How to Fix Hard Drive Spinning but Not Detected (5 Ways)

Why hard drive spinning but not detected?

When your hard drive is spinning but not detected, it’s a clear sign that power is reaching the device, but data communication between the drive and your computer is failing. This issue often confuses users because the drive sounds alive — it vibrates or hums — yet doesn’t appear in File Explorer or BIOS. Here are some common causes:

✅ Loose or Damaged Connection Cables

✅ Outdated or Corrupted Drivers

✅ BIOS or UEFI Detection Issues

✅ Corrupted Partition Table or File System

✅ Corrupted Sectors

5 effective solutions to disk spinning but not detected

If your hard disk is spinning but not detecting, don’t panic. Below are several proven fixes you can try step by step.

Solution 1: Check Power and Data Connections

If an internal/external hard drive spins up but not detected, a loose or faulty SATA or USB cable is one of the most common culprits.

• Unplug and replug both power and data cables securely.
• Try connecting the drive to another port or using a different cable.
• If it’s an external drive, test it on another PC or use a different USB enclosure.

If the drive shows up afterward, the issue was likely with the connection.

Solution 2: Update or Reinstall Storage Drivers

Driver corruption can prevent Windows from recognizing a healthy drive.

1. Press Win + X → choose Device Manager.

2. Expand Disk drives or Universal Serial Bus controllers.

3. Right-click the unrecognized drive → choose Update driver or Uninstall device, then restart your PC. Windows will reinstall the appropriate drivers automatically, often restoring detection.

Solution 3: Detect the Drive in BIOS or UEFI

If your drive doesn’t appear even before Windows loads, check the BIOS.

1. Restart your PC and press Del, F2, or F10 to enter BIOS.

2. Look under Boot or Storage Devices.

3. If your drive isn’t listed, try enabling the SATA port or switching from AHCI to IDE mode temporarily. Once BIOS recognizes the disk, Windows usually follows.

Solution 4: Initialize/Format Disk

If your hard drive is spinning but not detected in File Explorer, yet it appears in Disk Management as “Unknown” or “Not Initialized”, initializing or formatting the drive can often restore access.

⚠️ Important: Initializing or formatting a drive will erase all existing data on it. If your disk contains important files, use a data recovery tool before proceeding.

1. Press Win + X and select Disk Management.

2. Find your problematic drive — it should show up as “Unknown” or “Not Initialized.” Right-click the drive and choose Initialize Disk.

3. Select a partition style and click OK to complete the initialization.

• MBR (Master Boot Record): Best for disks under 2TB or older systems.
• GPT (GUID Partition Table): Recommended for modern systems and larger drives.

4. Your disk should now appear as “Unallocated space”. Right-click the Unallocated space and choose New Simple Volume.

5. Follow the wizard to assign a drive letter and choose a file system (NTFS is recommended).

6. Click Finish to format the drive and make it accessible in File Explorer.

Solution 5: Fix Bad Sectors

If your disk is spinning but not detected or acting unstable, bad sectors could be the root cause. Fixing or isolating these bad sectors can sometimes restore access.

1. Type cmd in the Windows search bar, then right-click Command Prompt → select Run as administrator.

2. In the Command Prompt window, type chkdsk X: /f /r and press Enter. You may replace “X” with the letter of your problematic drive.

💡 Tip: If your drive doesn’t have a letter yet, you can assign one via Disk Management before running CHKDSK.

3. CHKDSK will scan your disk for bad sectors and attempt to repair them. This process may take a while, depending on the drive’s size and condition.

Bonus tips to prevent disk issues in the future

Keeping your hard drive healthy is easier — and far cheaper — than trying to fix it after it fails. Follow these simple yet effective tips to minimize the chances of your disk spinning but not being detected again.

1. Keep All Cables and Ports in Good Condition

Loose or damaged cables are often the hidden cause of disk detection errors.

• Use high-quality SATA or USB cables.
• Avoid bending or twisting connectors.
• Periodically inspect ports for dust or corrosion that may interfere with data transfer.

2. Keep Drivers and Firmware Updated

Outdated storage drivers or BIOS versions can cause detection problems.

• Regularly update your chipset and storage controller drivers.
• Check your hard drive manufacturer’s website for the latest firmware updates.

3. Maintain Adequate Disk Space and Health

Running a drive near full capacity can slow performance and increase wear.

• Keep at least 10–20% of your disk space free.
• Run disk cleanup and defragmentation (for HDDs) periodically.

4. Back Up Important Data Regularly

Even a healthy drive can fail unexpectedly. It is recommended to copy your hard drive to another drive as a backup. The best free disk clone software – AOMEI Cloner Free can give you a hand.

Download AOMEI Cloner now to try it out! To copy one disk to another, just click Clone > Disk Clone and follow the wizard to complete the process.

💡 Note: If you’d like to backup individual files instead of the whole disk, try free backup software AOMEI Backupper.

Conclusion

When your hard drive is spinning but not detected, it’s usually a sign of connection issues, corrupted partitions, or early hardware failure — not necessarily the end of your data. By following the right troubleshooting steps, you can often bring your drive back to life.

To avoid data loss in the event of hard drive failure, you may copy data from one hard drive to another with AOMEI Cloner. It enables you to clone disks or partitions with simple clicks. Just give it a shot!