The hard disc is a crucial part of your computer’s structure. A computer’s RAM is like its memory. It’s where the machine keeps track of everything you need to run the OS and any files you’ve downloaded. Many hard drives, sometimes abbreviated as “HDD,” are mechanical. While the HDD is working, you can’t get any data written onto them unless you rotate them on a plate. It is possible that you could hear the hard drive spinning but not detected by the computer you are using. Users may discover that their hard drives rotate and appear to be operating normally, but are nonetheless invisible to the operating system. We’ll go over some of the reasons this could be happening, some solutions you can attempt, and some more conditions in which the drive might or might not spin.
Why Can I Hear Hard Drive Spinning But Not Detected: Why Can’t I Hear It?
A native hard drive may occasionally spin loudly enough to be audible, but external hard drives are significantly more likely to do so.
The universal standard for connecting external hard drives is to plug them into a computer’s USB port. By using this method, your laptop or desktop computer will instantly recognize the new device, giving you fast access to the drive’s additional storage space or files.
The external hard drive’s spinning may be audible because its case isn’t as thick as a typical computer tower case, which would help muffle the noise.
Even yet, the presence of a hard drive that spins indicates that the device is likely to be intelligent.
Despite the disc’s persistent spinning, the computer may fail to notify you that a new device has been recognized.
We will look at the most popular possibilities among the many possible ones that could explain this.
- The drive itself may have no partitions. That’s because the computer treats the whole storage device as free space. This is common with brand-new hard drives but can also happen with used or older drives.
- In the presence of partitions, it is possible that no letter is assigned to any given partition. The “C” drive is typically the primary storage location on a computer. It is necessary to have lettered partitions so that the computer can recognize any external discs you connect to the computer.
- Your drive is not formatted with any of the two major file systems, FAT32 or NTFS, which are recognized by most computers. It may instead appear as something called RAW; we will discuss what this means and how to handle it in the following section.
- Problems with the drive’s connection to the computer could be the result of faulty physical connections.
- It’s possible that the system won’t recognize or make use of the external hardware because the necessary drivers are either out of date or missing entirely.
How To Fix This Problem?
As can be seen, there are a few potential reasons why the hard drive spinning but not detected and unable to link up with the computer in an appropriate manner. We are going to go through each of the problems that were described above and propose one of the potential remedies that have the best chance of succeeding.
Our list is not comprehensive, and you may be working with a defective drive; however, we will proceed under the assumption that this is a problem that can be resolved by doing some basic troubleshooting steps.
Fix 1
Fixing the unallocated space is necessary to get the hard disc back to full operation. Unallocated space prevents the system from seeing or accessing any data stored on the disc, even if that data is still there.
There are numerous data recovery programs available on the internet. Thus, you can use them to resolve this problem you are facing.
They can look through the unallocated space in the partition that has disappeared, hopefully finding the data that was there.
Once the desired things have been recovered, you may use “Disk Management” to delete the unused partition and create a new one into which to copy the recovered data.
Fix 2
This is an easy problem to fix if no visible letter is associated with a partition. All that’s needed is a click on the right mouse button followed by a click on the partition.
The partition can be given a letter name at that point. When finished, undo any changes you made and restart the computer for the registry to take effect.
Fix 3
Data is present in the drive’s structure if the file system displays as “RAW” rather than one of the other two common systems for HDDs.
However, the OS is either unfamiliar with the file type or the file itself is corrupt, so it cannot open it. To check if any of the files on a regularly accessed drive have gotten corrupted, you can use recovery software to attempt to restore them. At this point, you will be needing a reformat of the drive.
Fix 4
Check the disc’s physical connection to the computer’s USB ports and the other way around. The inability of the two gadgets to exchange data may be due to faulty or loose connections.
Fix 5
Try updating the device drivers in your system and then check to see if the computer recognizes your drive or not.
Fix 6
If the disc is spinning but the computer still doesn’t recognise it, the issue may be a damaged or inappropriate USB cord.
Remove the hard drive from the current USB port and reconnect it to a different port.
Connect the USB hub directly to the computer’s USB port to ensure proper operation and to ensure that both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 are functioning properly.
Some times, the use of a USB hub can cause compatibility issues which will then prevent the computer from recognizing your disk.
Fix 7
If trying a different USB device still doesn’t work, you may want to be sure something else is wrong with the setup.
Likewise, after removing the hard drive you must restart the computer and see if the problem exists.
If it doesn’t work, try linking it to a different PC.
