Getting stuck in an automatic startup repair cycle after adding a second hard drive.
Getting stuck in an automatic startup repair cycle after adding a second hard drive.
Has a Windows 10 Pro PC running on a 2TB Seagate Barracuda drive. Attempted to add a second 4TB Barracuda for extra space. Verified all connections are correct. Powered on and encountered a Blue Screen with the unhappy emoji, then entered a startup repair loop. Both Startup Repair and System Restore failed to fix the problem. Examined UEFI settings – only the main 2TB drive was listed as boot option, while the new HDD was marked as option 2. Considered disabling Boot Option 2 and keeping only option 1 active, but it didn’t resolve the issue. Removed the second 4TB drive, leaving just the main 2TB drive connected, and the system booted normally. Possibly the second drive was faulty or misconfigured. Noted that a 4TB Samsung 870 QV SSD also faced the same problem. Suspected it might be a hardware issue rather than a drive fault. Heard about possible RAID configuration causing the loop; checked UEFI but found no indication. Also questioned whether the SATA cable for the second HDD was correct, as it wouldn’t appear in the boot menu if connected properly.
The issue involves connecting your main 2TB HDD to SATA Port 3_0 and a second 4TB HDD to SATA Port 3_1 next to it. You're experiencing problems starting up normally. Your friend recommended using a higher-numbered SATA port, like Port 5, but you haven't tried it yet. This might help, though I'm not sure if it will resolve the problem.
Not sure about that chipset component (can't really verify right now since I'm away from home). If we're about clearing the partition on the new 4tb HDD/SDD, I can't even get to the desktop to do it because when it's connected: the blue screen displays the sad face emoji and a percentage showing if it can fix the problem. It tries to run a startup repair but fails—showing the same blue screen and percentage again. Offers a system restore option, which also doesn't work. I can only access the desktop when the main 2tb drive is connected.
Are you asking if it can be replaced without turning it off? Would it work to start with the main drive and then swap in the second one?
SATA specifications allow hot-plugging, yet each device needs the controller to recognize it. Many home or personal computers don’t support this feature.