HDD disappeared from Disk Management after an ordinary restart.

Zubaer
Zubaer Member Posts: 8 New User
in 2016 Archives

My Acer VN7-571G has an SSD (256 GB) and an unpartitioned HDD (1 TB). The SSD runs fine and since all system files are there, the system turns on but takes way too much time (30 minutes approx.) but it shuts down like it did before. The HDD doesn't show in the "disk management" also. I tried to check if the HDD shows in the BIOS but I couldn't enter the BIOS through advance restart or even pressing F2 during startup.
All my data in the HDD is lost now.
How can I fix this and atleast make the HDD work again ?
I don't need my data, I just need my storage back.

Any suggestion will be gladly accepted.

Answers

  • Elkino2003
    Elkino2003 Member Posts: 68 Troubleshooter

    You need to download test disk 

    Make sure it on a pen drive since your hard drive has disappeared

    Pls read instructions well when using test disk utility

    http://downloads.tomsguide.com/TestDisk,0301-4874.html

     

    It will help you to locate and fix bad sectors on the missing HDD

     

    whatever happens kindly let me know

     

  • Zubaer
    Zubaer Member Posts: 8 New User

    First of all thanks for taking interest in my problem.
    I did what you suggested, but "testdisk" just stops working at some point (The screen where it shows "CURRENT PARTITION STRUCTURE" and gives option to "QUICK SEARCH" ). The program doesn't freeze entirely, the cursor keeps blinking and it stays like that for hours. And it doesn't show my HDD's current partition structure, it stays blank.
    I'm very confused. I still didn't close "testdisk" and it still is as it was hours before. What should I do now ?

    You can check out any of the links below to see in which screen my testdisk stopped. You might know why it happened and what to do next.

    http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/File:Analyse.png

    http://www.cgsecurity.org/mw/images/Analyse.png

  • Elkino2003
    Elkino2003 Member Posts: 68 Troubleshooter

    Hello Zubaer,

     

    Sorry for that inconvenience but you have to try this.

     

    Please try to back up your files now. You should do it on an external drive.

    Don't boot your machine in normal windows. Pls use safe mode to do the back up

    And use the tesk disk afterwards.

     

    Have you seen a blue screen appeared on the screen before?

    for how long have you used your hard drive?

     

    I have faced that problem before. So please back up now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Or else you'll regret.

     

    Whatever happens kindly let me know

  • Elkino2003
    Elkino2003 Member Posts: 68 Troubleshooter

    Even with the test disk, navigate to where you extracted it files.

     

    You'll see photorec.exe 

     

    Please open it and use it to retrieve every information.

     

    Note that your hard drive has developed many bad sectors. 

  • Zubaer
    Zubaer Member Posts: 8 New User

    I tried booting in safe mode, but as soon as I click "restart now" on the "Advanced startup" option, it just restarts without giving me any advanced option.
    So now I'm using only Hibernate mode to turn it off. Because otherwise it takes hours to boot.

     

    About backing up, I already have my important files (of the damaged HDD) backed up in google drive. The rest are not so useful. I think you can tell me what to do next.

     

    But if you want me to backup my system files of my SSD (C drive) into an external drive, then please let me know in the next reply.

    To answer your questions,
    No, I haven't seen any blue screen yet.
    And I've been using this HDD for 1 and a half years now. It came as internal HDD of my laptop. And it disappeared 4 days ago.

  • Elkino2003
    Elkino2003 Member Posts: 68 Troubleshooter

    That's good to hear that you've already done the backup

     

    Now there two signals to watch out for

     

    I want us to try software debugging methods

    The first method is to try and use the test disk to locate the partition.

    The use of the test disk will help you to locate the partition on the hard drive

     

    Now let's go into bios mode.

     

    Does your machine allow you to use bios mode?

     

    If yes then go there and change the bios controller

     

    On my machine from the bios menu it's SATA

    within SATA options are ADE and AHCI

     

    try to switch your menu controller and boot in the safe mode.

     

    Don't hibernate it.

    Use a proper shutdown and go into safe mode

     

    Have you removed your hard drive before?

    Do you hear any erratic sound when booting?

    Does the machine auto restarts when booting?

     

    To be sure of these answers,  Don't hibernate it, power it off entirely

     

    Now as it's booting, try to enter the bios to change the controllers.

    Pay attention to any unusual sound effects

    See if it it'll auto restart at the booting stage.

     

    The above are indicators I'll want you to pay close attention.

    Try them, whatever happens kindly let me know.

  • Zubaer
    Zubaer Member Posts: 8 New User

    I tried all of these things in the same order as you asked me to.

    First, I tried to use test disk (again) to locate partitions but it stopped at the same point it  did before.

    Second, I tried to go into the BIOS both by pressing F2 in startup and by advanced restart method. None of these worked and the computer restarted in normal mode. So my machine is not allowing me to use BIOS. And I couldn't make any of the changes related to BIOS you wanted me to.

     

    Third, I haven't removed my HDD after I bought this laptop. I didn't need to. You see its the first time I'm facing trouble with my machine. The day before the hard drive problem arrived, it seemed like its still working as it was in the very first day.

     

    Fourth, so far, I haven't heard any erratic noise from my HDD. But before my problem is solved, if at any point its makes any noise, I'll try to inform you ASAP. You'll know best what to do next.

     

    Fifth, so far there was no auto restart during boot. But startup and shutting down takes hours as I mentioned before.

