Member Avatar for TinglyCourier

I have an old Fujitsu MPD3084AT 8.5Gb hd that I had planned on either putting in the kids computer as a slave, or loading Windows on and keeping as a backup in case they crash their 40 Gb WD again. The problem is, when I install it in either of my computers, regardless of which computer, which jumper setting (slave or cable select) or which setup setting, it dosen't show the HD on the My Computer screen. It does, however, show it being installed by Windows? Any suggestions?

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Dani AI

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Following 's suggestion to check BIOS and Disk Management, here is a short, ordered diagnostic plan that separates physical, firmware/jumper, and logical (partition/table) problems. The steps start non-destructive and include a few simple commands you can run from Windows or a Linux live environment.

  1. Physical checks

    • Confirm the drive actually spins when powered (Molex connector). No spin or loud clicking suggests mechanical failure.
    • Try a different IDE cable, a different power connector, or the other end of the ribbon (the drive should be on the end for single-drive tests).
    • Verify jumper positions against the label on the drive or the manufacturer spec sheet.

  2. BIOS and host-level detection

    • Enter BIOS setup and confirm the drive is reported on the IDE channel. If BIOS does not see it, the OS cannot mount it.
    • If BIOS sees it but Windows does not expose a volume, proceed to the next checks.

  3. Windows checks (non-destructive)

    • Use Disk Management and the command-line diskpart to see raw disks:
    diskpart
list disk
exit
    • If a disk appears but has no partitions or an unallocated/unknown state, avoid initializing it if you need data recovery—initializing/formatting will overwrite the partition table.

  4. Unix/Linux checks (useful for deeper info)

    • Boot a Linux live CD/USB and run:
    sudo fdisk -l
dmesg | tail -n 50
    • Those show kernel detection and raw device info. smartctl (smartmontools) can report drive health if supported.

  5. When to recover vs. reuse

    • If the drive is detected but the partition table is corrupted, use non-destructive recovery tools (TestDisk, ddrescue, etc.) before writing anything.
    • If the drive fails to spin or shows mechanical symptoms, stop and consider professional data recovery.

Caution: initializing, creating partitions, or quick-formatting will erase existing data. Work from copies or perform recovery first if the data matters.

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Member Avatar for fry

is it shown in the disk management utility?

Member Avatar for TinglyCourier

No, nothing there.

Member Avatar for fry

can it be determined by BIOS? it's a bit strange, if not may be the drive dead.

Member Avatar for TinglyCourier

can it be determined by BIOS? it's a bit strange, if not may be the drive dead.

I don't honestly remember what it shows in the BIOS as it is just a casual project I have taken on in case the kids decide to crash their HD again. But I am assuming it is picked up as it is installed through Windows, but not displayed in My Computer, it IS displayed in Device Manager though, come to think of it.

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