Second Hard Drive Not Showing

dabug80
dabug80 used Ask the Experts™
on
Hello,

I installed a second hard drive (SSD) into my Sony E Series, via a Hard drive caddy (in the optical drive). Once I physically installed the hard drive and turned on the computer, it wasn't showing in the control panel.

However under Start / Computer / Manage, I can see a second hard drive (see image). What should I do from this point to 'activate' the hard drive for use?

Thanks.
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rindi
Most Valuable Expert 2015

Commented:
You must partition and format it. Within diskmanagement right click on it and you'll get the options to do that.
Computer Service Technician
Commented:
Generally drives shipped from the manufacturer are not formated or activated hense they are not issued a drive letter. you will need to first go into disc management, then right click on the drive you wish to activate (click on the disc itself not on the drive partition details, but the box next to it) and initialize the drive. This will create the master boot record. Then you will right click in the partition details box. The choose "New simple volume". Here you can change the size of the partition and change the drive letter number, then click okay.
nobus
Top Expert 2013

Commented:
i believe it is called : change drive letter and path if you right click the drive in Disk management
Robert RComputer Service Technician

Commented:
You will then follow the process to format the drive you can use the quick format if you wish. the quick format will format the drive without inspecting the sectors for bad sectors. Since this is a new drive the drive should not need to be checked for bad sectors you can just go ahead and quick format the drive.
Ucko123

Commented:
1. Click right mouse on new disk in Disk managment
2. Choose new simple volume
3. Choose size of new partition - just click next
4. Assign the following letter "D"-  next
5. Format this volume with folowing settings: NTFS/Default/DATA
If u want u can perform quick format in 10 sec or 2h with non quick format
NEXT
FINISH

Thats it

For best expirience with SSD i recomend u that u reinstall Windows on SSD, then copy all info from second drive to SSD. Then repartition second drive as 1 partition and set it as Data/Backup disk.
If u have recovery DVD u can use that.

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