# external IDE > USB does not show up in windows 10



## analogue (Mar 27, 2016)

i have a dell XPS 8700 computer (intel core i7-4790 CPU @ 3.6 GHz, 12 GB memory, 64 bit with a 1TB hard drive)

i cannot get my system to recognize a western digital 40GB IDE drive i'm running through a USB converter to test the adapter before hooking up a 120GB WD drive i have that has files on it after reading horror stories about some people's drives getting fried by some adapters. i can hear the drive spinning, so i know it's powered up, and i have the jumper set to slave, but nothing i try using online tutorials will get the drive to show up.

when in disc management, even with "show hidden" selected, two un-named drives show up, one as a 39mb partition and the other as an 11.73GB active recovery partition both 100% free with no file systems. the hard drive is 40gb, and those two "drives" (C: drive partitions i suspect... i did not install the OS, and am lost in os10 as nothing works like 98/XP where i've formatted drives dozens of times) remain when i unplug the hard drive.
when i right click on either of the un-named drives to re-name them in disc management, following instruction on how to format my blank drive, the only option i get is a help file when everything i've read says i should be able to rename them and format them by right clicking on them. either way, i'm sure they're not the drive i'm trying to format to test the adapter's safety.

making sure no files or folders are hidden didn't reveal the hard drive either.

i've also tried the "cmd" route where i paste the command and press enter, but nothing happens.

i've tried following several tutorials on how to do this and nothing works, and often, the instructions have nothing to do with windows 10. when i looked for the drive in bios, SATA 1 = my 1TB C: drive, SATA 2 = my DVD drive, and SATA 3, 4 & 5 are listed as empty.

i've tried using these 3 (and others) procedures all to no avail:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/external-drive-not-recognized-this-is-how-to-fix-it-in-windows/

http://www.microcenter.com/tech_cen...rd_drive_not_showing_in_computer_on_windows_7

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/265764-32-guide-installed-disk-system

the only thing i think i've learned from them is that dell makes this procedure extra difficult.


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## texasbullet (Jun 11, 2014)

If you are using Windows 10 it may be kind of difficult to make that IDE hard drive work. If you have another computer with either Windows XP, 7, or 8.1 you may want to connect your external drive in there and move all your files into another hard drive or USB memory stick and try again in Windows 10.


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## analogue (Mar 27, 2016)

no, i do not have another computer, and that's my point. i'm trying to recover all of my old files from the 120GB western digital hard drive. i REALLY hate so called *upgrades* that "destroy" all of my old files like this! this is just like when XP refused to open every single document i created in W98's wordpad because i used the (DOC, i think) format so i could use color coding. *if it isn't broke, bill gates will break it for you and charge you for the service!*

so what am i supposed to do, pay someone $80 (INSANE!!!!!!!!) to transfer my files because yet again, microsoft has found a way to bust them in the name of planned obsolescence and profits? i have all of the hardware i should need! the adapter powers the drive itself, and converts IDE to USB like it should, but W10 doesn't think it has to do it's job.

i'm having a similar issue right now where i can't get W10 to let me associate WAV & mp3 files with winamp because it refuses to recognize i've installed THAT program. when i try to set it as the default for wavs, i get the choice of 3 programs i don't want to use or handing money over to those crooked SOBs for their "windows store" (i don't want to see that option offered EVER!!!!!!) solution when i've ALWAYS used winamp because it works like microsoft's media players don't. (don't get me started on DVDs playing at 2x speed in W10's player!) W10 is blocking my attempts to change file associations inside winamp too. *it seems like W10's ONLY purpose is to make everything more difficult to impossible and fight users at every turn.*

so now i'm out the $20 i invested in an IDE > USB converter and can't get my files off the other drive unless i gamble that the adapter isn't going to fry everything? is that what you're saying?

this is why i wanted linux installed on this computer, but it wasn't my choice.

*i hate windows 10! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it! i hate it!*

bill gates should run for congress seeing he doesn't believe in doing his job and gets his jollies poisoning the water so to speak.


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## dustyjay (Jan 24, 2003)

Have you tried installing the hard drive internally in your XPS?


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## analogue (Mar 27, 2016)

no. i went the external route because IDE isn't SATA compatible and the only way i know to do it is with this "useless" adapter. as far as i'm concerned, that's a hoop i shouldn't have to jump through. i'm sure MILLIONS of people have files on old IDE externals. even when i still had my last IDE PC, i had the hard drive i'm trying to recover in an external enclosure so i could turn it off whenever i wasn't using it as a virus buffer.

cutting IDE off like this is an unacceptable criminal offense as far as i'm concerned. it's like W10's motto should be_* 
"make the switch to windows 10 so we can visit your home or office and burn all of your precious records to the ground!"*_

i have an unused 1TB external drive i was planning on transferring everything to so i could wipe the the 120GB IDE


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## dustyjay (Jan 24, 2003)

MS really didn't have anything to do with the IDE ports absent from Newer Motherboards. Modern Motherboard manufacturers started leaving out IDE ports before Windows 8 showed up. There are a few exceptions. It may be that the adapter you are using is not compatible with Win 10 though.


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## managed (May 24, 2003)

You could boot into a live session of linux, which runs from a DVD or USB stick and doesn't install anything on the computer, to see if the files show up there. If they do you could then copy them to the internal hard drive/USB stick etc from within linux.

Linux Mint is probably the easiest one to use :- https://www.linuxmint.com


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## analogue (Mar 27, 2016)

OK... i've had a breather from THIS PART of my windows 10 rage, a daily occurrence really like the time windows update trashed my internet and forced a system restart. 

if the "impossible to use" blank hard drive makes spinning noises and literally doesn't catch fire using the USB adapter i bought to test if it's safe to hook the full 120gb drive i actually want to use, do you think it's safe for me to just plug that in? the data on it isn't replaceable, and i'm terrified of hooking it up without a test after reading horror stories of others having their hard drives fried with different adapters. the ONLY reason i wanted to use the other drive for is to make sure i don't lose the data on my 120gb western digital. i even made a point of buying the same brand after having issues with my w98 PC refusing to accept any hard drives except western digital.


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## analogue (Mar 27, 2016)

so, is it safe to try and hook the hard drive i want to retrieve my files from or not? i have no way to test the USB adapter if windows won't let me use the blank drive i bought just for testing.


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## managed (May 24, 2003)

Well it's impossible to predict what will happen with the 120GB hard drive but if you don't try it with the adapter you will never get the files off it.


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## replay (Aug 13, 2003)

analogue said:


> the jumper set to slave,


if its a usb adapter wouldn't the jumper be set to master?????


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## alynur (Jul 27, 2007)

Hi Analogue, I would have to agree with Managed and suggest trying it with Linux or if you hate Windows as much as you say, install an Ubuntu system into your computer either along side Windows or as a clean install and eliminate Windows all together. I installed Peppermint 6 and couldn't be happier.


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## storage_man (Nov 6, 2003)

IF the OP could please list the name/manufacture of his USB to IDE converter. The reason I ask, is that I have used a Rosewill USB 2.0 to IDE on my Windows 10 system with no problems. I can only think of 2 things, the adapter is defective or the 40gb drive is defective. Just because a drive spins up, does not mean the board is communicating with the adapter.


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