Understandably, a dead drive cannot communicate with the system or software and will not be detected. A drive with damaged electronics may have the appearance of running but be broken in the ability to communicate with the system. Either of these cases is a failed drive.
One of the most common reasons for a new drive to not be detected is with the setup of the cables and jumpers, if any. Another common area is with the system BIOS setup. The drive needs to be set to ON in the BIOS, this is especially true when adding a second drive. Be sure to double check if these items are correct.
Occasionally, a working drive will not be detected by the software. Disk drives attach to the computer through a section of circuitry on the motherboard called a controller. The software is designed to be as up-to-date as possible with known controllers. The drive is not by detectable in this case because of an unknown controller.
SeaTools Will Not Load
If when you insert the SeaTools USB device and power on the computer, it does not load SeaTools, the "boot sequence" may be set to boot to the hard disk drive first.
To change the boot sequence to boot from the USB device drive first, you must enter the "Setup" or "CMOS Setup" of your computer. Methods for entering the Setup or CMOS Setup vary depending on your computer's make and model, but most methods consist of pressing a key or key sequence during the initial power on boot sequence.
Watch the screen closely during boot up for a message like "Press F2 to enter Setup" or something similar to determine which key or key sequence to press for your computer. Nearly all systems will continue on automatically after a brief period of time if the key is not pressed, so act quickly. You may have only a few seconds to find and press the appropriate key or key sequence.
The most common keys or key sequences to enter setup are:
[F2]
[DELETE]
[F1]
[CTRL]-[ALT]-[S]
[CTRL]-[ALT]-[ESC]
[CTRL]-[ALT]-[ENTER]
NOTE: Some computers that use the "[CTRL]-[ALT]-[___]" sequences must be at a prompt before pressing the keys. If you are unsure about how to enter the setup, see the owner's manual for your computer or seek assistance from your computer manufacturer or the store where you purchased the computer./li>
If You Call
If you call to report problems please provide as much information as possible. If you can, please provide the following details:
When does the problem occur?
On the boot up of the diagnostic operating system?
During the hard disk drive tests?
After exiting SeaTools?
Can the problem be recreated? If so, please outline the steps necessary to recreate it.
What is your system configuration? List the details about your system as tested. Such as:
Make, model, processor and system memory
Hard disk drives (internal and external) connected to the system, including make, model, size, and type
Make and model of hard disk drive controllers
Make and model of the video adapter
Additional adapter cards, including sound and multimedia