Hard Drive Connection

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[Susan Bradley]

Once a month for backing up all my files, I connect a traditional hard disk (HD) to the mother board to backup my files. I have been doing this for many, many years with no problems.

When I do this, I boot the Windows 10 based computer then connect the HD to the mother board cable. I always see the HD on Windows Explorer and Disk Management. I then format the HD so I have a clean HD to start with.

Starting last week, Windows Explorer and Disk Management did not see the HD at all. If I would connect the HD to the cable before booting the computer, then boot the computer Windows Explorer did see the HD normally.

Could this be caused by the last Windows 10 update?

I can be reached at <email removed for privacy purposes>

Any thoughts on why this started happening??????????????

 

• This topic was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by Susan Bradley.
• This topic was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by Susan Bradley.

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I’ve not seen this reported in venues.  Do you see anything in the event logs if you connect it the way you used to?

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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I haven’t looked at any event logs. Windows Explorer and Disk Management just look like nothing is connected at all. The computer just doesn’t know that anything is connected. As I noted, if the HD is connected before the computer is booted, everything looks normal.

I wonder if a recent Windows 10 update did something

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The way to test is to uninstall the update and see if it works like it used to.  If it works, then you know it’s security patch related. I would then probably put the hard drive in an external usb enclosure and use that going forward.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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Slightly off topic

pearceww wrote:

I then format the HD so I have a clean HD to start with

Formatting will remove the backup from that disk.
Unless you have several disks with a backup, you effectively have no backup.

cheers, Paul

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As noted, I do the backup once a month and have over 6 sets of backups going back over 6 months. I use the oldest one each month.

Yes – having several backups is critical!!!!!!!!!!!!

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All connectors have a limited life span, do the pins look okay? Does the connection to the cable or motherboard connector feel loose or other wise different?

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You did not indicate what type of hard drive interface your motherboard has.
If someone said “a few years” to me in reference to a “hard drive” I would probably think they were speaking of USB or newer hard drives.
If someone said “many years” to me in reference to a “hard drive” I would probably think they were speaking of SATA or ESATA hard drives.
If someone said “many, many years” to me in reference to a “conventional hard drive” I would probably think they were speaking of IDE or EIDE hard drives.
Unless a motherboard has “hot swap” capability as part of its design, I would probably not experiment with connecting or disconnecting a “conventional” hard drive while the system is powered on.
On the other hand, if I did experiment, I would connect power first and then the data cable. When disconnecting manually I would first disconnect the data cable and then disconnect the power cable.

Image or Clone often! Backup, backup, backup, backup......
- - - - -
Home Built: Windows 10 Home 64-bit, AMD Athlon II X3 435 CPU, 16GB RAM, ASUSTeK M4A89GTD-PRO/USB3 (AM3) motherboard, 512GB SanDisk SSD, 3 TB WD HDD, 1024MB ATI AMD RADEON HD 6450 video, ASUS VE278 (1920x1080) display, ATAPI iHAS224 Optical Drive, integrated Realtek HD Audio

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Hi and thanks

The HD has a traditional SATA interface. I have been doing the monthly backups for many, many years with no problems. I would always have the computer operating, then connect the back HD’s power cord. Then after a few seconds connect the SATA data cable from the mother board. Until this problem started, the computer would always see the HD and I could see it on both Windows Explorer and Disk Management. Then I would format the HD to start the back process. After the process was completed, I would remove the data cable then the power cable. Sometimes, I would just shut down the computer before removing the cables. As noted, the new issue is that the computer would not recognize the HD if it was connected after the computer was booted. I have to plug the HD to the mother board then boot the computer for it top be recognized.

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You may have to go into BIOS and set the SATA port for the cable going to the backup hard drive to indicate that it is a removable drive.

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