As some of you read in earlier thread, I had some trouble with my new SATA disk. This was actually my first SATA disk ever, and it caused me quite some trouble, and heavily irritated hours. The DOA disk was RMA'd, and I got a new WD SATA disk for it in return. However, my bios still does not recognize any SATA devices connected to the motherboard. Some questions I need answered: 1) Does the SATA device have to be connected to the SATA1 port on my motherboard, or can I connect it to my SATA2 port as well? (I have 2 ports on my mobo) 2) Do I need to install it before I install Windows on my pc, or can I just insert the disk after I install Windows as well? 3) My PC freezes at startup, during the Windows starting sequence, when the SATA disk is connected. Any idea what this may be about? I really need some help from some experienced SATA device users here. I really don't have a clue what to do at this moment.
1. it doesnt matter which port its connected too, or at least it shouldnt in theory 2. you should be able to run it in both situations, and as long as you have already installed the drivers for the sata controller, it should be detected straight away 3. some more info would help like what mobo/exact hdd...i take it there is no chance of testing the new (well RMAd) hdd in another computer where sata works for sure...if the drive is connected and the controller disabled, ie bios, but power still going to the drive does windoze still boot (ruling out that its a power problem)??
Felix: Reply to 3) When I plug in the SATA disk and boot my computer it either sticks right after the Press F2 to enter BIOS etc. screen, when it tries to find the connected SATA devices, or it freezes when the first Windows logo screen is displayed during startup. The motherboard I use is: AsRock K7VT4A Pro. The harddisk I use is: Western Digital Caviar SE, 7200rpm 8Mb cache SATA. Hope this info helps out. I'll be going to bed now, be back in the morning to reply to any posts. Have to wait untill tomorrow night to try every suggestion you guys give me. Thanks in advance!
I've tried the SATA1 port now as well. Gives me the same trouble. It's weird, I have the Windows driver package installed on my pc, but still it freezes at startup. I'm not really sure, they're the drivers from the cd coming with the motherboard, but does this rule out faulty drivers or any other driver problems? When I disable the SATA controller in my bios, it still won't boot. I'm really not getting any of this anymore. Just a little note on jumpers that are on the back of the disk: 1357 2468 Jumpered pins 1 and 2 enable SSC (Spread Spectrum Clocking) Jumpered pins 5 and 6 enable SATA 150Mb/s only operation Anything I should do with that note?
so hang on if you disable the controller in the bios, it still doesnt boot...would that not mean that maybe your psu is not handEling the load with an extra hdd? any details on the psu??
I'm thinking there may be an error in the BIOS. I've found an update on that and will install that later on today, probably tonight. I will try to plug the disk into an extra PSU I have laying around. That would take care if the extra power load to rule that out.
You shouldn't normally have to change the jumpers on a SATA drive, but I have seen it be a problem once (and now I think about it, that was a WD drive). Try changing the jumper to 150Mb/s only mode (that's the max your motherboard will do so it's no loss). Also, you have tried different cables right? It's always worth checking the easy possibilities...
I've heard something about the jumper on the back of the harddisk on a different forum. This was the same thing phuzz mentioned. (A bios update could fix that too, seems to be the same error that was fixed in V1.5 of the bios) I'll be checking a different cable tonight, to rule out a faulty one. Besides that, Krikkit, phuzz isn't wrong. The jumpers are on my harddisk drive. I'm not talking about motherboard jumpers
thats kinda odd, as all the sata drives that I have seen, have all been without jumpers, but then I guess I have only seen Seagate drives, which have always worked straight away...but the bios update sounds like a worthwhile shot! do you know what chipset the sata controller is? or should I say who makes the sata controller chip?
I really don't have a clue on that... I'll have to check that on the chip itself, or maybe the booklet that came with the motherboard. But, the WD disks do have 8 pins on the back. 1and2 and 5and6 can be used, 3,4,7,8 can't (according to the info on the disk itself.)
I've got it working now. Turned out to be the disk being SATA generation II, but my BIOS only supports generation I. Fixed it by updating the BIOS, and jumpering the pin 5+6 on the back of the disk.
glad it all worked out, I've got a feeling you're not the last person this'll happen to, what with SATAII (or SATA 300Mb/s or whatever) becoming more common.
I think SATAII is the wrong name for it. SATAII seems to be some kind of promotional name. It's just SATA generation II, just a bit faster. Bit stupid to come up with the name SATAII if you ask me. Anyway, I hope this thread will be of some use for others.
