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Inspiron 1545- replacing hard drive, new SATA drive not found "Internal Hard Disk Drive Not Found
Hi all,
I am attempting to install Win7 in an Inspiron 1545 with a new SATA hard drive that was purchased. When i insert the drive, I get "Internal Hard Disk Drive Not Found." I have verified the drive is not showing in the BIOS, I've already attempted to reseat the drive several times. In addition, I've attempted to load the chipset drivers, SATA drivers, etc from Dells website, the drive still does not show in the OS install when booting to DVD or in bios.
I dont believe it to be an issue with the new drive, as I plugged the new drive into another model Dell laptop and it recognizes the drive fine in BIOS, also I can still boot to the previous hard drive in this laptop without issue when i plug it back in.
Is there a specific driver, etc that I need to use for the drive to be recognized or other thoughts people have?
MicroTest
934 Posts
1
April 24th, 2013 10:00
This is strange - either the new hard drive has a rare compatibility issue with your onboard controller (I use a 500Gbyte in my 1545 without probs)) or it is a mechanical problem.I would take a close look at the physical dimensions and compare your original hdd with the new one.Watch the video (even though it's about a 1525 (similar to an 1545) and an SSD hdd) - go to 2:20
mattwilli18
4 Posts
2
April 24th, 2013 11:00
Well now I am embarrassed. As I tried the BIOS updates, different drivers, pc's, etc. it wound up being that the new drive is slightly smaller than the old and using the mounting hardware does not align the drive with the SATA connectors, although it felt like it did (cant really see it to confirm). I have the drive plugged in without the mounting hardware and it is seeing the drive fine.
Thanks all for the information! Now i just need to figure out how to mount this drive without it sticking out.
DELL-Rajath N
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1.8K Posts
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April 24th, 2013 08:00
Hi mattwilli18,
I suggest you to update the BIOS to the latest version available on the drivers download page and check if the hard drive is recognized properly. We have officially tested this system with the maximum hard drive capacity of 640GB. Please use a hard drive with a capacity of 640GB or lesser, if you experience the same issue after the BIOS update.
Let me know about your findings.
mattwilli18
4 Posts
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April 24th, 2013 08:00
Thank you for the information. So i would assume I would need to do this from the previous Hard Drive I have where I can boot into windows and perform the BIOS update?
mattwilli18
4 Posts
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April 24th, 2013 09:00
BIOS update was completed to A14 (what was available on the Dell support site), unfortuantely I still cannot access the drive and am getting the same error message. The drive is only 250 GB, so it should not cross the threshold listed earlier.
DELL-Rajath N
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April 24th, 2013 09:00
Hi mattwilli18,
Thank you for your reply. Yes, your understanding is correct. You have to update the BIOS by booting Windows from the previous hard drive.
Soelvberg
1 Message
1
April 15th, 2014 10:00
Hi guys,
Great, just faced and solved exatcly the same issue, based on above information. I have replaced original Seagate 2,5" 9,5mm, with a Seagate 7mm (Thin) succesfully.
Soelvberg
williamgld
1 Message
1
February 18th, 2015 15:00
Soelvberg, so nice of you not to share any details about how you solved your problem!
Anyways, the problem seems to be with thin (7mm) Seagate hard-drives that do not make physical contact with SATA slot of Dell computers, when fully inserted. Seagate support says I should buy a hard drive adapter bracket, but they don't make or sell them. Dell says they don't sell such brackets, either. Neither do local PC hardware stores in town. My solution : return this thin Seagate junk to the seller and buy a normal 9.5mm 1Tb SATA II drive for my Inspiron 1545 (a Dell tech says both SATA II and 1TB are supported).
A question for Seagate: why the hell make a smaller hard drive, if it doesn't fit a standard slot?
ICTijn
1 Message
3
March 22nd, 2016 08:00
I feel sympathy. I am a computer technician, replaced over a hundred HDD by SSD's past year, but me too overlooked the misfitting of the new SSD to the motherboardconnector.... Its hard to see, and you do feel a 'click' often representing the SATA-connector fitting. Not this time :-(
I glued an 7 to 9.5 mm spacer to the SSD and it snaped in correctly immediately!
jcarlet
1 Message
2
May 11th, 2017 17:00
I just finished installing a new Samsung SSD in my Inspiron 1545. Spent days trying for figure out why the computer would not recognize the drive. Finally found a note on this site about the new drive being thinner than the old hard drive so the contacts do not meet up simply. Inserted a piece of cardboard about 1/16" thick, took a little experimenting but now it seats and works. Why didn't Samsung mention this?