I can't detect a hard drive using a USB To 2.5 Sata adapter

I have connected a HDD that I have removed from my old PS3 which I would like to format.

When I plug it into the computer via the USB to Sata lead the HDD doesn't appear in my computer but it appears under printers and Devices. As shown below.

Screenshot showing usb issue

I am using windows 7 and the cable that I have connect the HDD is the same as the following

Usb to sata cable

How would I be able to format this HDD and have it appearing under my computer to be used as external storage?

sata-to-usb

Inkey

Posted 2013-12-31T18:44:14.553

Reputation: 161

1You'd format it the same way you would any other hard disk in Windows which isn't formatted, or isn't formatted such that Windows can read it. Have you tried looking up how to do that? If so, how hasn't it worked out like you wanted it to? – Aaron Miller – 2013-12-31T18:51:31.297

What shows up in Disk Management when you connect the drive? – Moses – 2013-12-31T19:11:49.390

Answers

Well, the "bridge" is not technically the hard drive. I would try to install some drivers for the "bridge" first and see if that helps.

If you can verify that that's working, then go to Device Manager and look under Disk Drives and see if it appears. There may be a setting to "show hidden devices" under "View" that you can try hitting.

If still no luck, there's a chance that Windows can't read the drive at all somehow - because it's formatted specially for PS4. If you have a lower-level hard drive partitioning tool, such as a Linux LiveCD, that might be able to read it and format it for you. Then you might be able to plug it into Windows and format it there the way you want.

Joshua

Posted 2013-12-31T18:44:14.553

Reputation: 4 290

I do believe that the PS3/PS4 both use a common Unix/Linux filesystem. This of course should not prevent Windows from knowing its a storage device. I personally suspect the cable is to blame. Otherwise your answer is very good since you bring up the fact the bridge isn't the storage device. – Ramhound – 2013-12-31T20:10:31.837

I used ease US partition manager and this allowed me to be able to format the ps3 hdd to fat31 – Inkey – 2014-01-02T08:30:06.943

1So... if my answer at least helped, could you mark it as the answer? I updated to be more general. – Joshua – 2014-01-06T01:59:51.597

You should be able to find the drive in device manager as an unallocated drive. Once there, right click and select new simple volume and you should be able to see the drive.

user579070

Posted 2013-12-31T18:44:14.553

Reputation: 1