I've recently bought a used HP EliteDesk 800 G4 to set up a home media server, but it's not recognizing my brand new 12TB WD Red hard drive. I tested the SATA cables with a 1TB SSD, and they worked fine, so the cables seem good. The 12TB drive doesn't appear to spin up at all. Is it possible that it isn't getting enough power, or is this setup supposed to handle the drive without issues? I can't test the HDD on another PC at the moment. By the way, I mistakenly installed Ubuntu Server and wiped Windows before confirming the new drive was detected, so now I'm running Linux. The BIOS is updated, but I'm stumped here.
4 Answers
Just an update – I tried connecting the drive to my main gaming PC running Windows 11, and it recognizes it in the BIOS but only as a 2TB device. When I attempt to partition it, I get an "I/O device error." Does this indicate that the pin fix could help, or is my HDD likely faulty? I applied the tape fix, but I’m not sure if it’s working right.
Have you tried using `smartctl` to check the health of the drive? It might give you more insight, but if it’s not even showing up with that tool, it could indicate a serious issue.
It sounds like you might be facing a power issue with your SATA connection. Check if the Power Disable (pin 3) could be causing the drive not to start up. You might need to modify the power cable, use an adapter, or try covering that pin on the drive with tape to disable it. There's a good guide on how to fix this issue if you're interested!
That’s likely the case! You should definitely consider trying the tape fix to see if that helps get the drive working.
The fact that your drive isn't spinning suggests a power issue. Your PC should definitely provide enough power for a 12TB drive. As mentioned before, check that pin 3 issue. Also, just to be sure, you're using the small form factor version of the HP EliteDesk, right?
Yeah, it's the small form factor. I tried the electric tape on the 3rd pin, but still no luck.
Unfortunately, `smartctl` doesn’t detect the drive at all. Seems like it’s not even powered up.