HDD Caddy not showing up in Windows 10

[Aterdik]

Dear Support,

I'm just upgraded my laptop with a 256Gb SSD where I have installed Windows 10. Besides of this I would like to use my original 1Tb HDD (HGST 5K1000-1000) as a storage. My laptop (15-ac105nh) doesn't have extra HDD slot there I bought a HDD Caddy (https://gembird.com/item.aspx?id=8528). For some reason windows 10 doesn't detect the HDD which is in the caddy. Also checked in device manager and also in disc manager but the HDD is nowhere. The strange thing is that in BIOS if I checked the "notebook hard drive" point in the UEFI boot order I can see the SSD (where the Windows installed) and in the Legacy boot order I can see the HDD which is in the caddy. This is the only place where the HDD is visible. The following steps already tried:

• Formatted 1 TB HDD in NTFS
• Tried to swap HDD and SSD
• Tried only with the SSD in the caddy (result was no bootable device)
• Tried both HDD/SSD in external USB enclosure and both working fine.
• Tried to disable/enable legacy boot in BIOS
• Tried to update IDE/ATA ATAPI drivers
• BIOS updated to the newest one (F.29)
• Brought back the caddy to the store and ask for a replacement, same symptoms

I'm searching for other solutions for 2 days now and tried everything which I have found but without success. Is it possible that the caddy is not supported by the laptop? I never heard about that kind of problem.

I have read that there are caddies on the market which has a jumper switch. Is it something which can solve my problem? Is there any other solution (without caddy to replace ODD?) to connect 2nd hard drive to this laptop? 

Thank you in advance for any help!

[Huffer]

If the hard drive in caddy is showing up in legacy boot order but not otherwise must mean it is set up as a legacy drive....i.e. using MBR (master boot record) partitioning and your OS is likely in secure boot mode requiring GPT/GUID partitioning. This is not the same as FAT32/NTFS; different concept. That is file structure/formatting. If it is showing up in legacy boot order there is no hardware problem with the caddy itself. The presence of the disk is being detected which is all you can ask of the caddy. The rest is setup. You can convert an MBR disk to a GUID/GPT disk as told here:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/disk-management/change-an-mbr-disk-into-a-gp...

[Aterdik]

Dear Huffer,

Thanks for the advise. I have put the HDD into an external usb enclosure again and formatted to GPT. Unfortunately the situation is the same. The HDD is still not visible in the Windows, however I can see in the bios.

Does it make sense if I try to format both drive to MBR and reinstall the Windows to the SSD again?

Thanks again for your help.

[Huffer]

Im stumped. Makes no sense. Try removing the SSD and see if the hdd in the caddy is seen and if you could install Windows to it. Don't necessarily do that but just see if the Windows installer sees it. You might also check for a switch somewhere inside the caddy. Some of them do have a secure/legacy boot switch. 

[Aterdik]

Me as well.. 🙂 No, unfortunately the windows installer cannot see the HDD in the caddy, however it is visible if I put it to the original position. That was my assumption as well that I need to change something on the caddy, but sadly there is no switch on the linked Gembird caddy so I cannot change it. What do you think? Is it worth to reinstall the whole system and try with MBR format? 

[Aterdik]

Ok, I have converted SSD to MBR with 3rd party software and converted back HDD to MBR too but the situation is the same.. cannot see the HDD in Windows. I will try the caddy with the HDD tonight in my friend's laptop, if it will work there then I have no more idea..

Maybe the ODD slot is not supporting this type of HDD or truely the switch is missing from this caddy.