Connecting a Seagate Exos 18TB SATA Drive to a Laptop

ozmoto on 25/06/2023 - 08:31

I recently bought a new 18Tb Seagate Exos SATA drive to use as a backup drive for my NAS and laptop. When I ordered the drive, I was thinking that it came in a case with a usb connection and I would connect it directly to my laptop - it doesn't - it is just a naked drive with a SATA connection.

When it arrived and I realised my mistake I thought I could connect the drive to my laptop (a Dell G7 17) via a SATA hard drive docker which has a USB 3 cable.
The laptop recognises an old 640Gb SATA drive but not the new Seagate 18TB drive.

Do I need to format the drive first? If so, how?

I would appreciate any help so I can use the new 18TB drive?

Computing 18TB Computer Component Hard Drive Seagate

Comments

  • Sinnerator on 25/06/2023 - 08:35
    +2

    you need to check the limits on your dock (google the model), you may need a new dock

  • ozmoto on 25/06/2023 - 09:00

    Thanks. It looks like it only supports up to 1.5TB! It's old like me.

    Any recommendations or alternative setups?

  • Michael2077 on 25/06/2023 - 09:04
    +3

    You have to format it before it can be recognized by your G7, here's a step by step how:
    1.Connect the Seagate Exos 18TB drive to your laptop using the SATA hard drive dock and USB 3 cable.
    2.Open Disk Management on your laptop. You can do this by right-clicking the Start button, selecting "Disk Management" from the menu.
    3.In Disk Management, you should see the new 18TB drive listed. It will likely be labeled as unallocated or with unallocated space.
    4.Right-click on the unallocated space of the 18TB drive and select "New Simple Volume" from the context menu.
    5.The New Simple Volume Wizard will open. Click "Next" to proceed.
    6.Specify the volume size for the drive. By default, it should use the full capacity of the drive. Click "Next" to continue.
    7.Assign a drive letter to the new volume. You can choose an available drive letter or leave it as the default. Click "Next."
    8.Select the file system you want to use. For Windows, NTFS is the recommended file system. You can also provide a volume label for the drive. Click "Next" to proceed.
    9.On the next screen, review the settings you have chosen. If everything looks correct, click "Finish" to begin the formatting process.
    10.The formatting process will begin, and it may take some time depending on the size of the drive. Once the formatting is complete, you should see the new drive listed in Disk Management with a drive letter assigned.
    11.At this point, the drive should also be recognized by your laptop's file explorer, and you can start using it for backups.
    Just give it a try.

    • ozmoto on 25/06/2023 - 12:42

      Thanks for that! First it seems I need a newer SATA hard drive dock that supports 18Tb. The current one I have is only good up to 2Tb hard disks.

  • randomusername2017 on 25/06/2023 - 10:13
    +1

    NAS and laptop

    Could try something like this

  • AB100 on 25/06/2023 - 10:14

    A solution might be to buy a USB 3, 3.5" SATA HDD enclosure. They're not that expensive to buy, and will turn your Exos into a portable drive. Just make sure it supports a 18TB Drive. Maybe something like this - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004594036053.html

  • ozmoto on 25/06/2023 - 12:47

    I've found this on Amazon - WAVLINK SATA to USB-C Cable Adapter - which supports drives up to 18Tb. :-)

    • Richardc on 25/06/2023 - 13:49

      it might not have enough power for 3.5" drive.

      • ozmoto on 26/06/2023 - 08:50

        I'm getting the one with a power supply for 3.5" drives so I hope it works okay.

  • BargainKen on 26/06/2023 - 15:15
    +1

    Someone here who shucked their drives might have an enclosure they no longer need

    • ozmoto on 30/06/2023 - 17:44

      That would be ideal.

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