HDD not Detected: Disk 1, Unknown, Not Initialized, Online

[CountMike]

Ahahaha. So sorry for the slow reply. Yeah, as alphanumeric guessed, I am catching up slowly (I must learn!) and wow, you guys are so helpful and thanks for willing to explain so much in detail! Definitely not gonna throw it into garbage bin until I can confirm it toasted.

I remember my brother is still having his PATA hard drive with USB 2.0 to IDE. Will it work if I test it with that?
Also my brother might still have his old desktop around that probably has IDE bus. I think I can only check it out tomorrow (it's midnight here, by the way )

OK, if your brother has a 2.5" drive, this one could be connected thru his adapter to USB. That would be best because to connect to desktop would require another adapter.

 

[alphanumeric]

Ahahaha. So sorry for the slow reply. Yeah, as alphanumeric guessed, I am catching up slowly (I must learn!) and wow, you guys are so helpful and thanks for willing to explain so much in detail! Definitely not gonna throw it into garbage bin until I can confirm it toasted.

I remember my brother is still having his PATA hard drive with USB 2.0 to IDE. Will it work if I test it with that?
Also my brother might still have his old desktop around that probably has IDE bus. I think I can only check it out tomorrow (it's midnight here, by the way )

Just keep in mind that the connector on your drive is meant to connect it to a laptop IDE plug. The IDE cable and plug in a desktop PC is bigger and won't connect to your drive without an adapter.
I think CountMike already posted something but I'll post another. You'll need something like this , Buy the Cables To Go Laptop To IDE Hard Drive Adapter at TigerDirect.ca to mate the two.

 

[CountMike]

True, enough. Most people know right away what your referring to when you say IDE. Mention PATA though? Not so much. Just about everybody know what SATA is. It can get very confusing though, that's for sure.

Throw in there old standards like MFM and BFI with 2 cables (before IDE) and a dozen of other SCASI standards and you do get a mess. To say nothing about optical HDD connections.

I can remember messing with those old hard drives. A data cable and a control cable. The good old days when the motherboard had onboard nothing. A big old keyboard connector and a row of ISA slots, lol.

Yes, a giant (by today's standards) MB with ISA (VESA) slots but pile of memory chips soldered on.MFM and BFI had all the controls for HDD on an ISA board but when it was all integrated with controller on the HDD itself (hence the IDE Integrated Drive Electronics) it became simpler. Used to make MFM to quasi SCASI jack one Atari ST to be able to use enormous 20MB HDD and throw away most of 3.5" diskettes of 512 KB.

 

[CountMike]

Ahahaha. So sorry for the slow reply. Yeah, as alphanumeric guessed, I am catching up slowly (I must learn!) and wow, you guys are so helpful and thanks for willing to explain so much in detail! Definitely not gonna throw it into garbage bin until I can confirm it toasted.

I remember my brother is still having his PATA hard drive with USB 2.0 to IDE. Will it work if I test it with that?
Also my brother might still have his old desktop around that probably has IDE bus. I think I can only check it out tomorrow (it's midnight here, by the way )

Just keep in mind that the connector on your drive is meant to connect it to a laptop IDE plug. The IDE cable and plug in a desktop PC is bigger and won't connect to your drive without an adapter.
I think CountMike already posted something but I'll post another. You'll need something like this , Buy the Cables To Go Laptop To IDE Hard Drive Adapter at TigerDirect.ca to mate the two.

Ha, that one is even simpler and presumably cheaper.

 

[MelissaM]

Ahahaha. So sorry for the slow reply. Yeah, as alphanumeric guessed, I am catching up slowly (I must learn!) and wow, you guys are so helpful and thanks for willing to explain so much in detail! Definitely not gonna throw it into garbage bin until I can confirm it toasted.

I remember my brother is still having his PATA hard drive with USB 2.0 to IDE. Will it work if I test it with that?
Also my brother might still have his old desktop around that probably has IDE bus. I think I can only check it out tomorrow (it's midnight here, by the way )

OK, if your brother has a 2.5" drive, this one could be connected thru his adapter to USB. That would be best because to connect to desktop would require another adapter.

...so unfortunate. Tried with his connector and it wasn't even showed up in either Disk Management or WD Diagnostics Tool.

Ahahaha. So sorry for the slow reply. Yeah, as alphanumeric guessed, I am catching up slowly (I must learn!) and wow, you guys are so helpful and thanks for willing to explain so much in detail! Definitely not gonna throw it into garbage bin until I can confirm it toasted.

I remember my brother is still having his PATA hard drive with USB 2.0 to IDE. Will it work if I test it with that?
Also my brother might still have his old desktop around that probably has IDE bus. I think I can only check it out tomorrow (it's midnight here, by the way )

Just keep in mind that the connector on your drive is meant to connect it to a laptop IDE plug. The IDE cable and plug in a desktop PC is bigger and won't connect to your drive without an adapter.
I think CountMike already posted something but I'll post another. You'll need something like this , Buy the Cables To Go Laptop To IDE Hard Drive Adapter at TigerDirect.ca to mate the two.

Then... I think this would be my next mission.

 

[alphanumeric]

Is this drive 2.5 inches wide or 3.5 inches wide? If its the bigger 3.5 inch form factor drive you don't need an adapter. The easy way to tell is the bigger drive will have a 4 pin power connector and the smaller drive won't.

 

[CountMike]

Is this drive 2.5 inches wide or 3.5 inches wide? If its the bigger 3.5 inch form factor drive you don't need an adapter. The easy way to tell is the bigger drive will have a 4 pin power connector and the smaller drive won't.

Since nobody mentioned a power adapter, it's to be presumed it's a 2.5" which can be used without one. Some 2.5" USB drives have forked cable with 2 USB conectors so they do not draw to much power from a single port.

 

[MelissaM]

Yes, it is a 2.5 inches hard drive.

You can check -> item description if you would like to know further.

 

[alphanumeric]

Just wanted to make sure, thanks. Also my apologies I think I may referred to you as he, when I should have said she.

 

[CountMike]

Just wanted to make sure, thanks. Also my apologies I think I may referred to you as he, when I should have said she.

It's "computercracy" here, we are all the same.

 

[MelissaM]

Just wanted to make sure, thanks. Also my apologies I think I may referred to you as he, when I should have said she.

Haha. Don't worry about it Sorry that I didn't justify when you mentioned me as "he" too

 

[MelissaM]

Hi guys! Sorry for the slow update.
I just managed to find a connector and tested it on a desktop PC. It really took me a while to find it because the stores nearby my house didn't have any (such small city I live in...). Unfortunately it didn't work as well I guess I'll let it rest in peace.

 

[frozwire]

Hi guys! Sorry for the slow update.
I just managed to find a connector and tested it on a desktop PC. It really took me a while to find it because the stores nearby my house didn't have any (such small city I live in...). Unfortunately it didn't work as well I guess I'll let it rest in peace.

Not a happy ending I guess

 

[PepeM]

Hi everybody.
Im the new one here. I have the same problem with my hdd. WD Elements. I tried everything. Every single software, and nothing. I just wonder if MelissaM somehow solved the problem with the HDD or I can throw my into the trash can.

Please, I would be very grateful if anyone can tell me if there is a chance to save the files from my hdd or format it somehow.

Thanks

 

[external]

Hi everyone;
I have the same problem with my WD hdd, I tried many soft and guides but nothing works.
if someone get the solution or any idea, plz share it with us.