Newly installed DMS Cannot Detect Internal Hard Drive

[Dead Eye]

CPUTO...the caution is to make sure you keep it straight in your mind that you have selected the right drive...mistakes are irrevocable! For example if you have multiple 4 TB drives...one with all your family photos and other 'KEEPER' software and the other is blank.

GOOD LUCK!

[CPUTO]

Many thanks, Dead Eye! I am also running Windows 7. I'll give it a shot and see what happens. If the disk ends up back at factory new specs, I really haven't lost anything. It is mostly blank right now.

[Dead Eye]

Thanks D2E...I know it has helped me more than once!

[Down2Earth]

Wow...…. Dead Eye, that is some very informative instructions to follow, hope this will help the poor guy out in getting his unit working. Would say if this doesn't work for him the odd one out would be the DMS box itself.

[Dead Eye]

The command we are after is the 'CLEAN' command. This will reset the disk of any and all parameters, including any corrupted disk geometry table which is what I suspect is wrong because I had got a disk from Amazon that had the problems as you are having and this was the only way that I could get the disk working. After doing this type 'EXIT' to leave the 'DISKPART' tool. Reintroduce the drive to the Windows environment and initialize the drive when prompted. Create a simple volume GPT partition for anything larger than 2TB then do a quick format.
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[Dead Eye]

...notice how you are notified that the disk has been selected but the command prompt stays the same. Disk 4 in my example is the 'FOCUS' of the DISKPART tool at this point and any subsequent command will be performed on the selected disk.
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[Dead Eye]

...command result
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[Dead Eye]

...here is that command
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[Dead Eye]

...then type list disk to see all the disk on your system...for my example I selected disk 4 which is a USB thumb drive.
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[Dead Eye]

CPUTO...At this point I think it is time to try the 'DISKPART' command...First I want to warn you that you have to be very careful using this because it will absolutely destroy any disk structure and basically take the disk back to what it was coming off the factory assembly line. What follows is a series of screenshots showing the commands to clear the disk of all information. Maybe do a little reading up on it before attempting to use it. I am running Windows 7 but I think Windows 10 has the same command. Start with an elevated command prompt then type the DISKPART command
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[october262]

do you have a USB to SATA converter ??
1. Connect the SATA hard drive to your PC via a USB to SATA converter;2. Right-click My Computer > Manage > Disk Management, find the connected hard drive, which should be marked as Not Initialized;3. Initialize the HDD using the GPT method.4. Right-click the hard disk and select to create a new volume, format the disk is necessary.
this is from the dvdfab movie server user manual.pdf

[CPUTO]

It took 3 days, but the 4TB internal HDD was formatted using the "long" format to NFTS in Windows . I replaced it into the DMS, but the DMS still gives the message: "NO DISK DETECTED. Please insert a 3.5" SATA hard drive into Movie Server first." So the next thing I tried was a "hard" reset turning off the DMS and restarting it with a paper clip inserted into the "reset" opening. It showed the reset happening on the screen, but when finished, I got that same "NO DISK DETECTED" message. It does, however, see and access the thumb drive I have in the USB 2.0 slot. Also, I can feel the HDD "click" into place when I insert it. I don't know what else to try, and it is frustrating not to be able to store my movies on the DMS. Everything else works wonderfully.

[ting]

October262, I am reformatting the hard drive with the long format, but it has been over 12 hours and the process is only about halfway done. As soon is the format is completed and the HDD is reinstalled in the DMS, I will post an update. Thanks!

[CPUTO]

October262, I am reformatting the hard drive with the long format, but it has been over 12 hours and the process is only about halfway done. As soon is the format is completed and the HDD is reinstalled in the DMS, I will post an update. Thanks!

[CPUTO]

I did the "quick" format. I am reformatting it now using the long format. Will post an update when done and reinstalled in the DMS.