Multiple SATA Drives and Vista 32 Ultimate.

[Achase]

I have a wierd issue with Vista. At the moment I have 3 hard drives and one
DVD That I am trying to use. Sometimes Vista actually reads the drive and I
was able to format and save items to the number 3 500GB drive but when I
reboot Vista forgets it. There is always an item in device manager that says
unknown device on volume manager and no matter what I do it will not install
drivers for this. Does Vista have a problem with high GB drives or with more
than 2 hard drives? Would seem odd especially since I've had more on older
versions and I do have a 100% genuine ultimate version. Any time I try to do
anything in Disk management it says the information is out of date and will
not go any further. I've tried multiple ways of getting the drive to install
but no matter what I do it's a roll of the dice if Windows will recognise it
or not. My hard drive setup is Seagate 320 GB for C(Windows), 400GB for
programs and a 500GB Maxtor That I'm trying to install mainly as a backup.
I'm running a 3.4 dual core Intel CPU with 4GB of ram and crossfire enabled
Video cards. I've tried diffrent controllers as I have 2 diffrent SATA
onbard controllers and even tried a 3rd pci controller. Needless to say this
has been expensive and am looking for any solution. Anyone have suggestions?

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Vista does not have an issue with high capacity SATA drives nor with having
many more SATA hard drives than two. There was an issue I remember from the
techbeta with Maxtor OneTouch drives.

 

[Achase]

Sorry I should clarify. I'm referring to all internal drives. I also tried
the infcache.1 rename as brought up in other posts and that did not work
either. Basically it seems that no matter how or what I try Windows will not
load the volume driver for ANY drive past the original 2. I have a spare 320
that I was going to originally try to run raid 1 on but the backup wouldn't
install to raid since original config was not raid. What it boils down to is
that for whatever reason Vista will not go over 2 hard drives and 1 SATA DvD
drive for me. The 320 is Seagate 500 is Maxtor so difrent brands etc...
Only comonality is that Vista chokes when trying to go over 2 hard drives
regardless of the controllers used.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

You should give your system specs in these posts, especially the mobo. Have
you seen anything relating to drives disabled in the BIOS?

 

[Achase]

Copying Specs from below.
I'm running a 3.4 dual core Intel CPU with 4GB of ram and crossfire enabled
video cards. Intel brand 975 BX2 revesion board. Fully bios updated as I
thought about that as well. Nothing I fould on the intel boards about
multiple STATA drives. I've tried diffrent controllers as I have 2 diffrent
SATA onbard controllers and even tried a 3rd pci controller.

Windows will sometimes see the drive. So it's random. Sometimes I'll get
it sometimes not. Somtimes when it tries to install the volume driver
windows comes up with KB940199 for a soulition but that didn't work either.
It just did it again after a reboot and even though it didn't install the
driver the drive is recognised so I'm really confused.

 

[Achase]

Original reply didn't appear to take. 3.4GHZ intel dual core, 4 GIG ram, 2
512 MB Crossfire Video, 1) 320 GB Seagate 1) 400 GB Seagate 1) 500 GB Maxtor,
1) SATA DVD Lightscribe, Vista ultimate 32 instaled. Intel 975 BX2 MB with
all bios updates. No issues reported on their website with multiple hard
drives.

Somtimes like after my last reboot it won't install the driver for the
volume but windows will still see and access the drive with no problems.
Other times it won't even see it. When it sees the drive but doesn't install
the driver windows suggests KB940199 but that did not work.

 

[Carl G]

I had a problem like that once on an Intel MOBO.
I finally called Intel support.
I had to install the Intel Management Engine Interface , my unknowen yellow
question mark went away.
I have an intel board now and do have that installed.
I also have to set the bios to run sata as IDE.
hope this helps.

 

[Achase]

Not sure at this point. I ended up doing a complete wipe and new install of
windows and they are working find now.