Computer not detecting SATA hard drive

TheOrteganator · 03-10-2007, 06:04 AM

Here's the problem:

After walking into CompUSA yesterday, I discovered that they were having a huge closing sale. I purchased what I could to build a computer, but I am not quite there yet. I decided to put the SATA hard drive that I purchased in the computer I have now for extra storage. The primary drive that is booted from is an IDE drive. I plugged it all in according to directions, but it is not listed in BIOS or in 'My Computer'. The hard drive is a Western Digital 250 GB SATA 300 MB/s 7200 RPM 16 MB cache. Other computer specs:

AMD Athlon XP 3000+
ATI Radeon 9550
1GB DDR RAM
Asus A7V8X-LA Motherboard
Windows XP Home SP2

Any ideas?

heyman421 · 03-10-2007, 06:08 AM

make you sure set the jumper to sata1 if your mobo only supports sata1

also go into the mobo's bios and make sure that you turn on the sata bus

most mobo's have settings for sata/pata/both

TheOrteganator · 03-10-2007, 06:10 AM

Where in BIOS will I find the SATA bus?

TheOrteganator · 03-10-2007, 08:04 AM

I may have found the problem. The power supply I'm using dosen't have any SATA power cables. I have it hooked up to the power supply with the same connector as the IDE hard drives use(the white one with pins.)

Should that be working, since there is a spot on the SATA hard drive that plugs into that, or do I absolutely need a SATA power connector?

**The_Other_One** · 03-10-2007, 08:06 AM

Either power connector should work fine, just don't use both

As mentioned above, you probably just don't have the jumper set correctly on the drive. Be sure it's set for SATA150 and not SATA300.

Styrak · 03-10-2007, 04:36 PM

You shouldn't have to change the jumper on a SATA drive at all. They're set at the factory. So, can't see it in the BIOS? I suppose that means you wouldn't be able to see it in Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Storage: Disk Management?

Like was said before, try to enable the SATA ports in the BIOS, then restart and check the BIOS again.

TheOrteganator · 03-11-2007, 05:32 AM

I'll take a look at making it SATA 150. Thanks.

StrangleHold · 03-11-2007, 05:44 AM

On the W/D you put a jumper on the second set of pins from the left to set it at 1.5! The bottom photo!

TheOrteganator · 03-12-2007, 11:02 PM

Thanks, I'll try that. However, I read on a different forum that HP may have disabled SATA support in the BIOS and that it cannot be unlocked. I hate HP now. Good think I'll be building my new system later this month.

tlarkin · 03-12-2007, 11:06 PM

also if you only have one set of SATA ports they might be set into RAID mode, and not IDE mode. This is changed in the bios.

03-10-2007, 06:04 AM	#1 (permalink)
TheOrteganator Silver Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 171	Computer not detecting SATA hard drive Here's the problem: After walking into CompUSA yesterday, I discovered that they were having a huge closing sale. I purchased what I could to build a computer, but I am not quite there yet. I decided to put the SATA hard drive that I purchased in the computer I have now for extra storage. The primary drive that is booted from is an IDE drive. I plugged it all in according to directions, but it is not listed in BIOS or in 'My Computer'. The hard drive is a Western Digital 250 GB SATA 300 MB/s 7200 RPM 16 MB cache. Other computer specs: AMD Athlon XP 3000+ ATI Radeon 9550 1GB DDR RAM Asus A7V8X-LA Motherboard Windows XP Home SP2 Any ideas?

03-10-2007, 08:06 AM	#5 (permalink)
The_Other_One Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Lexington, NC Age: 24 Posts: 12,368	Either power connector should work fine, just don't use both As mentioned above, you probably just don't have the jumper set correctly on the drive. Be sure it's set for SATA150 and not SATA300. __________________ Desktop * Athlon X2 4200 \| 2G RAM \| 160G HD \| 7600GT Laptop1 * C2D T5550 \| 3G RAM \| 120G HD \| Intel x3100 Laptop2 * C2D T5250 \| 2G RAM \| 160G HD \| Intel x3100

03-10-2007, 04:36 PM	#6 (permalink)
Styrak Platinum Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 517	You shouldn't have to change the jumper on a SATA drive at all. They're set at the factory. So, can't see it in the BIOS? I suppose that means you wouldn't be able to see it in Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Storage: Disk Management? Like was said before, try to enable the SATA ports in the BIOS, then restart and check the BIOS again. __________________ Athlon X2 4200+ S939 1GB RAM Radeon X1950 XT 256MB 1x160GB HD 1x320GB HD Antec TPII 550W PSU 20" WS BenQ LCD WinXP Last edited by Styrak; 03-10-2007 at 04:39 PM.

03-11-2007, 05:44 AM	#8 (permalink)
StrangleHold Diamond Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: And you think your safe! Posts: 7,962	On the W/D you put a jumper on the second set of pins from the left to set it at 1.5! The bottom photo! __________________ NZXT Apollo Athlon 64 X2 5600 3.3ghz. Gigabyte GA MA770 DS3 G Skill DDR2 1066 944mhz. 4gb. PNY 8800GT/VD964 W/D RE2 Sata 3.0 500gb. All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. Last edited by StrangleHold; 03-11-2007 at 05:46 AM.

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03-10-2007, 06:08 AM	#2 (permalink)
heyman421 banned Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,349	make you sure set the jumper to sata1 if your mobo only supports sata1 also go into the mobo's bios and make sure that you turn on the sata bus most mobo's have settings for sata/pata/both

03-10-2007, 06:10 AM	#3 (permalink)
TheOrteganator Silver Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 171	Where in BIOS will I find the SATA bus?

03-10-2007, 08:04 AM	#4 (permalink)
TheOrteganator Silver Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 171	I may have found the problem. The power supply I'm using dosen't have any SATA power cables. I have it hooked up to the power supply with the same connector as the IDE hard drives use(the white one with pins.) Should that be working, since there is a spot on the SATA hard drive that plugs into that, or do I absolutely need a SATA power connector?

03-11-2007, 05:32 AM	#7 (permalink)
TheOrteganator Silver Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 171	I'll take a look at making it SATA 150. Thanks.

03-12-2007, 11:02 PM	#9 (permalink)
TheOrteganator Silver Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 171	Thanks, I'll try that. However, I read on a different forum that HP may have disabled SATA support in the BIOS and that it cannot be unlocked. I hate HP now. Good think I'll be building my new system later this month.

03-12-2007, 11:06 PM	#10 (permalink)
tlarkin VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 6,955	also if you only have one set of SATA ports they might be set into RAID mode, and not IDE mode. This is changed in the bios.

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