WHS - new HDD not showing

Jed Shields

Jed Shields

Jed Shields

Associate
Joined
23 Apr 2007
Posts
1,785
Location
Cardiff-ish, Wales
Hi guys,

I've just removed a 1Tb from my server using the built in option in Windows Home Server and have added in a new 2Tb drive. The drive doesn't show up in the Server Storage window in the console. I assumed that I'd need to format it, so took it out, plugged it into my other PC, formatted it. Put it back into server and still not showing. Took it out again, plugged into home PC, copied some files onto it to make sure it was working, plugged back into server - still not showing. When I boot the server up I can see 6 drives in Bios, including the 2Tb one. However, in the WHS console it only shows 5 drives that are already in use.

Any ideas? This is really getting on my **** now :mad:
 
Not sure how WHS is laid out, but have you checked under Disk Management in Admin Tools? I don't know if the WHS Server Storage window is the same or not.

You may need to initialize the new HDD in Disk Management.
 
I initialised it through Disk Management on my home PC and it worked fine. However, using Disk management on the Server and it isn't showing, just the other 5 hdds.

Does the drive need to be formatted in a specific way for WHS?
 
Have you tried alternate cables or SATA sockets? If the BIOS sees it, perhaps it is in the wrong mode for the OS to see it [e.g. it could be set to AHCI]
 
Stuff can break at any time. Take you all of 2 minutes to swap the cable.

As for SATA mode, that depends on the BIOS. Should be listed as SATA Mode or Type or similar. No reason why it should have changed, but you never know.

The reason I mention it is although Windows Vista/7/Server 2008 support AHCI, if there were no AHCI devices present during OS installation, it switches the AHCI drivers off. So if you subsequently change SATA mode, Windows wont know what to do! :eek:

You can turn the AHCI drivers back on though if so required. Easier to look in the BIOS though tbh.
 
Maybe not relevant, but would there be a HDD size limit that WHS will see, ie that being below a 2TB volume? I have not problems with 1.5TB F2 Samsungs...

EDIT: Found elsewhere:

WHS uses MBR style partition tables, so an individual volume is limited to (slightly less than) 2 TB.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Surely if that were the case WHS would still see the drive and let the OP use it. Just with diminished capacity.

Besides, MBR is the default of most other Windows OS and they don't have an issue.
 
Surely if that were the case WHS would still see the drive and let the OP use it. Just with diminished capacity.
Click to expand...

Ordinarily this would seemingly be the case...however, I don't know if there is any other special circumstances with WHS...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom