New Sata HD

[Terry Smythe]

Just acquired a new SATA 320 gig hard drive. Installed fine on my
workbench computer under WinXPHome. When I carry the drive over to my
main computer, also WinXPHome, it cannot be seen.

I've connected it to the same cables for a smaller SATA drive, which are
known to be OK, and smaller drive previously seen and operating normally.
This new drive absolutely cannot be seen.

Take it back over to my workbench computer and it comes up normally. Take
it back to my main computer, can't be seen.

In CMOS, SATA is enabled, and another SATA 320 gig hard drive is already
attached to SATA1 on the MB. It also is seen if I transfer its data cable
to SATA2 on the MB. So, I know both SATA headers are OK, data cables are
OK, power cables are OK. Everything checks out, except drive cannot be
seen.

Even W/D Lifeguard tools fails to see it, regardless if I boot to a W/D DOS
floppy, or use the Windows Install routine.

Ideas on why this drive can't be seen by my main computer, even though it is
fine on my workbench computer?

Regards,

Terry Smythe
Winnipeg, Canada

 

[Guest]

Some SATA hds have that issue from time to time,youre best bet is to run it
thru the mfg DOS hd checker & run its utilities from booting to the
floppy,however
sounds like thats been tried.If its just the one pc failing to see it,try
power off
pc,remove battery,move the CMOS jumper pin on the board from 1-2 to 2-3 for
.45 seconds or so,then back to 1-2,replace battery,start pc.On
start-up,you'll need
to reset basic BIOS settings + the options you have as it goes back to oem
settings.

 

[1D10T]

Ideas on why this drive can't be seen by my main computer, even though it
is fine on my workbench computer?

Regards,

Terry Smythe
Winnipeg, Canada

In the BIOS, make sure SATA mode is set to IDE (believe it or not!). I had
the same issue, and found SATA mode set to RAID.

 

[Anna]

Just acquired a new SATA 320 gig hard drive. Installed fine on my
workbench computer under WinXPHome. When I carry the drive over to my
main computer, also WinXPHome, it cannot be seen.

I've connected it to the same cables for a smaller SATA drive, which are
known to be OK, and smaller drive previously seen and operating normally.
This new drive absolutely cannot be seen.

Take it back over to my workbench computer and it comes up normally.
Take it back to my main computer, can't be seen.

In CMOS, SATA is enabled, and another SATA 320 gig hard drive is already
attached to SATA1 on the MB. It also is seen if I transfer its data
cable to SATA2 on the MB. So, I know both SATA headers are OK, data
cables are OK, power cables are OK. Everything checks out, except drive
cannot be seen.

Even W/D Lifeguard tools fails to see it, regardless if I boot to a W/D
DOS floppy, or use the Windows Install routine.

Ideas on why this drive can't be seen by my main computer, even though it
is fine on my workbench computer?

Regards,

Terry Smythe
Winnipeg, Canada

Terry:
If I correctly understand you, the "problem" machine has a 320 GB SATA HDD
installed that's functioning without any problems - presumably it's the boot
drive in that machine, right? Is it the same make/model of your newer 320
SATA GB HDD?

But when you install the newer 320 GB SATA HDD (I take it it's a WD drive,
right?) as a secondary HDD in that machine it's not "seen". Presumably not
listed in the "Disk drives" section of Control Panel?

And it's not listed in Disk Management as well?

I take it your motherboard has only two SATA connectors, and although you've
connected the new SATA HDD to one or the other of these connectors the
non-recognition problem still occurs, right? And, of course, you've changed
the data cable to ensure that's not the problem here, yes?

Does the BIOS show the SATA HDD? BTW, what motherboard are you working with?
Presumably a different MB than the one in your "workbench" PC, yes? In any
event have you checked the motherboard's website to see if there's any info
there that might be of some help re this issue?

Is the functioning SATA HDD jumpered for the 3.0 Gb/sec data interface or
the 1.5 Gb/sec one? And in terms of the data interface, the newer 320 GB
SATA HDD is jumpered identically as the functioning one?

When you say the drive is also not recognized during the "Windows Install
routine", you're indicating that you tried installing the XP OS onto that
drive using the XP installation CD, right? What exactly happened during this
failed attempt? After the installation files were loaded did you receive a
message indicating that Windows cannot find an installed HDD? Is that what
you mean when you refer to this non-recognition problem? If not, what?

Ordinarily in similar type of situations we would generally assume the
problem you describe could be because of the need to install a SATA
controller driver (the F6 routine when installing the XP OS onto a SATA
HDD). But since you've already installed a SATA HDD in the machine and it's
properly functioning it wouldn't seem an auxiliary SATA controller driver
need be installed for the newer SATA HDD which you're trying to connect as a
secondary HDD in a non-RAID configuration.

Have you checked your motherboard's BIOS settings to determine if there's
any setting there re SATA HDDs that might be implicated in this problem?
Again I would think not since again, you do have a properly functioning SATA
boot HDD operating in the system. But check anyway, especially with respect
to any RAID settings even though this is not a RAID configuration.
Anna

 

[Guest]

Sori to butt in Anna but need some urgent help and when I found these posts
here it seemed to me you know all about this issue. To cover my bases, I'll
probably post this elsewhere as well as I'm not sure you'll get or answer
this.


