PC not recognising second HDD (Windows 8.1)

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Q

qanda

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Sep 7, 2008
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0
18,510
My PC's HDD recently got corrupted and would not boot. I sent it to the computer shop and they recommended formatting it and reinstalling Windows. But because I didn't want to lose the files in the drive, they recommended that I:

(a) buy a new HDD,
(b) install Windows onto this new drive,
(c) plug my old drive back in as a secondary drive, and
(d) transfer my files from the old drive to the new drive.

I have done (a)-(c) above, and my PC now boots normally from the new drive. However, I can't get it to recognise the old drive. It is detected by BIOS at startup, but it is not listed as one of the drives within Windows itself (under Disk Management).

Is there a way to get Windows to recognise my old HDD without formatting it and thereby losing my old files?

Some system information:

1) OS - Windows 8.1
2) Motherboard - Asus
3) New (working) HDD - Toshiba
4) Old HDD - Western Digital
 
Solution
smorizio
if the drive is older ide drive check that the master/slave jumper on slave pins if the old drive on the same ide cable as the new drive. some ide drives dont like each other controller. some time you have to put the old drive on another ide port or use ext ide to usb box or usb cable. if it a sata drive check that the sata cable on intel or amd port and not on 3 party sata port. check with your hand that the old drive still spining and has not died....spin up..down..up..down. if you think the drive controller and heads are working you can try running
http://www.piriform.com/recuva
see if it sees the old drive.
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smorizio

smorizio

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Jan 22, 2010
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if the drive is older ide drive check that the master/slave jumper on slave pins if the old drive on the same ide cable as the new drive. some ide drives dont like each other controller. some time you have to put the old drive on another ide port or use ext ide to usb box or usb cable. if it a sata drive check that the sata cable on intel or amd port and not on 3 party sata port. check with your hand that the old drive still spining and has not died....spin up..down..up..down. if you think the drive controller and heads are working you can try running
http://www.piriform.com/recuva
see if it sees the old drive.
 
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Solution
Q

qanda

Distinguished
Sep 7, 2008
6
0
18,510

Thanks for your reply smorizio. It is a SATA drive, and I don't think the issue is due to a connection fault because the drive shows up in BIOS. It is just not being detected after I enter Windows.
 
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