In some cases, the operating system itself won’t recognize the drive and may block it.
Also, your computer may be functioning properly, but the drive’s format may not be compatible with its read/write capabilities.
Try hooking up the drive to a machine running a different OS to see whether it functions properly.
Fix 8
Your hard disc may be incompatible with your computer if this is the first time you’ve ever plugged it in and it hasn’t shown up in File Explorer.
It is necessary to convert your hard drive to the format required by your operating system if it is not already.
However, keep in mind that you will lose all data if you convert the file format.
Consider an alternative strategy if the information on your hard drive is very priceless.
In order to make changes to file format, you must try the following:
Find out which file formats your OS is compatible with before checking the drive’s format.
- Type create and format hard disc partitions into the Windows search box and then select the first result.
- Launch Disk Management and then right-click the hard drive.
- Select Format from the menu.
- Give your hard disc a fitting name by clicking the Volume label menu.
- Windows 10 also has suggested defaults that you can use.
- Choose Default Allocation Unit Size and NTFS as the File System.
- Click Quick Format and then click Ok.
Fix 9
When Windows fails to detect your hard disc, virus infestation is a common cause.
Many other problems with the hard drive’s internals are possible as a result.
Performing a virus/malware scan could be the first step toward eliminating the problem.
If you find any malware, then you should use an antivirus tool such as Windows Defender.
Fix 10
Most of the times, in case of damage, Windows may not recognize your device at all, even though the platters are spinning.
Over time, dirt and debris can collect on HDD platters. Now, when the platters rotate, the dirt and debris come into contact with the platters, potentially causing damage.
There is no way around this issue other than replacing your hard drive.
Hard Drive Spinning But Not Detected: Is It Normal?
Most modern computers consist of efficient cooling systems and near-constant technological advancements. Therefore, they can function with hardly a peep, especially when contrasted to their bulkier, older forebears. As a result, some people may wonder if the hard drive spinning but not detected.
Hard drive noise is usually to be expected and is not cause for alarm. As you work on your computer, the hard drive will want to read data almost constantly. Then, it will want to write data whenever you make changes or save files. For these tasks, your drive will spin while it works.
Spinning shouldn’t be too rapid or loud. Any time the normal whirring of a drive becomes abnormally loud, it’s time to investigate further.
On the other hand, the disc could be busily storing or retrieving data for you at this same moment. As long as it is just transitory, even a noisy commute is tolerable.
Is It Possible For The Hard Drive To Spin If Not In Use?
It’s hard to answer this issue without knowing what “in use” means for the system’s drive use.
Tech experts recommend that hard drives be put into “standby mode.” The reason is that in “standby mode” they spin at no speed unless being read or written to. However, if you are running programs or conducting other tasks on the machine, the operating system will need to access the hard drive frequently.
This means it could be in use even if you aren’t regularly storing or retrieving data, leading to unnecessary mechanical wear and tear. In a nutshell, the hard drive is used intermittently so long as the computer is turned on and running.
Will The Hard Disk Drive Spin If The PC Is In Sleep Mode?
In the vast majority of cases, hard drives should not spin while in sleep mode. The sleep and hibernate modes on a computer turn off many features and services. As a result, the device will be safe from any misuse or damage.
Even if your internal or external discs keep spinning for a few minutes after your computer goes into sleep mode, they should ultimately become silent and stop.
Once you’ve put your computer to sleep and noticed that the hard drive spinning but not detected, you should probably check it out. Possible causes include a mechanical failure of the drive or a defect in the device’s original production.
In each scenario, the answer to the question of what to do is found in learning the truth about the situation. If you are not using the disc for any backups, then you must disconnect it from the computer.
Hard Drive Spinning: How Do I Stop It When Not In Use?
To a much greater extent, this affects portable hard drives. It is recommended that internal hard drives be set to automatically spin down after a certain amount of time has elapsed with no user input.
After you turn off your computer, the internal HDD should stop spinning. However, you may find that even when your computer is in a low-power state, an external drive will continue to spin.
If this happens, you may want to examine the attached storage device’s USB port and possibly remove it. Some USB connections still continue supplying electricity even after you turn off your computer. Although not all computers have this capability, those that can assign names to the relevant ports.
Also Read:
How To Fix 99% Disk Usage On Your PC
Conclusion
Knowing how to care for your hard drive is essential. It is where all of your most important files are stored. Moreover, familiarity with the common signs of a stressed, failing, incorrectly formatted, or otherwise unrecognized drive is essential.
