Windows 7 won't recognize hard drive

[Animorc]

Hi,
After the installation of the Win7 Beta on my new computer my hard disk doesn't not recognizes by windows 7. it says No disk drive detected, i tried to search for the hard drive but it won't show in windows.The disk is divided into 2 partitions, C and D. C is detected (when browsing), but not D. Drive was detected in my earlier OS(window vista) but why it is not recognize in windows 7 that i don't know, Does anyone know what causes this issue and how to fix it?Any help will be extremely appreciated.

[Calvin K]

To slove the problem open the control panel and click on the Administrative Tools icon after that close the control panel window.In that administrative tools click on computer management,click on yes if it is prompted by UAC,click on disk management in the left panel under Storage. In the right panel, right click on the Vista hard disk partition that is missing it's drive letter, then click on Change Drive Letter and Paths.Click on the Add button.7. Select (dot) Assign the following drive letter, then select a drive letter you want to have assigned to the Vista disk partition and click on OK.8. The Vista Hard Disk Partition will now show up in Windows 7.

[jesse]

1. Press [Windows], enter [diskmgmt.msc] and hit [enter] to open the Disk Management interface in Windows 7.

2. Now You can see all the hard drives and partitions of the computer system.

3. Select the partition which don,t have the Drive Letter.

4. Right Click on that Drive and Select “Change Drive Letter and Paths”

5. Now click the Add button and assign a drive letter to the partition.

After this your Missing Drive is Visible in Your Windows 7 Computer.

[Wynn]

check this thread with same problem :

Missing Hard Drive Letter in Windows 7

[NEXT]

Hi, I have a similar problem but can't fix it. Disk management lists all of my hard drives, without letter assignment. I go to "Change drive letter and path" and it is not highlighted, it is not an executible function. It will not let me add any of the hidden partitions or main partitions on either Hardrive in my case. The only partition that lets me have an executible for "change drive letter and path" is the partition I have windows on?
Any ideas?
Thanks

[jesse]

Check out the below links for more details

How to change, remove, assign a drive letter in Windows XP
Changing drive letter in XP
How to change Drive Names from C to D or D to C ?
http://forums.techarena.in/windows-x...rt/1057504.htm

[NEXT]

Thanks for the response, but non of the links address my problem. Again, I am in administrator mode, it lists all the drives and partitions but it will not let me "change drive letter and path". I have followed every way listed. it simply will not let me do it?
Any ideas on why this is?? as I said I am in admin mode, It will list them, but will not let me do anything with them?

[Carmen12]

I have a similar problem with Windows 7 not recognizing one of my hard drives. However, it only fails to recognize the drive most of the time. Sometimes if I reboot my compter several times, the drive will show up in My Compter. But not today. It is my G drive and it is a 300 gb internal drive that I use to store music, documents and photos. Windows Media Player looks to this drive for my music so when the drive doesn't appear in My Computer, none of my music files will play.

I also have a 500 gb external hard drive and Windows 7 has no problems seeing it.

When I check Disk Manager, it shows OS (C drive), Recovery (D drive), External (F), and 39 mb OEM partition (0).

Please help.

I found that if I unplug the computer instead of shutting it down normally, when I reboot, the G drive shows? What could be causing this annoying problem?

[tomget]

I'm also having a problem installing a 2nd hard drive. I'm not all that tech savy, and I was expecting a wizard to ask me what I wanted when I restarted. But it didn't comment on the new hardware etc? And I started looking around, and somewhere-in hardware/properties etc I did locate the new HD, but it didn't say it was working/but it wasn't "flagged" as a problem etc. I came to believe that its there and its GB capacity etc is seen but it had no location and drive letter assaigned. I guess I was expecting something like when I attach a USB external drive etc--but clearly it isn't. I didn't realize i was gonna get into the Partition Magic arena etc. I'm not nearly that geeky and don't want to study for 40hours. I just wanted to add a seperate additional internal drive and use it for whatever--maybe even storage like my external drives etc. Or just put all my games or photos on it or something. I have no interest in anything fancy. I dont' want to change the boot location or whatever. Just leave all that alone. And after trying the disc management in win7--I did get it to "initialize"?-i don't really know what that means, but some comment made think that was needed- because that was the only option that would appear when i right clicked on it--it just shows now as before as "unallocated" disc space. And somehow i changed its location from 0 to 1. And I changed my primary drive to 0. I was fearful that this unintended consequence might be a problem, but machine still starts etc. But still no drive letter/and no recogition in "my computer" that such a drive exists. And in disc managment I don't see any right clicking opportunities to assaign a drive number. The drive doesn't appear "up above" in disc management just in the lower section where it discusses alloted drive space etc. There are some "options" I can't even remember what they were at the moment but they were related to somehow changing its "configuration" with techy terms I'm not familiar with and I quit messing with it for the moment, because i don't want to screw it up. I guess i can read all the links--if I sit back and wade through it all for the next week of my spare time. But I'm a PC user not a Pc technician. I'm surprised that the promised--i think-wizard never appeared--i may have somehow gone around it and yes I logged on as Admin, and I'm wondering now if I should just open the case and unplugg the drive and startup anew and restart etc and maybe somehow the Wizard might appear. I'm disappointed that MS has not given a "simple" method-similar to adding a external usb drive addition--which is simple. I know sometimes someone needs to do something exotic--but not all users have such a need.

