The hard disk turns off during operation: why, how to fix it, is it dangerous for the disk? Spontaneous disconnection of the hard drive How to disable hdd in a laptop

How to disconnect the hard drive of the computer for a while? This action may be required, for example, when installing a second EFI- Windows systems. If the second media of a computer running in BIOS UEFI, install Windows, it will not have its own bootable EFI-section. And it will be bootloader dependent on the first media. But if the first disk with system partitions is disconnected, the second Windows during its installation will create itself all the partitions necessary for offline startup.

And it can start without problems if the bootloader of the first system is damaged. And, perhaps, the hard disk needs to be made temporarily invisible only in the current environment operating system so that no one needs access to it.

Let us consider below how these and similar issues are resolved.

To temporarily hide the user data media in the operating system environment, you can disable it in the system device manager. We select it in the section "Disk devices", in the context menu, indicate the shutdown.

Everything is now operated SSD or HDD will no longer be displayed in Windows Explorer nor in third-party programs ah with data access. The system can be turned off, rebooted - a disconnected media will not turn on itself without our direct participation.

You can enable it in the opposite way.

2. Disk management

V Windows environment there is one more place where you can deactivate information devices so that they are not displayed in the operating system environment and cannot be accessed using programs.

This is the disk management console.

In her window on the right SSD or HDD call the context menu, click "Offline".

To enable, do the reverse procedure - click.

How do I disconnect a hard drive outside of the operating system environment? So that, as mentioned above, when installing second windows she had her own bootloader on, respectively, the second media. And, perhaps, we are talking about experiments with the installation Mac OS or Chrome OS when it is better to remove unnecessary information devices with valuable data, so as not to mistakenly format them or delete their markup along with the content. In this case, a disconnection will be required either in BIOS, or hardware.

3. BIOS

The ability to turn off any of the computer's information devices can be implemented in BIOS... Or it may not be implemented. Here you need to understand in each individual case. If such an opportunity in BIOS is present, it is usually found in the peripheral settings sections - SATA- or IDE-devices. It is necessary to select the desired medium among the connected devices and set its value to the position "Disabled".

4. Hardware disconnect

100% -but working, it is also a universal method of deactivation SSD or HDD- disconnection SATA- loop or power cable (optional) inside system unit PC or laptop case.

Although a large number of users have switched to using SSD solid state drives, hard drives further remain the most popular method of data storage. The reason is pretty simple - cost. Traditional HDD offers a very low ruble / GB ratio. For just a couple of thousand rubles, you can buy a disk for a couple of terabytes, while an SSD of the same size will cost much more. That is why many people buy a small SSD for the system, and store games and other bulk content on disk. When the HDD is used as a secondary disk, the user may experience an interesting phenomenon when the disk is disconnected while the computer is running. This in turn leads to nasty bugs that are very annoying. This guide will tell you how to fix this problem.

Computer freezes when turning on hard drive

The symptom of this trouble is quite simple. When you try to open a file on the hard disk or save something on the HDD, the system does not freeze for a second or two, after which you hear a characteristic start sound hard disk(starting rotation and further rustling) and the computer returns to working condition. This happens because Windows disconnects the drive to save power. When idle or when working with applications installed on the SSD, Windows does not access the disk and after a while turns it off. The disc turns off and rotation stops. As soon as it becomes necessary to read or write information on the drive, the computer turns on the drive and spins it up again. Unlike an SSD, a hard drive takes much longer to access information, let alone spin up. That is why the system freezes for a couple of seconds.

In fact, this is a "feature, not a bug". On laptops, this approach can slightly reduce power consumption. The disk is idle, which means there is no point in supplying constant power to it. Windows disconnects the drive, which makes the battery last a little longer. On desktop computers, there is no need to save energy, so stopping like this is just annoying for traditional PC users. They are also annoying for laptop owners, but on these devices at least these friezes can be justified when it comes to extreme energy savings.

Here's how to fix this problem:

Please note that the hard disk drive off parameter is adjusted for each power scheme separately. If you switch your laptop to Power Saving or High Performance Mode, the system will apply the configured settings. If the circuit is set to default, the drive will shut down after 20 minutes and you will bump into friezes again. Change the hard disk timeout for each power plan as shown above.

Another reason why you should increase the time after which the drive will turn off is for durability. The more you turn the drive off and on, the sooner it will fail. Yes, the constant rotation of the spindle will also sooner or later lead to wear on the bearings, but for a modern hard drive, constant switching on and off is much more destructive. That is why it is better to leave the disk running rather than spinning it up with every call. You not only rid yourself of system freezes, but also slightly extend the life of the drive. By the way, the temperature of the hard disk also has a strong influence on the lifespan of the hard disk. It should not be too low or too high. This is discussed in a separate article. We also recommend you or SSD to avoid sudden data loss due to disk failure.

Hard drive problems are an extremely serious problem associated with the risk of losing important data and information. That is why you should be extremely careful about any of its faults in order to prevent their removal.

A typical problem faced by users is the hard drive disconnects during operation. Most often this is manifested by the disappearance of the folder structure from the "My Computer" section. Let's look at several reasons for such situations and try to eliminate them in an accessible way.

Poor cable contact

The SATA cable connector is not particularly reliable, which is why it can lose contact even due to small vibrations. This leads to the above-described consequences.

So what should you do to keep your hard drive from shutting down? First of all, to solve this problem, you need to check the connection. Contact may have been lost when connecting to the motherboard or the drive itself. You should also pay attention to the place of connection to the power source.

Remember that the SATA cable must not be bent more than 90 degrees, so never fold it. If you did this, then it could deteriorate and you will need to replace it with a new one.

