Hard drive not recognized on vista 64 bit ?!?

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briin79

Limp Gawd
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Jan 28, 2005
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I physically installed the WD1600YS WEstern digital 160gb Caviar HD into the computer. PATA and SATA cables.However it is not recognizing it. I had the old install disc for XP version which will not work on my vista. Now that being said i am unable to find the drivers needed for my computer to recognize it. I believe it needs western digital tools. I called the tech support at western digital and they stated the drivers are only available for vista 32 bit. my vista reads 32 programs. He couldn't tell me where those drivers were. He was pretty aggravated when he picked up probably because someone called him and complained that their cup holder( disc drive) was broke when it spilled the drink.

Please direct me to a website where i may download the driver to recognize my HD. thanks for your help and ask any questions
 
Windows should recognize your hard drive. If it's not detected perhaps you have it physically installed incorrectly. Does your BIOS see the drive?
 
OK few things.

What do you mean you PATA and SATA cables? It's one or the other.

Secondly, you don't need any drivers to install an HDD. The OS will supply the drivers automatically.

Also, some of those tools that don't run on 32 bit actually will.

Last, is this an HDD being installed into an existing system or are you trying to install an OS on it? If it's going into an existing system, check Disk Management to see if it's there. (right click My Computer ->Manage -> Disk Mangement) Do you see the drive listed there?
 
I did check disk management already. The HDD is not listed there. I installed it into a new computer that runs vista 64 from my old computer which ran win xp. I thought PATA was the data cord and SATA was the power cord. Its a 4 prong white connection for the power and about 15 pins in 2 rows for the data cord. Skinny and long like a wafer. Only one possible place to connect it on the motherboard so i know its installed correctly. I do not know how to see it in BIOS? im pretty sure i need a driver for my computer to recognize it. i could be wrong ofcourse.
 
briin79 said:
I did check disk management already. The HDD is not listed there. I installed it into a new computer that runs vista 64 from my old computer which ran win xp. I thought PATA was the data cord and SATA was the power cord. Its a 4 prong white connection for the power and about 15 pins in 2 rows for the data cord. Skinny and long like a wafer. Only one possible place to connect it on the motherboard so i know its installed correctly. I do not know how to see it in BIOS? im pretty sure i need a driver for my computer to recognize it. i could be wrong ofcourse.
Click to expand...
OK that's called an IDE drive.

On the drive itself where the label is, look for Primary, Secondary and Cable Select. There will be a little drawing that shows you where to place the jumper (on the side of the drive where the power connector goes). Put the jumper according to Cable Select. Then reconnect the IDE (ribbon) cable and white 4 pin 12v (molex) power connector.
 
i did set the jumper as a slave drive since it was the master in the previous machine. that suffice?
 
Hit the DEL key right at startup to enter the BIOS. If the drive is not listed as a secondary drive then you have jumper set incorrectly.

Read this article to learn about the BIOS. link here
 
briin79 said:
i did set the jumper as a slave drive since it was the master in the previous machine. that suffice?
Click to expand...

HAQattaq said:
Hit the DEL key right at startup to enter the BIOS. If the drive is not listed as a secondary drive then you have jumper set incorrectly.

Read this article to learn about the BIOS. link here
Click to expand...
He's adding it to a Vista x64 machine, which almost certainly has a Sata HDD. You do not need to set the IDE drive to Slave in that case.
 
bigdogchris said:
He's adding it to a Vista x64 machine, which almost certainly has a Sata HDD. You do not need to set the IDE drive to Slave in that case.
Click to expand...

Maybe so but if you can't see it in the BIOS there is no use troubleshooting it in Windows.
 
thanks for your input i will try to adjust the jumper settings off the slave. Then go to BIOS and see if it recognized. I will list what i see. thanks again
 
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