I'm following this thread and appreciate the help from the more knowledgeable, but so far the listed fixes haven't solved my problem. that's not the fault of the posters but probably how WIN7 is still maturing and changing. I appreciate your comments and help.

Maybe I could just use this additional drive to create a "mirror". I'm not really short on disc space, I just had the extra drive because I was planning to do a clean install of WIN7 when I moved from Vista, but after hearing all the confusion about doing that I just "upgraded in place to 7", and just forgot about the new spare drive--which is the same as my primary HD and I just thought I should use it before they become extinct and we move on to some other type drive.

Goodluck Tom

[tomget]

I'm pleased to report that after returning to the DiscMgmt tool - partitions etc--I was able to successfully "start" the Wizard that allowed me to set up a "standard? what was the word?" simple? something like that partition for this new additional internal drive with SATA connection. I now have 2 hard drives.

Here's how it worked for me: i installed the additional hardrive with SATA data connection and multi pin power connection/I restarted the system/i signed on as ADMIN/I typed "disc management" in windows search window/and went to "disc partitions etc?" that was the result of search/I right clicked on the "not allocated" new hard drive that had no number or letter or location assaigned/I clicked "initialize" or something like that/and (got stuck at this point)/but after restarting the next day I again went back to Disc Mgmt(partitions etc) and i again right clicked on this new "unallocated" hard drive/I selected Simple Volume? or something like that/and the Wizard Page opened and talked about just a simple? or similar term meaning i guess nothing fancy just another extra hard drive for general use--not a memory image/not a simultaneously operating RAID type device--if I'm using that word right/ etc and I just clicked a few boxes OK etc and it was all non techy and was totally sucessful. Plus it also did a quick NTSF format of the new disc as well.

I went back to my non admin mode and went to MyComputer and there is the new drive with a drive letter etc just like all my other internal and external drives.

I think I'm done. I'm sorry I sometimes forgot the exact word presented after a "right click" etc--but I don't do this often. If I'd known I was heading for success I would have taken better notes. But if your reading this and have the same problem with a Nov2009 version of WIN7 this should work for you.
If i failed to use the exact correct word-I think you'll be OK to see something similar and will figure it OK.

Goodluck Tom

[gruberloo]

Hi,

I am trying to read my external HD (WD My Book Essential 2.0 500Gig) on a Windows 7 PC, with no luck. The drive seems to be recognized by the Disk Management, it shows up with no drive letter, and it also shows on Device Manager, Disk drives. I tried adding the drive letter on Disk management as explained here, but the option is not available for the drive. So Im stuck at this point.

Does anyone has any idea what I could try? The drive seems to be working, it is readable on a Macbook, but Windows PC seem to be the problem...

[tomget]

so you went to disc management and clicked on this drive--i forget is it a right click--maybe not--anyway I guess you need to select "simple drive" or something like that from the box that appears after you click on it--I don't do this everyday-sorry--but at this selection of "simple drive" or something you should get a wizard to help ? were you able to get the wizard started on this drive--getting the drive letter etc is the very last thing(as i recall)-before that you'll have to designate size of partition etc --and WIN7 will also do a quick format too--I think that all has to happen before the subject of designating drive letter occurs

Have tried as outlined above? My last post was probably clearer than this rambling, but like I said I'm not an expert or anything. Just a user like you.
I'm sure you will get it eventually--just keep saying what you're doing and the results--either I'll help you through it or someone more knowledgeable will.

Tom

[tomget]

As an additional thought--when I added an external hard drive--I didn't have to go through this process--it was already loaded with some sort of file that took care of this. I guess different external drives can be formatted for windows or apple etc--can you google your drive specifics and see if it says anything about installation instructions.

I know there were no installation instructions with my "external" drive. It was totally plug and play--the drive letter was automatically selected by the system and I was never involved. And still its like a usb device--put it on / take it off etc-nothing to it. Yours might be somewhat different. You might want to go to Newegg.com and see if they sell this model of drive,sometimes the reviews of their products will talk about installation issues etc. YOu might see some hint of data that helps you.

Tom

[tomget]

One additional thought. I'm guessing that this is a USB2.0 device? Have you just tried unplugging the usb connector while your PC is running? Does your machine try to reinstall it when you reattach the usb connector? I'm guessing this device is powered by a low votage power cord plugged into your surge protector or wall outlet etc? Does the unit itself have a little yellow or green light that is on? Just wondering if the unit is also getting electricity etc.

Sometimes when I unplug my external usb 2.0 device the WIN7 window opens and asks what this is? etc? and what I want to do with it. Is this happening?
Tom

[gruberloo]

Hi,

thanks for the replies. I have now found out why, likely, the HD is not working on Windows 7. It seems like a long time ago, we used this hd as a backup on a macbook, using their timemachine software. When we tried reading the drive in the macbook, it worked well. Now, the problem is that we dont have enough space in the mac to transfer the file from the hd, format it and copy them again as a normal drive, and we can not read it on the pc.... any ideas?