the second. My BIOS has no problem detecting the HDD, however it only shows up in Windows about half the time. When it doesn't show up I usually restart and it will appear. I have tried reseating the SATA cables numerous times. Everything in this PC is brand new, so I don't understand how it could be a failing drive/cable. If anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate it.

Could you post the Disk Management using your Snipping Tool. If you could post the one where it does show and one where it does not show, that might help. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

Here you go.

 

[bigmck]

This is strange. == You have probably done this, but plug the HDD into a different SATA port and see if it makes any difference.

 

[mboweman]

This is strange. == You have probably done this, but plug the HDD into a different SATA port and see if it makes any difference.

I've moved it to SATA3, will see if that does any good. I should add that I've been having another possibly related issue, but I don't know if I should make a whole new thread for it. Sometimes Windows hangs on shutdown or startup, in which the only solution is to reset. I checked the event log and I'm seeing some errors with services like svchost.exe, nvvsvc.exe, and nvxdsync.exe.

 

[bigmck]

This is strange. == You have probably done this, but plug the HDD into a different SATA port and see if it makes any difference.

I've moved it to SATA3, will see if that does any good. I should add that I've been having another possibly related issue, but I don't know if I should make a whole new thread for it. Sometimes Windows hangs on shutdown or startup, in which the only solution is to reset. I checked the event log and I'm seeing some errors with services like svchost.exe, nvvsvc.exe, and nvxdsync.exe.

We can work out both problems in this thread. Have you done a Virus Scan lately. If you do not have one installed this is a good free one. Microsoft Security Essentials - Microsoft Windows
== Since you are having two problems, you might try a Repair Install. This instructs you how. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html It will not remove any of your settings, but just correct files that might be giving you problems.

 

[mboweman]

This is strange. == You have probably done this, but plug the HDD into a different SATA port and see if it makes any difference.

I've moved it to SATA3, will see if that does any good. I should add that I've been having another possibly related issue, but I don't know if I should make a whole new thread for it. Sometimes Windows hangs on shutdown or startup, in which the only solution is to reset. I checked the event log and I'm seeing some errors with services like svchost.exe, nvvsvc.exe, and nvxdsync.exe.

We can work out both problems in this thread. Have you done a Virus Scan lately. If you do not have one installed this is a good free one. Microsoft Security Essentials - Microsoft Windows
== Since you are having two problems, you might try a Repair Install. This instructs you how. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html It will not remove any of your settings, but just correct files that might be giving you problems.

I have MSE and have reinstalled Windows completely several times, and it did not fix the problem. Today I called Western Digital and they believe the drive is defective, so I'm being mailed a new one to replace it. Hopefully that will fix the issue. Just wanted to post this in case anyone else is having the same problem.

 

[bigmck]

Thanks. If that does not do the job, let us know.

 

[mboweman]

Well, after receiving the brand new hard drive and swapping it in, everything worked perfectly for a little while but now I am encountering the same problem again. I have also had occasional trouble booting up, and today I had a STOP 0x000000F4 error, which seems to be related to hardware failure from what I'm reading.

 

[bigmck]

Check out this page about the error. How to troubleshoot and solve blue screen (STOP: 0x000000F4 - Microsoft Community

 

[mboweman]

It happened again today for the first time in months. Interestingly, my external was plugged in at the time, which it usually isn't. I was also using my external a lot when I was having this issue back in January. I think this is definitely more than a coincidence. It seems that having the external hard drive plugged in during boot interferes with the internal HDD being detected. Any idea why this might be?

 

[bigmck]

It happened again today for the first time in months. Interestingly, my external was plugged in at the time, which it usually isn't. I was also using my external a lot when I was having this issue back in January. I think this is definitely more than a coincidence. It seems that having the external hard drive plugged in during boot interferes with the internal HDD being detected. Any idea why this might be?

No, I don't have any idea. I would suggest, don't boot with the external plugged in. Boot and after it is running, connect the external. I always do that.

 

[mboweman]

Just to update this thread: I fixed the problem, and the cause was the last thing I would have guessed. It was the CASE! After spending countless hours talking to my HDD, motherboard, and eventually case manufacturers, I found the issue. Apparently, there was some sort of grounding issue caused by the metal standoffs on the case that the motherboard is mounted to, and for whatever reason this was causing problems with HDD detection, and even causing the CPU to get stuck at POST sometimes.

I took all the parts out of my case and assembled them on top of a piece of cardboard, and now everything works perfectly. I just have to decide what I'm going to do with this case now.