Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

External HDD used as internal but cannot be read.

Dec 11, 2011 10:15AM PST

Hello there.
Some years ago(around 4-5) i bought a 500gb Western Digital external hard disk drive, i was working on my PC on some data through the external disk and it suddenly died,i restarted the PC and since then it couldnt be read,i contacted WD but they said they cannot help me. My thought was to open the plastic box covering the Hd and use it as an internal device so i connected both SATA and power supply cables. Then i restarted my PC and after the memory check, windows check for the hard disks too, then it could find both my disks,the first one where i store the OS and some data, as well as the external HDD. But the problem is that just after the WD drive is detected windows just freeze,i cannot do anything and my PC won't keep working. If i press the reset button,when the system reaches the same process,it just wont read the 2nd plugged disk,it detects my 1st disk,pauses for a while(around a minute) and then keeps running without even recognising the 2nd one. So what i do in order to keep my PC running is to just unplug the 2nd one and restart my pc.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
I'll try
Dec 11, 2011 11:14AM PST

But this is never simple.

Did you put the second drive on an SATA connector higher in number than the boot drive?

- Collapse -
External HDD used as internal but cannot be read.
Dec 11, 2011 7:37PM PST

My motherboard has just 2 SATA connectors,in the one there was the boot drive plugged in since the day i bought the PC and the other one was free; I plugged the 2nd disk there.

- Collapse -
So let's ask the question again.
Dec 12, 2011 1:08AM PST

Was the number higher or lower on the connection you used?

- Collapse -
RE:
Dec 12, 2011 7:13AM PST

The number on what?As i said i am not any kind of computer expert,though i don't think you have to be one in order to understand what you mean,but i really do not know what you are talking for.. Where can I see this number you are reffering to?

- Collapse -
The motherboard SATA connectors should have numbers.
Dec 13, 2011 2:54AM PST

And many machines will boot from the lowest number connector.

It may be best to put this drive into a new USB housing if the number can't be read.
Bob