Member Avatar for BstrucT

Hi Guys

I have a Seagate HDD(not SATA) 80Gb but have major issues with it.

Okay, when I am in bios I can see the HDD, it's size, everything.
When in Windows(having drive as slave), it doesn't show it in 'My Computer', but shows it in 'Device Manager'. It doesn't show in 'Disk Management' at all.
So I thought I will try to install Windows on the drive, so it can format...
"Setup cannot access the disk" was my result.

So I looked around and got hold of Heren's boot CD and tried running various scan's and tests on the disk, but all I get is errors that the programs can't access the disk.
I am thinking maybe it has to do with the MBR, but not sure.

Any idea how I can fix this?:-/

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Dani AI

Generated

Following ’s report and the pointers from and , here is a focused, practical checklist to isolate the fault and preserve data. Work from top to bottom: hardware isolation first, then low-level OS checks, then imaging/recovery. Stop if a step clearly shows a hardware failure.

Try these hardware isolation steps first:

  • Confirm the drive actually spins and does not make repetitive clicking. No spin or repetitive clicks point to mechanical failure.
  • Replace the IDE cable and use a different Molex power connector. Use a known-good 40/80‑conductor PATA cable.
  • Set the drive as the only device on the cable (jumper to master/single) and connect it to the primary IDE channel; test in a different PC or with a USB‑to‑IDE adapter to rule out motherboard/controller issues.

If the drive powers and spins, gather block-level evidence with OS tools before attempting any fixes:

# Windows (in an elevated command prompt)
diskpart
list disk
exit
# Linux (boot a live distro)
dmesg | tail -n 80
sudo fdisk -l
sudo lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,TYPE,MOUNTPOINT
sudo smartctl -a /dev/sdX

If the disk appears at the block level but partitions are missing or corrupted, image it before writing anything. Use GNU ddrescue to create a full sector image and a log so you can retry safely:

sudo ddrescue -f -n /dev/sdX /path/to/image.img /path/to/logfile

After imaging, try partition recovery tools (TestDisk) or run vendor diagnostics (SeaTools) against the image or the drive. If the drive never shows at block level on multiple systems/cables, or SMART/diagnostics report firmware/PCB faults, stop powering the unit and contact Seagate or a professional data‑recovery service. Avoid repeated power cycles, avoid opening the drive, and avoid destructive “slap/freeze” tricks that can make recovery harder.

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Member Avatar for techbound

"When the drive is first seen by Disk Management it will not be seen in Windows Explorer. For the drive to be seen in Windows Explorer the drive will need to be configured through Disk Management. Vista or XP will normally see the unpartitioned drive when you open Disk Management and will start the wizard for you." Directly from Seagate.com

Here is the link for getting your issue resolved. Assuming you have xp or vista. If not they have same solutions for 2000 and me.

Have fun

http://www.seagate.com/ww/v/index.jsp?locale=en-US&name=PATA_Troubleshooter_-_Windows_Vista/XP/2000_-_Drive_Setup&vgnextoid=fb214a3cdde5c010VgnVCM100000dd04090aRCRD

Member Avatar for BstrucT

Thanks man

The problem is the disk is not visible in Disk Management.

Only visible through the Bios and in Device Manager.

Member Avatar for hughv

Did you look for an "Unallocated" disk in Disk Management?
The disk may be bad. Try uninstalling the IDE controller and rebooting.

Member Avatar for BstrucT

Thanks man

I haven't checked for that.

Was ready to contemplate the HDD drop , slap and freeze test, but will have another look.

Thanks

>BstrucT

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