Support Article - Hard Drive Not Detected error on a computer

This article provides information on how to identify and resolve an issue with onscreen Hard Drive errors during starting your PC.

Is your PC giving an onscreen Hard Drive error when you start it up?

There are several reasons why a PC will report that the Operating System or Hard Drive cannot be detected on startup.

Some of these issues can be resolved without replacing parts and some will require you to narrow down the faulty part before taking this further.

If there are any other issues with the machine, please troubleshoot those faults before following this guide.

Physical Troubleshooting

1. Reseat the Hard Drive cables, at the hard drive & the motherboard, at the hard drive also reseat the power connector. Does the issue continue?

   1. Yes, go to step 2.

   2. No, Your issue is resolved.

2. Unplug  the Hard Drive cables from the drive or motherboard and attempt to boot to either the BIOS or the diagnostics again with no Hard Drive installed?

   1. You can boot to the BIOS with the Hard Drive removed. 

      1. Press <Del> after the XUM Logo or Motherboard Manufacturer's Logo appears.

         Note: The screen may flash up quickly so you may need to try the above keystroke multiples times as there is a short window of opportunity for the system to recognise the key-press. (Del)

   2. You cannot boot to the BIOS with the Hard Drive removed. The issue is with the System or Operating System and not the Hard Drive please read the article below for a guide on No Boot issues.

      1. The computer does not boot to Windows 10

3. If possible two way swap the Hard Drive with the Hard Drive from another identical system. Does the issue follow the original Hard Drive to the known good working system or does the issue stay with the original machine with the known good working Hard Drive installed?

   1. If the issue follows the Hard Drive then there is a good chance that the hard drive has failed, is corrupt or simply no longer functioning.

      1. Is your System still in warranty?

         • If the answer is YES, the system is still in warranty you will need to contact XUM technical support to log a service call with your troubleshooting at this point.

         • If the answer is NO, your system is out of warranty you can still contact your Technical support for a quote for how much a chargeable repair will cost. Alternatively, you can source a Hard Drive and fit the part yourself.

   2. If the issue stays with the system, then the issue is with the System or Operating System and not the Hard Drive please read the article below for a guide on No Boot issues.

      1. Computer does not boot to Windows 10

4. If it isn't possible to swap the Hard Drive between machines and your system only has one Hard Drive, then it will depend on whether your system is a desktop or notebook for the next step.

   1. If it is a desktop system I would recommend swapping the power and data cables from the back of the Optical Drive to the back of your Hard Drive and try booting once more. If the system boots then you will want to test the original power and data cable individually to determine if the fault is with a particular cable, a particular port on your Motherboard or with the Hard Drive. Once you have identified the faulty part determine the following:

      1. Is your System still in warranty?

         • If the answer is YES, the system is still in warranty you will need to contact XUM technical support to log a service call with your troubleshooting at this point.

         • If the answer is NO, your system is out of warranty you can still contact your Technical support for a quote for how much a chargeable repair will cost. Alternatively, you can source a Hard Drive and fit the part yourself.

   2. If it is a laptop system there will usually only be one connector or cable. If reseating the drive has not had any effect you will need to determine the following:

      1. Is your System still in warranty?

         • If the answer is YES, the system is still in warranty you will need to contact XUM technical support to log a service call with your troubleshooting at this point.

         • If the answer is NO, your system is out of warranty you can still contact your Technical support for a quote for how much a chargeable repair will cost. Alternatively, you can source a Hard Drive and fit the part yourself.

         • However you will probably need to reinstall Windows again if you replace the drive