[P4C800-E DLX -] XP won't recognize Maxtor 120GB SATA drive.

[Gary]

Just installed a Maxtor 120GB with a built in S-ATA interface. I used
the Intel SATA connector on the mainboard, NOT the Promise connector.
Mobo is an ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe.

The BIOS sees the drive just fine (1017.004 BIOS). However, every time
I boot into XP Pro (SP2) I get the message that new drivers were found
and installed and that I need to restart the computer.

I've restarted many times and still get this message. XP doesn't 'see'
my drive either. Tried Safe Mode also but to no avail.

I finally went into Device Manager and saw there were 2 new IDE
channels under "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers". These are the two SATA
controllers. They both had an 'X' across the icon.

I manually enabled both of the IDE channels and got a few messages to
restart my computer. I replied NO to these messages and lo and behold
my new hard drive became known to XP. I even formatted it with
PartitionMagic and copied some files to it. Seems to work fine.

HOWEVER... each time I reboot I get the message that drivers were
installed and I need to reboot. Plus, the IDE channels are again
disabled. I can't keep manually enabling them myself all the time!
Every so often if I manually enable the SATA controllers in Device
Manager and then reboot I will still get the message but sometimes the
controllers are enabled! Only for this one reboot however. Subsequent
reboots will disable them again. Just a point of information.

There's got to be a 'fix' for this. Are there any other drivers that I
need? I thought they were built in to XP? Seems to be, since I can get
to the drive after I manually enable the IDE controllers.

Seems like the new hardware detection routine is wacked out for me.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Richard Warren]

If you go onto the Maxtor web site you will find instructions as to how to
install Maxtor SATA drives along with the special program for formatting the
drive.

Regards

 

[Streetwolf]

Always appreciative of a reply

Keep in mind that the SATA connector I am using is the native Intel
connector on the mobo. Therefore it does not require any additional
drivers. Just the ones that come with XP. In fact, the drive appears as
just another IDE drive, in my case the third master. And just to be sure, I
tried installing from the Maxtor disk that came with the drive but it just
installed the ATAPI.SYS driver that comes with XP. This is the correct
driver as far as I can tell.

My problem isn't that the SATA controllers or the Maxtor hard drive are not
being recognized, it's that they are not being enabled when XP comes up. If
I enable them myself I can access them with no problem. All other hardware
I've ever installed detects your hardware once and then enables it forever.
In this case it detects it but does not enable it.

I have 2 IDE hard drives on IDE1 and two burners on IDE2. I'm going to
unplug my burners and see if using all my IDE connectors is somehow causing
this problem. If not, then I guess I'll be returning the drive to where I
bought it. But I'd rather keep the drive

 

[Paul]

Always appreciative of a reply

Keep in mind that the SATA connector I am using is the native Intel
connector on the mobo. Therefore it does not require any additional
drivers. Just the ones that come with XP. In fact, the drive appears as
just another IDE drive, in my case the third master. And just to be sure, I
tried installing from the Maxtor disk that came with the drive but it just
installed the ATAPI.SYS driver that comes with XP. This is the correct
driver as far as I can tell.

My problem isn't that the SATA controllers or the Maxtor hard drive are not
being recognized, it's that they are not being enabled when XP comes up. If
I enable them myself I can access them with no problem. All other hardware
I've ever installed detects your hardware once and then enables it forever.
In this case it detects it but does not enable it.

I have 2 IDE hard drives on IDE1 and two burners on IDE2. I'm going to
unplug my burners and see if using all my IDE connectors is somehow causing
this problem. If not, then I guess I'll be returning the drive to where I
bought it. But I'd rather keep the drive

Is this related to "Enhanced" versus "Compatible" operating mode
for the Southbridge ? Enhanced mode is for Win2K/WinXP, and should
support six drives. Compatible mode, as far as I know, works with
any MS OS, but only supports four drives of the six possible.
Perhaps your problem is related to that setting, or the sub-mode
that comes with it. If using Enhanced, you are supposed to select
SATA, even if you don't have any SATA drives cnnnected. (Your
problem could also be related to having changed those settings,
after having installed the OS. Maybe the OS is now confused, and
is remembering something about a previous BIOS choice you made.
Enhanced and compatible mode, cause different drivers to be
installed.)

Purely a guess,
Paul

 

[Streetwolf]

Thanks for all the tips guys.

I came up with the thought of booting into Safe Mode to see what would
happen. I got the usual found and installed drivers message I then
rebooted back into Safe Mode and there it was. I then rebooted back into
normal mode and Device Manager sees my SATA IDE controllers and drive just
fine. It's even says its UDMA 6!

Hope it stays this way

 

[Ender]

Just installed a Maxtor 120GB with a built in S-ATA interface. I used
the Intel SATA connector on the mainboard, NOT the Promise connector.
Mobo is an ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe.

The BIOS sees the drive just fine (1017.004 BIOS). However, every time
I boot into XP Pro (SP2) I get the message that new drivers were found
and installed and that I need to restart the computer.

<snip>

This is all I can think of that might be the issue. Although the bios
sees the drive, has the setting in the bios been set to allow the OS
to know what to do with it?

....In the "IDE Configuration" tab of the "Main" section of the bios
how is the Onboard IDE Operate Mode set? (in an xp environment this
should be set to "enhanced mode")

....and the Enhanced Mode Support? (should be set to "S-ATA")

....configure S-ATA as RAID? (should be "no" from your description)

If you have already been there and done that then I have no clue why
XP is confused. I am using a WD Raptor S-ATA as the boot drive on my
P4C800-E Deluxe on the Intel controller and XP has no issue seeing it
properly. Hopefully it is as simple as setting the bios!

Regards,

Ender

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke