Member Avatar for gobby

i bought a 1tb maxtor one touch external harddrive. now i broke the case so i took it apart and put the drive in my pc.
i connected it via the two cables (power and connect it to motherboard)
as you can tell im not the most techincally minded but i presumed it my hp compaq dx2200 pc would just automatically find it.....it didnt. i looked in disk management and its not even recognised on there.
i looked in my bios and i cant find it in there.
i dont know wat to do as i have a lot of data on it and dont wanna lose it etc.

any help would be fantastic

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Dani AI

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Quick, practical guidance for based on the thread so far (and building on and ): because the drive is not visible in BIOS or Disk Management even after a BIOS update, treat this as a hardware-level problem first and focus on preserving the data. Do non-destructive checks before trying risky fixes.

  • Identify the exact drive model and serial from the label. Use the maker’s diagnostic tool for that model (manufacturer utilities can run short/long tests and often report controller or SMART faults).
  • Confirm the drive is getting proper power. Listen for spin, feel for vibration, and try a different known-good SATA power lead or PSU molex-to-SATA adapter. If it does not spin at all, that points to power or controller failure.
  • Visually inspect the drive’s SATA/data/power connectors and PCB. Some externals leave a little USB-to-SATA board or use non-standard electronics; if you see a small adapter or cracked/burned components, that could explain the no-detect symptom.
  • Try a second host only for diagnosis: a powered SATA dock or another PC. If the drive appears there, immediately clone it to a healthy disk (don’t run repairs first). If it is detected by BIOS but Windows shows RAW partitions, consider the possibility of a proprietary USB-bridge/encryption — data may require the original bridge or vendor tools to read.
  • If the drive clicks, grinds, or still won’t spin after swapping power/cables, stop powering it repeatedly. Mechanical noise means a physical failure and further DIY attempts can make recovery harder. Professional data recovery is the safe next step; PCB swaps and head work are specialist tasks.

Order to follow: check labels → power/cables → visual PCB check → try a different host with a powered dock → run vendor diagnostics → clone if possible → consult pros if mechanical noise or no detection.

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Member Avatar for Rik_

Searck the net for a bios update for your computer, that may well sort the problem as most pc's were designed long before 1tb drives existed.

Member Avatar for gobby

i have installed the bios from hps website - this hasnt worked either.
im really stuck as what to do. all cables are connected properly and correct etc.......

Member Avatar for airbourne

Did you break the case by accidentally dropping it? Might have also broken the drive...

You can try a test by removing your current HDD and CD and only plugging in your 1TB drive. Try each SATA connector and make sure that you tell the BIOS to auto-detect drives after you move the drive if you have that option.

If all your cables are snug, and your get spin on the drive (meaning it is getting power), there is not much else I can think of. If you don't get any spin, the drive is not getting power or is not functioning and thus will never be able to be recognized by the system.

I know I always go back to this but if the drive spins up, try another PC (if you have one). Alternately you can try an HDD to USB converter and see if it is recognized as a mass storage device. I don't know of any device that can test an HDD if you cannot get the BIOS to recognize it.

Member Avatar for gobby

if it isnt working can i recover the data some how???

Member Avatar for airbourne

If you can get it to recognize in the BIOS it is possible. You can try the HDD to USB converter and see if you can plug it in like you would a flash memory device.

I only recommend the HDD to USB device because it would be cheaper than giving it to a repair technician to diagnose. If you are really concerned with the data, you might want to skip the converter and go right to the technician as they may have more tools at their disposal.

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