HDD not being detected on Dell inspirion laptop

So the HDD in a friend on mine's laptop crashed and I bought a new one to replace it with but when I try to install windows, the HDD isn't being detected in the laptop for some strange reason, it works properly because I tested it on my desktop to make sure it was working after I was getting so much problems with it, I'm not sure why the laptop isn't detecting it? Anyone has any idea why this is so?

At what stage is it not being detected. In windows, during install setup, in bios?

It isn't showing up in the Bios nor is it showing up as any drive that can be used to install windows when I'm going through the installation

Sounds like to me the hard drive isn't compatible with the Bios, or there is something wrong the motherboard bios. I would contact the manufacture of the laptop, and see if its compatible with the hard drive.

Is the sata connection on the laptop motherboard broken? See if the HDD shows up when using a sata to USB wire.
I had a similar issue with my Lenovo B575, I think I got a PXE error

I'm not getting any errors and the drive is spinning up properly and stuff because I can hear it doing so

The previous drive it has was a Western Digital blue drive with 500 Gbs, i replaced with with a same western digital blue with 500 gbs so I'm not sure if it would be a compatibility issue.There might be something wrong with this bios though because I have very limited options for everything

Ok we can rule out a hard drive incompatibility, I would look into the Bios being bad.

Couple of things to try

Try a different drive. might be a bad drive regardless if it spins up or not.
Check the bios to see if the sata interface is running in IDE or ahci mode
Update to the latest bios

The drive works, I tested it in my desktop PC, there is only a ACHI mode available in this bios, soI guess now I'll try to update it

Okay guys so I bought a USB to SATA connector and the drive finally showed up but I cannot install windows onto it because it doesn't support installation though USB..What now :expressionless: and this BIOS only comes in a .exe format to install through an OS so I can't put it in a flash drive to update it :frowning: http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/product-support/product/inspiron-15-3543-laptop/drivers/advanced

I would contact Dell and ask them how you are suppose to install Windows on the new hard drive. I don't think there is anything wrong with the bios, if there was something wrong with the bios when you connected the new drive to the laptop, I would think the bios wouldn't have shown up. I would recommend either taking the laptop to the nearest repair shop, or sending it to Dell for repairs.

I think what your real problem is SATA connector on the motherboard is damaged, it probably caused the original hard drive to crash, if you some how manage to install Windows on the new drive without fixing the SATA controller, it will just cause the new hard drive to crash.

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Yeah I guess it's time to contact dell

Please let me know what Dell says, I have a problem similar to yours.

I would let you know if they ever decide to email me back

Don't they have a chat feature?