Many users know almost nothing about how to view a hard drive in BIOS, believing that the default settings of the primary system should never be changed. But sometimes you can come across quite specific situations when you absolutely need to determine the model of your own hard drive, install the operating system, use the disk status check tools, or set some specific options when connecting a new HDD or when creating a RAID array. Read about this and much more in the article below.
How to view a hard drive in BIOS: instructions for preliminary steps
So, first you need to enter the interface of the primary input / output system, which, in fact, is the BIOS (as well as its improved modification UEFI). On stationary terminals of the PC class, the Del key is usually used for this, which must be pressed at the moment the start screen appears when the computer is turned on.
As a rule, a special line will appear either at the bottom or in the middle of the window indicating the login method (Press Del to enter BIOS Setup or something like that).
With laptops, the situation is somewhat more complicated, since each manufacturer independently sets the keys used to enter, or their combinations. The function buttons are most often used (F2, F12, F9), sometimes combinations based on the Fn key can be used, and on some models, the primary system call buttons can generally be placed on the main keyboard panel (for example, the ASSIST button on Sony VAIO laptops). In general, it is best to immediately pay attention to the line describing the login method, which was described above, or read the technical documentation for the laptop.
Where can I see the hard drive in BIOS?
Now we assume that the primary system is logged in. How to view a hard drive in BIOS on a laptop or desktop PC? Everything is simple here. In the main window with parameters (Main tab), where the system time and date are indicated at the top, pay attention to the item Primary IDE Master.
It just corresponds to the main HDD that is installed on the computer device (to the right of the parameter is usually displayedname of the hard drive by manufacturer). If you go down to this item using the keyboard arrows at the moment when the item is active, you can see the maximum information on this device on the right.
Please note that if two or more media are connected and when jumpers are installed to set priority in older PCs, secondary media can also be automatically detected, which usually corresponds to the Primary IDE Slave or Secondary IDE Master item (when installing two and more hard drives, they are combined into a so-called RAID array).
Selecting computer boot options
Now it's worth saying a few words about how to view the hard drive in BIOS when it comes to setting boot priorities. For example, modern UEFI systems connected to computers and laptops automatically set flash drives as the first boot devices first, which is very convenient when installing operating systems, but causes confusion for the user when he simply forgot to remove the flash drive from the USB port, and at the stage Starting the boot, the system suddenly reports that the system disk with the OS installed on it is missing.
In this situation, you need to check the section responsible for setting such priorities. Usually the main section is called Boot, and it contains Boot Sequence, Boot Device Priority, etc., but the name directly depends on the manufacturer of the motherboard and the developer of the BIOS interface. But how to see the hard drive in BIOS to install it as the first device?
To do this, select the First Boot Device item and use the PgUp / PgDown keys to scroll through the list until your main HDD appears in the column (but usually it is already set first by default).
Important information about SATA controllers
How to see the hard drive through BIOS, figured it out a bit. Now let's move on to some specific parameters that may need to be changed in certain situations (most often associated with installing an operating system on older PCs). This is where special SATA controllers come into play.
They can be set to different modes of operation, among which SCSI and IDE are most often used. The newest primary systems switch modes automatically when detecting bootable devices (optical drives and flash drives), and, as a rule, the Auto value is set in the options column. But in obsolete computer systems, it may be necessary to change modes on your own.
How to use options when installing OS?
So which mode to choose? It is believed that if automatic switching is not provided, when booting from a removable drive and then installing the OS on the hard drive, the controller should work exclusively in IDE mode. But at the end of the installation, if, again, automatic mode change did not occur, the installed OS can be loaded only if the controller responsible for the HDD is operating in SCSI mode.
Whatwhat to do if HDD is not displayed in BIOS?
This is a summary of how to view the hard drive in BIOS. Finally, it is worth briefly dwelling on those deplorable situations when the HDD in the primary system is not detected or the operating system cannot be loaded.
First of all, you need to check the correct connection of the hard drive cables to the motherboard and power wires, as well as the installation of jumpers in the desired positions (Master / Slave), if this is provided for by the design of the hard drive.
On the other hand, it is not uncommon to encounter situations where a hard drive is not recognized just because it has not been initialized (although if you buy an HDD at an official point of sale of computer equipment, there should not be such problems). In this case, you need to initialize the disk in the working system, using at least the disk management tools that are available in the Windows systems themselves, by connecting the HDD to your own PC (if you have the main hard drive) or by connecting it to another terminal that has a working OS.
Finally, another problem may be the lack of drivers for the motherboard (chipset), but such situations are extremely rare. If such a problem appears, you will first need to install the drivers using the original media for this, which are mandatory supplied with the purchase of a computer or laptop. Well, and last but not least, one cannot exclude the fact that the hard drive itself may be faulty, or the connecting cables and cables havephysical damage.
Note: on some computers and laptops in the BIOS, you can perform a HDD self-test, so if the hard drive is detected, so to speak, through time, it is better to use these diagnostic tools.