  • Zubaer
    Zubaer Member Posts: 8 New User

    And just after I gave you the earlier reply, The lost HDD suddenly appeared in the "DISK MANAGEMENT" but it says the disk is "NOT INITIALIZED" and shows black color.

    And just beside that it says "UNALLOCATED".

    I right clicked on it and only allowed me to go to "PROPERTIES". Other options like "NEW SIMPLE/SPANNED/STRIPPED VOLUME" were inaccessible and grey colored.

     

    When I clicked on "PROPERTIES", in the "General" tab, it shows "DEVICE IS WORKING PROPERLY" in the device status area.

    I have one a question for you. In one of my friends' 5th gen. laptop, I saw a 5th gen. intel HDD driver. But I don't have it. Should I try to install that driver ? If yes, could you help me find it and download it ?

  • Elkino2003
    Elkino2003 Member Posts: 68 Troubleshooter

    Let's go back to the devmgmt system

     

    When you went the disk management, you saw it was there but unallocated.

    Open and follow to give it a new name.

     

    Format it as NTFS. Try it and let me know before we try the option your were talking about.

    Please give me the full error message that appears on the screen.

     

    Write everything on your next post

     

    Thanks

     

  • sharky25k
    sharky25k Member Posts: 473 Skilled Practitioner WiFi Icon

    Hi,

     

    I would not recommend formatting the drive, especially if you want some of the data back. Now that the drive showed up is the moment to use testdisk and try to image the entire hdd as an image to a different storage medium and then try to recover the data. I think you should not rely anymore on this HDD as a storage. It sounds like it failed for some reason (I think it has something to do with the heads movement on the disk, the heads get stuck or the motor.) Since you did not have any previous signs of failing HDD.

     

    And no, you don't need different drivers. If the current drivers worked fine then they should work even now. The driver version depends mainly on the chipset so it's normal that somebody with a never generation CPU will have a different chipset and thus different drivers.

    By the way, test disk works also under windows, so you can use it without any issue since you have the OS on a different storage than the problematic one.

     

    BTW if you have an SSD how does it come that it takes so much to boot the system? Do you have some free space on the SSD? Be sure that you are not very close to the complete wear level of the SSD and that one might fail as well.

  • Zubaer
    Zubaer Member Posts: 8 New User

    The disk did appear, but it doeasn't permit me to use "initialize" option. In other words, It only gives me "properties", nothing else. I tried to use test disk, but it still freezes.

    After opening Disk Management, a prompt pops up and tells me to initialize the disk, either in MBT (Master boot record) or in GPT (GUID Partition Table). I didn't know which option to choose, so I went for the one that was already selected which is GPT.  But it gives an ERROR MESSAGE saying 

     

    "THE REQUEST COULD NOT BE PERFORMED due to an I/O DEVICE ERROR."

     

    The same error appears when I use the MBT option.

     

    But just to know, which one should I actually use ?

  • Zubaer
    Zubaer Member Posts: 8 New User

    When I first had the problem, I asked one of my friends for help who had HDD issues before.

    And now that I've contacted him again, he confirmed that he uninstalled the 5th gen HDD driver and went for restart so that windows will reinstall it and see if it works.

     

    He faced HDD issues in his machine before and his HDD was back after he did this.

    But since my machine is not properly booting(taking huge time to start), it somehow did not get reinstalled. So should I install the driver that was before ? If yes, then could you please help me find and download it?

    And about the huge boot time, I myself had this question all along, since I have my system files in SSD.

  • sharky25k
    sharky25k Member Posts: 473 Skilled Practitioner WiFi Icon

    Hi,

     

    The chipset drivers contain also the AHCI drivers. So reinstalling the chipset driver will install the AHCI.

    I assume that you have windows 10, so here are the latest chipset drivers:

     

    ChipsetIntelChipset Driver10.1.1.94.7 MB2015/09/03Download

     

    The I/O error is telling me that the HDD is bricked, the head is stuck or the platter is not spinning at all. Or it can be something else but it highly suggests that it's bricked.

    You should try to remove it from the notebook, and use an adapter to connect it via USB or connect it to a differnt computer. If even like this you have the same result, well, simply said, you need a new HDD.

     

    Regarding the formatting option. Use GPT if you have BIOS set to UEFI and/or if the HDD is above 2 Tb. If you have the BIOS in legacy mode, use MBR. 

    Also do you have the sata setting in BIOS set to legacy or AHCI? If you have it in Legacy, and you already have installed windows, it could explain the slow boot time. But I highly doubt that you have sata mode in legacy.

     

     

  • Zubaer
    Zubaer Member Posts: 8 New User

    Thanks a lot for the driver. I installed it, but the situation is still the same. I think I have to give up on this one and get a new HDD.

     

    Please let me know if you have any suggestions about buying a new internal HDD (1TB / 2TB)

     

    My HDD is 1 TB. The last time I accessed BIOS, it was in UEFI. SATA setting was in AHCI (it never was in legacy mode) .

  • sharky25k
    sharky25k Member Posts: 473 Skilled Practitioner WiFi Icon

    Hi,

     

    You should buy what you want. I would keep however, the good reputation companies like seagate or western digital. One issue could be the HDD thickness. So to check if the new HDD will have the same thickness as the old one. If it's slimmer it's not a problem, but if it will be thicker it will not fit.

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