Hard drive not showing up on clean install or in docking station

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Daiziniho

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Hi all,

Wondering if you can help solve something that has been bugging me for ages.

I have trawled through majority of related posts but can't quite work out what is wrong.

I have inherited an E Machine desktop, with OEM disk of windows 7 to do a clean install.

The problem is the hard drive does not show up on part 1 of installation 'Collecting information'
it asks 'where do you want to install windows' and No drives were found. Click Load Driver to provide a mass storage driver for installation.

I have bought a docking station combo and have tried to see if it shows up via linked to a laptop and have also tried linking it to another desktop and no show of the drive.

IF this means the hard drive has failed, is there anyway of access it at all due to the previous owner (family) wanting documents from it?
 
Solution
Ironsounds
Hello... Data Recovery is as Simple as taking the Platers out of the drive and installing them into another GOOD Drive... OR taking the electronics out of a good drive, and putting them into the BAD drive.
Yes... the drive is Electrically dead right NOW... But the Data remains.
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Tom Tancredi

Tom Tancredi

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May 9, 2013
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If you tried to take a drive, connect it to multiple machines with proper connecting and POWER (if it is a 3.5" or larger drive requires EXTERNAL power, no SATA/IDE to USB cable will have enough POWER to energize it) then the drive can be handed back to the family member and told they can put it on the foot of the door to hold the door open, is all it is good for.

If data was lost, tell them BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP, and BACKUP 'documents' you want to keep.
 
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Daiziniho

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IronSounds - It's set as ADE

Tom - In the docking station as a test, a duplicate hard drive was tested and made a start up noise/power up noise and recognised, the hard drive in question (only difference being is GB size) does not make any sound/power up, if that makes sense?
 
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Ironsounds

Ironsounds

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Hello... Data Recovery is as Simple as taking the Platers out of the drive and installing them into another GOOD Drive... OR taking the electronics out of a good drive, and putting them into the BAD drive.
Yes... the drive is Electrically dead right NOW... But the Data remains.
 
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Solution
Tom Tancredi

Tom Tancredi

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Yep, Door Stop as I said. Only way to get the documents back is ask the family member how much is it worth to them to get the documents? $1,000? $10,000? $100,000? Basically that is the increasing price range depending on the difficulty to recover the data intact from a Data Recovery Specialist, as Ironsounds mentioned, by removing the platters in a CLEAN ROOM with BUNNY SUITS environment, place them in a VERY EXPENSIVE reader, and try recovery.
 
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Daiziniho

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Thank you IronSounds, from the information given to me from previous owner, an 'expert' in a shop tried to transfer data from the disk to a usb for them to print off but said the pc was 'broken' Everything was working fine before they took it to the shop. Off the top of your/anyone elses head, does this look like an excuse from the 'professional' or just a very unlucky timing from the space of powering down and taking the desktop to them?
 
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Daiziniho

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Thanks Tom, the documents are not a major priority but if you check my recent post replying to Ironsounds I may throw this back to the shop that this issue possibly occurred from
 
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Ironsounds

Ironsounds

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Hello... it's hard to say? what is the Model/Brand and date code on the hardrive Label? Laptop hardrives go through alot of traveling and abuse Day to Day... Did you see the PC/hardrive working before the Move? or are you taking their word for it? Why would they take a PC to a "EXPERT" just to print Pictures or copy the files? This is pretty common everyday operations a family member should be able to do for them... UNLESS there was a problem in the first Place? B )
Am I starting to sound like Sherlock Homes?
 
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Tom Tancredi

Tom Tancredi

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E-Machines are very low end low cost machines, aka CHEAPY. Depending how old it is (5 year right?) the life of hardware is only THREE YEARS, so typically could been as simple as powering down and when they went to hook it up it did die (as it is over the life warranty of the drive). To prove if they were negligent (say plugged in the power in reverse shorting the electronics) would be VERY HARD if not IMPOSSIBLE unless there was witnesses or a video showing them screwing it up (or have a file with the BBB, you could check the company out for free with the BBB website). Honestly, unless this was a drive certified (aka legally insured for) as containing some very expensive data that would be worth a Lawyer's time to take these guys to task and 'prove' all that your asserting, no one would ever bother with your assertion.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Oh my.
I've seen bad advice before, but this is right up there with the worst.

Opening it up, taking the platters out, and putting them in another drive case?
Simple?
Yes....simple way to have two dead drives.
 
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Ironsounds

Ironsounds

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Hello... I have bought a similar used working HD from EBAY, and removed the Electronics board to bring a HD back to life for the DATA... it was really easy for me... but I was born with a screw driver in one hand and a soldering iron in my other... B ) AND I didn't need a bunny suit, Nor do I vacuum every day... it worked fine afterwards.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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The board, maybe. The platters? Yeah, right...
 
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Ironsounds

Ironsounds

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Hello... Yes... I was being Sarcastic " As SIMPLE AS" But the procedure is similar to what a professional data recovery will DO... I have not yet ever attemped a platter replacement in my List of achievments...
And that is Due to the MOST Important message here... BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP all your DATA.
Did you KNOW? that the platters ALSO make very very strong refigerator magnets?
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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Well...sarcasm does not travel well via text. Someone may come along in a few months, read this thread, and think that it really IS that simple.
 
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Ironsounds

Ironsounds

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Hello... Yes me Bad... But hands on is a valuable lesson in Life and I try to encourage it to others... I TRY to be careful using my TEXT and Sarcasm in this forum, AND NOT cause any further Damage to someones PC and Parts. As I try to give, Detailed instructions, to the Timid, a LOW cost " Hands On " solution for their hardware/software problems... AS they come here and ASK of us.
 
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Daiziniho

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Since the hard drive was deemed dead I found another working hard drive for a few quid second hand and swapped over a few parts. after trying and trying for a hour or so it lit up in the docking system and was able to retrieve the data. Thanks for all those involved again.
 
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