sata not being detected

megaman

First let me start by saying, I'm sorry if this is a reoccuring theme in this forum, I noticed several other threads below about the topic but were different hardware/motherboards/etc, but I've been tinkering with this problem for a really long (long story) time now. If you could just help me out, guys.

I recently got my AMD 64 bit system to fire up:

AMD64 Opteron 246
512MB OCZ PC-3200 DDR
160GB Western Digital SATA HDD
ASUS SK8N Nvidia nForce3 Pro150
ASUS Nvidia GeForce FX5950 Ultra 256MB
ThermalTake 480W PSU

The problem is that it will not detect my SATA drive when I am about to install Windows XP Pro, while I can clearly see my HDD in the bios settings (I had found a place to switch on RAID and did, after doing that my HDD appeared on the Boot Priority menu, which may or may not mean its detected, I'm not sure). I know that the connections are proper, the power connection and the SATA cable on RAID 0.

I have the idea to take off the jumpers boot up, which it should auto detect it with an error, power down put the jumper back on and hopefully it will auto detect it with the right setting. Only two problems occur with this idea, I read some places that you should have jumpers on the HDD when installing it, and I can't remember/find the jumper settings for PM2 (OPT1, OPT2, PM2, SSC_DIS, respectively).

This is my first SATA HDD I've ever tried to install, could just be some problems that have been openly discussed and fixed, but I haven't found any literature on it specifically.

Again, sorry if this topic is spammed in here, but I really need the help.

shwaip

When the xp install first starts, it asks if you need to install SATA drivers. You need to push a button, I think it's F6, and then provide the drivers on a floppy disk.

Flintstone

megaman,
It appears, after looking at the Asus specs for the SK8N, that it has a Promise SATA Raid controller built in. Well, since the controller isn't included in the chipset for the board, it's the same as having a separate card for the SATA Raid. Given that it'll act the same way, you MUST load the drivers for that SATA Raid chip from a floppy upon the installation of XP. If you watch the screen closely when you start the install, there'll be a message flashed across the bottom of the screen to press F6 to install and third party raid drivers. Do that when installing and your drive should show up to be partitioned and formatted when you get to that part of the installation.

Good Luck!
Flint

megaman

ok, I can do that, easy enough, but is there an independent site that can provide these drivers?

Flintstone

I'm sure you can get them from the Asus site for your board. It's also probable that they were provided to you on a disk that came with the MB. Check the manual and it should describe them and where they are located. I'll check the Asus site for you and post a link, if I can.

Flintstone

OK, go here:

http://www.asus.com.tw/support/download/item.aspx?ModelName=SK8N

Scroll down the page to FileName 378raid_100145037.zip

Download that, unzip it, put the files on a clean, formatted floppy and there you go!!

megaman

Flintstone, if I knew you personally I'd buy you lunch, thanks a lot man

sorry if I put a little work on you, I've just been playing with this computer for a little of 7 hours and my eyes feel like fried porkchops right now

Flintstone

That's all right, I'm supposed to be working and you've provided some much needed diversion!

Good Luck

Flint

megaman

ah new problem occured, when I'm extracting with winrar (not winzip because Windows wont let me because sp2 thinks these files will damage my system even if I unblock them) I get the error that says the floppy disc is out of space

so I'm trying to figure out not if there is some magical floppy brand that is bigger then 1.44mb or if there are any files I could get rid to save space

although I anticipate another problem after I get through this one

edit: also for some reason (probably sp2 again) I can't even view the files while they are in the zip folder I downloaded

Flintstone

OK, let's see!
You need to unzip it to a folder you'll be able to find later. Winzip suggests a file it'll create called "unzipped" which makes it real easy to find!! And just for kicks, I did the download and unzipping on an SP2 machine I have here and it worked fine! Don't attempt to put all of the files in the downloaded zip file on a floppy, as you've discovered, they won't fit!
Here is the file tree for winzip:
local disk
Documents and settings
ME (where ME is replaced by your user name)
My Documents
Unzipped
378raid_100145037
Drivers
Promise
378RAID
WinXP

then put those files, From the WinXP folder, on the floppy!

Now with Winrar, I forget where it puts the unzipped files but once you find that, the file tree is the same and you should be good to go!


Make sense? I hope so!
Flint

megaman

I know I did everything you just listed up there Flint, I know all the drivers are loaded for the RAID controller and that it is enabled and I know that my BIOS sees the card. However, when I'm trying to boot-up and install WindowsXP it still wont recognize my hard drive at all. Right now it is jumperless sense that seems to be the only way it gets recognized by the BIOS, but is there some other setting I should try? I tried the setting of ::I: (OPT 1, OPT 2, PM2, SSC_DIS)

Anyones input is really appreciated, although I might just check the whole computer out the window here in a bit.

Flintstone

OK
Have you followed the instructions on this PDF:

http://www.wdc.com/en/library/eide/2579-001037.pdf

Try that and let me know

I know it's a little confusing, but it appears that if your drive came without a jumper, then leave it without a jumper. But if it came with a jumper, then it must be across pins 1&2. they ship them 2 ways and they are apparently different, hence the jumper placement meaning 2 different things on the different drives. That's the way it appears to me, and it seems a trifle stupid to confuse the issue like that, but I'm glad I didn't do it!

Flint

Wait, back up.......

When you start the install of windows, and you press F6 to install 3rd party controller drivers, at some later time the installer asks for the disk in your floppy drive, right? and when you give it the disk, it suggests your controller (maybe out of 3 or 4) and asks you to verify and select the correct one, right? Then it loads the driver off the disk and proceeds with the install where it should come to the format/partition area. If it never asks for the driver disk you made earlier, you're not pushing the F6 key at the right time or long enough or something. Then, if it can't find the drive I believe it'll tell you theres no drive to install on.

Flintstone

You're sure the raid function is enabled in your bios, right? I mean even though the bios sees the drive, if the chips functionality is not allowed (turned on) in the bios there's no way the drive will ever be seen in Winders!

I have to leave to go buy a tuxedo ( I can't believe it myself) and I'll be back later. Good Luck til then and hopefully someone will takeover for me while I'm gone and get you up and running.

Remember, this is all fun, even when it's frustrating, and hopefully you can help someone else in the future when they're frustrated. NO WINDOW CHUCKING!!!

Flint