01/10/2007

How to configure a 2nd SCSI SATA drive?
---------------------------------------

Specs: Win XP Pro SP2, Pentium 4 3 GHz, 445 MB RAM

Following drive specs obtained via 'Computer Management' and 'Device Manager':

Disk 0: ST316081 5AS SCSI Disk Device / 75 GB
Disk 1: ST380811 0AS SCSI Disk device / 150 GB (just added & initialized;
not yet
configured, partitioned, formatted, etc.)


These drives are SATA drives. I know v little about SCSI and SATA drives
except
for what I'v just read on the Net. SEAGATE Website says no jumpers need be
set
and that all drives are considered as Masters. I do not know the implications
of having 2 Master drives. The following is from SEAGATE Website:

----------------------------------
Serial ATA drives are designed for easy installation with no jumpers,
terminators, or

other settings. It is not necessary to set any jumpers on this drive for
proper

operation. The jumper block adjacent to the signal connector is only needed
in some cases

when connecting your SATA II drive to an older SATA I controller.

Each drive on the serial ATA interface connects in a point-to-point
configuration with

the serial ATA host adapter. There is no master/slave relationship because
each drive is

considered a master in a point-to-point relationships. If two drives are
attached on one

serial ATA host adapter, the host operating system views the two devices as
if they were

both “masters†on two separate ports. This means both drives behave as if
they are Device

0 (master) devices. Each drive has its own cable.

Your serial ATA host adapter may provide master/slave emulation options. See
your host

adapter documentation for details.
----------------------------------

There are 4 SATA connectors on the mobo - 2 red (1 & 2); 2 black (3 & 4) -
and I
don't have a clue as to the difference between the red and the black ones -
unless
maybe the black ones are for 'Slave drives'.


I would like to make the new 2nd drive a Slave (if possible and if
adviseable) but have
no idea how to go about it. Wouldn't have a clue about any "host adapter
documentation";
seems like a bit of overkill, just to make a drive a slave drive. Thought
Windows
might give the option. With IDE it's a matter of simple drive jumper
relocation.

In Disk Management I got confronted w/ a riske "Dynamic Volume" wizard. "The
Elder Geek"
provides some articles on this which made my hair stand on end and my skin
crawl.
For sure I don't want to convert the Disk to Dynamic Volume or RAID, etc. No
way!

The article also givesa warning about not being able to convert back; yet
Windows
Help (via 'Computer Management') says it's a simple matter and gives the
steps.

Who's right?

Fortunately and somehow I got the wizard to finally give me the 'basic disk'
option.


------------------------------------------

1. All I want to do is to make this 2nd drive a simple FAT32 backup drive
with a total
of 4 partitions - and hopefully Windows XP will give me the FAT32 option
somewhere
along the line. I don't want NTFS for several reasons.

2. If I cannot get the 'Slave drive' option, is it OK to just go ahead and
assume it'll
turn into a 2nd Master? What are the consequences of this?

3. How do I partition this thing? Should I / do I need to first create a
primary
partition and then an extended partition, which I then partition into 3
logical
drives? or how?

4. Do I need to / can I (if I want to) install an OS (like Win XP Pro) on
the primary
partition? Is there any advantage to this? Would there be a conflict created
between the existing OS on Disk 0 and the new one on Disk 1 or would the
system boot normally via the OS on the C: drive?


I did not see any answers to any of the above specific questions in the
Windows Help on the issue in Computer Management.

Thank you very much,

 

[Guest]

Well, just as I suspected, Win XP won't give me the FAT32 option when tried
format as primary partition as a test; so I didn't format.

Looks like I'll have to use some 2nd party product. Any help?

 

[Guest]

Just as suspected, Win XP won't give me the FAT32 option when try format
as primary partition, for a test.

Any help. I want FAT 32.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Well, just as I suspected, Win XP won't give me the FAT32 option
when tried format as primary partition as a test; so I didn't
format.

Looks like I'll have to use some 2nd party product. Any help?

Why would you limit yourself to FAT32?

Anyway - yeah - you can google for tools to allow you to format FAT32
partitions of just about any size -although you maintain the limitations of
FAT32.

Format larger than 32GB FAT32 within Windows XP with this utility:
http://www1.mager.org/mkdosfs/

 

[DL]

multi posted and answered

Just as suspected, Win XP won't give me the FAT32 option when try format
as primary partition, for a test.

Any help. I want FAT 32.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Just as suspected, Win XP won't give me the FAT32 option when try format
as primary partition, for a test.

Windows XP will not let you create a FAT32 partition larger than 32GB.
However it will happily use pone if created before installing XP. Use
a boot diskette from something like Windows Me first.

Any help. I want FAT 32.

Why? It's usually a mistake.

 

[Guest]

Got it. Thanks Ken. I have been browsing the net on the issue since I posted
to familiarize. Have a much better understanding of it now including the
details
of what you suggest.

Thank you,

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Got it. Thanks Ken. I have been browsing the net on the issue since I posted
to familiarize. Have a much better understanding of it now including the
details
of what you suggest.

Thank you,

You're welcome. Glad to help.