Second SATA Drive not seen by system

[TechNJ]

Spent a couple of months researching a desktop to be able to add an additional SATA HDD.  Finally decided on an HP Pavillion TP01 - 3055.  There is a bay and power cable and I tried two different SATA cables but alas the drive is not recognized by the system.  I went into the BIOS settings multiple times to see if I needed to change the SATA settings from IDE to AHCI but no matter which section I navigate to, there is no choice to do this.  So what is the purpose of having the ability to add an additional HDD if the system can't and won't recognize it?  I have seen other folks having the same issue.  If someone reading this has figured out how to resolve this, I would be most grateful.  Thanks in advance.

[Max3Aj]

@TechNJ, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 
We see that you have hit the wall when trying to install a second SATA drive. Let’s walk through a few key troubleshooting steps and potential workarounds to help you get your second HDD recognized.
Double-Check BIOS Detection

You mentioned you've been in the BIOS, but just to be sure:

• On startup, press ESC repeatedly, then press F10 to enter BIOS Setup.
• Navigate to Storage > Device Configuration or System Information.
• If the second drive isn’t listed at all, even after using different cables, it’s likely not a BIOS setting issue like AHCI vs IDE (newer systems default to AHCI anyway and may not expose that setting).

 Power and SATA Port Confirmation

You said the power cable is available — just to confirm:

• Make sure you're not using a splitter or an underpowered rail.
• Try swapping the SATA power cable with the one going to your primary drive to rule out a dead lead.
• The TP01-3055 has two SATA III ports on the motherboard. Did you test both ports? Try connecting the second drive to the port used by the main drive (just for testing). 
   

Check Disk Management in Windows

• Right-click Start > Disk Management
• See if the drive is listed as "Unallocated" or "Not Initialized" 
• If so, right-click > Initialize Disk, then create a volume.

 UEFI vs Legacy BIOS Confusion

The Pavilion TP01 series uses UEFI firmware.

There typically is no IDE/AHCI switch exposed anymore because:

• IDE is deprecated.
• AHCI is usually enabled by default and hidden.
• Drives are recognized automatically.

Try Known Good Drive

Try plugging in a known working SATA HDD or SSD (from a working machine). If none of them show up, it points to:

• A faulty SATA port
• Disabled port (some OEM boards have jumpers or BIOS switches — rare in consumer desktops, but possible)

BIOS Update

Check HP's support site for your model:

https://support.hp.com

Install the latest BIOS firmware for your TP01-3055.

Sometimes newer firmware versions improve hardware detection and compatibility.

Enable Hot Plug in BIOS (if available)

Sometimes enabling "Hot Plug" for the SATA port allows drives to be detected. This is a long shot, but worth a look if you see it under Advanced > Storage.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support 

[TechNJ]

Thanks Max3Aj

I have tried your suggestions. 

1) there is absolutely no device configuration section in the BIOS.  Only choices are security, configuration, boot options and exit.  Under security, all of the SATA ports are marked as available to the operating system.

2) swapping the power with the cable plugged into the drive that came with the system did not make a difference.

3) swapping the SATA cable into the other SATA connector on the motherboard did not make a difference

4) the drive does not show up in device management or anywhere else.

I don't have another drive or system to try.  :-(I don't see hot plug in the BIOS?

[Max3Aj]

@TechNJ, Thank you for your response,  

I'm sending a private message to assist you with the next action. 

  

Please check your Private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile Next, to your profile Name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it or simply click on this link. 

  

I hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

  

Max3Aj

HP Support