Reasons for ATA/SATA Hard Drive Not Detected in BIOS
BIOS is the program a computer’s microprocessor uses to start the computer system after it is powered on. You can find your drive devices in BIOS and configure some settings when needed. However, some users get stuck in the ATA/SATA hard drive not detected in the BIOS issue and wonder how to fix that.
Considering this issue, you may check some basic ifs making BIOS not detect the ATA/SATA hard drive.
- If the data cable is not connected or is broken;
- If the disk is broken;
- If the controller/port on the motherboard is broken;
- If the Serial ATA driver is missing or incorrectly installed;
- If the hard drive is not enabled in the BIOS;
- And more…
Suggestion: Back up Your Data
Fixing ATA/SATA hard drive not detected in BIOS requires users to update BIOS and during this process, the data may get lost. Besides, it is recommended to back up data regularly to avoid any losses triggered by damaged drives. You can use MiniTool ShadowMaker free to perform data backup and recovery.
It allows users to choose different backup sources and destinations, which can satisfy most of your demands. More than that, the Clone Disk feature can perform a sector by sector cloning and help you move Windows to another drive.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
More Solutions for ATA/SATA Hard Drive Not Detected in BIOS
Solution 1: Check All the Connections and Cables
In most cases, the ATA/SATA hard drive not recognized in the BIOS issue was triggered by the physical damages. You can check if the devices have any wear, especially the cable and port.
To check the connection, you can do as follows.
1. Make sure your PC has powered off and disconnected to the mains.
2. Disconnect all the cables from the device and motherboard and check if the cable has any scars.
3. Then try those cables in other well-functioning PCs and see if they can work.
Also, you can check whether the drive is spinning up or not. Under normal conditions, you should hear the spinning sound of a hard drive when plugging it into the computer. If it stops spinning up, BIOS can’t detect the ATA/SATA hard drive. You can read this post to find the solutions: What Can You Do If Hard Drive Won’t Spin? [5 Tips].
Solution 2: Check If the Hard Drive Is Disabled in the BIOS
You need to enable the hard drive settings in BIOS so that you can see them displayed. Notice that the BIOS settings will vary with the device brands and you may take this guide for a reference.
First of all, you need to enter BIOS and go to find Drivers. Since the SATA drive may use different port names, you’d better make sure all drive ports are turned on.
Solution 3: Update BIOS
If your BIOS is too old but the drive is the latest, the compatibility issue can happen to cause ATA/SATA hard drive not detected in BIOS. In this way, you can try updating BIOS to resolve the issue.
1. Check the computer model name.
2. Find the latest BIOS update from the manufacturer’s website.
3. Download and unzip the BIOS file.
4. Copy the BIOS file to a USB flash drive.
5. Boot into the BIOS screen.
6. Back up the current BIOS file.
7. Launch the update tool and choose the new BIOS update file you copied to the USB flash drive to start the BIOS update process.
Additional Available Tips
Usually, inflicted users report that the above methods are quite useful when BIOS does not detect the ATA/SATA hard drive. If you are still stuck in the dilemma, you can try these tips.
- Update the hard drive devices to make the ATA/SATA hard drive detectable.
- Revert BIOS to its default configuration to undo any changes by loading default BIOS settings.
Bottom Line:
After reading this post, you may figure out the causes and troubleshooting methods for the ATA/SATA hard drive not detected in BIOS. Hope this post can resolve your concerns.
User Comments :