Check hard drive connection cable
For desktop computers, loose SATA cables or power cables are common causes.
How to do it: Turn off the computer → Disconnect the power source → Check and replug the SATA cable and power cable → Restart the machine.
Check the hard drive in BIOS
If BIOS does not recognize the hard drive, Windows will also not be able to recognize the device.
How to do it: Boot the machine → Press Delete, F2 or F10 (depending on the machine line) to enter BIOS → Check if the hard drive appears in the device list.
Check in Disk Management
The hard drive may have been received but the drive character has not been assigned.
How to do it: Press Windows + X → Select Disk Management → Check hard drive → If there are no drive characters, right-click → Select Change Drive Letter and Paths → Assign new characters.
Starting a new hard drive
The newly installed hard drive will not display if it has not been started.
How to do it: Open Disk Management → Select new hard drive → Tap Initialize Disk → Select GPT or MBR → Create new partition.
Update hard drive driver
A faulty storage driver may prevent Windows from receiving the hard drive.
How to do it: Press Windows + X → Select Device Manager → Open Disk drives → Right-click on the hard drive → Select Update driver.
Check SATA port or M.2 slot
If you replace the cable but still do not receive the hard drive, the cause may be the connection port.
How to do it: Switch the hard drive to another SATA port or reinstall the M.2 SSD in the correct position → Restart the machine.
Run the hard drive error checking tool
Windows has a file system error checking tool available.
How to do it: Open Command Prompt with administrator permissions → Type command chkdsk /f/r → Press Enter → Restart the computer if prompted.
Check the power source
Unstable power supply can cause the hard drive to operate sluggishly.
How to do it: Check the computer's power supply → Make sure the hard drive is fully powered → Try another power cord if available.
Note that if you have tried the above methods but the computer still does not receive the hard drive, the hard drive may have hardware damage or the motherboard has a problem. In this case, users should back up the data (if still accessible) and bring the device to a reputable warranty center or repair facility for inspection.