It should also be said for poor-quality power supply (PSU) connectors for SATA drives, which are prone to deformation and swelling. This very often leads to poor-quality contact. Winchester, of course, works, but at the same time it will think, as in the case of the existing bad sectors. Therefore, make sure that the connectors are in order and that they are properly plugged into the socket.

Overheat

Another extremely common cause of a wide variety of PC problems. If your hard drive is full and reappears after restarting your computer, it may. To check the temperature, you can use special utilities, of which there are many today, for example HDTune, AIDA64 and others. With their help, you can find out the parameters you need for certain components.

The normal operating temperature is 30 degrees, the maximum allowable temperature is no more than 45. If your temperature is higher, that is, the screw overheats, in this case, you should urgently take measures to improve the cooling system:

Power supply unit (PSU)

Its unstable operation or lack of power often leads to problems with drives and to the fact that it periodically turns off. This is usually accompanied by frequent involuntary computer restarts.

If you have this symptom, try changing your power supply. Why is it necessary to do this? It is likely that the whole problem is in him.

Drive failure

If all of the above did not help and the hard drive still periodically disappears, then perhaps the reason is in itself. First, check it for. If they are not found, go to the next item.

Serviceability of the HDD. To test this, connect it to another computer. If nothing changes, then the hard drive is broken and must be replaced. In a situation that arises, the first thing to do is take care of the information that is stored on it. Try copying it to another medium while yours is still running at least a little, otherwise you may lose it. Of course, experienced specialists with the appropriate knowledge will help you restore it in case of anything, but you should not risk it.

If the hard drive fully works on another PC, then the problem may be in some other component. pay attention to motherboard, which affects its functioning and, in the event of malfunctions, may prevent it. In this case, its repair or replacement will fix everything.

Windows Power Settings

It also often happens that the drive turns off spontaneously when the computer is actively working. To fix this, you need to Windows settings set the value of the switch-off time to the parameter "Never".

Instructions for changing the value on Windows 7/8/10:

Now you know what the problem may be if the drive periodically turns off or disappears, and how to fix it yourself without the help of third-party specialists.

The need to disable one of the hard drives, if there are several of them, it can be for various reasons. Naturally, this does not mean the hard drive on which Windows is installed, but an additional one used as a file storage. If we are talking about the safety of some important files stored on one of the hard drives, as an alternative, you can simply make the partitions of such a drive invisible, in order, for example, to restrict access to important information to children or employees at work. In this case, using the functionality of the standard disk management utility or third-party programs, the letters of the necessary disk partitions are removed so that such partitions are no longer displayed in Windows Explorer or file managers... Of course, this is not as reliable data protection as encryption, but it is an easier method that will not add a headache in case of losing the disk lock password. But there are also situations when the hard drive must be turned off not because of the safety of data, but, for example, because of the appearance of annoying clicks and squeaks during operation. Or another example - if the HDD is overheating. In such cases, when there is a possibility that further work can harm the hard disk, it must be turned off until the verdict of a service center specialist is issued on it.

How do I disconnect the hard drive? There are several ways to disable a problem HDD: at the Windows level, at the BIOS level, and in hardware.

1. Disconnecting HDD inside Windows

To disable the HDD, in a running Windows, you need to start the Device Manager. In its window, open the "Disk devices" branch, click right key mouse on the problem HDD and select the "Disable" menu item.

If the hard drive disconnected in this way will need to be turned on again in the future, we do the reverse operation. In the dispatcher Windows devices on the disconnected HDD, call context menu and click the item "Engage".

2. Disable HDD in BIOS

The way to disable the HDD in the BIOS of computer devices is different, respectively, due to different versions BIOS. Properties of hard drives with the ability to disable them can be found in the sections "Standard", "Advanced" or others dedicated to configuring components. In the properties of the problem HDD, you must set the active option to disable it - "Disable", "None", "Not present", "Not installed", etc.

3. Hardware Disable HDD

If the BIOS does not have the ability to turn off a separate HDD without turning off its controller, this disk can be turned off by hardware. Hardware disconnection of hard drives is carried out in the off state of the computer. To disconnect the problem hard drive, just disconnect its power cable.

If the hard disk overheats, when clicks, squeaks and similar problems appear, it is recommended to immediately carry out backup important data. If the HDD fails, service center it will be possible to discuss only the issue of possible disk recovery, but not data recovery. Firstly, this procedure is paid additionally. Secondly, full data recovery is not always possible, even if experienced specialists are involved.

Have a great day!

Windows 10 has such a function - if you do not use your computer for a while, the system not only turns off the monitor, but also turns off the disks over time. I never used it even in the previous ones. Windows versions.

I do not know which is more of this - benefit or harm, but on the Internet, I realized that it’s better that the system doesn’t turn off the disks. You may have noticed this - when you return to your computer, the hard disk makes a strange sound, this is the sound of "startup", so to speak.

In general, I dare not say, but it seems that without this "disconnect" hard drives will last longer.

HDD this is the only mechanical device in the computer (unless of course you count the fans) and it is harmed by frequent shutdowns, turning on, it must either work - or not. And transitions from one state to another are best minimized.

It's easy to do, you need to open the control panel:

And at the very bottom of the page (at least so for me) there will be an item Power supply, select it:

Now you will have the power scheme you have chosen here, on the contrary, press it Customization:

And here, by the way, I advise you to immediately configure (if necessary) the time to turn off the screen and the time after which the computer will go into sleep mode when the computer is idle (that is, when no one is using it). Click on additional settings:

And now a window will open where you need to indicate that the hard drive does not turn off by itself - for this, set the time to zero and click the button OK:

After that, save the changes:

That's all, I hope the problem is solved, and if not, then write in the comments!