Help w/Third SATA HD (non-RAID) WinXP MCE won't recognize. AMI BIOS shows third HD

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kronk.not
  • Start date Start date
K

Kronk.not

Hello,

I have a Sony VGC-RA820G
have DL'd all the latest Windows updates
DL'd all the Sony updates

The unit came with a Western Digital 200 GB HD - SATA
Added a Maxtor 200 GB - SATA

WindowsXP MCE sees them fine.
(hmm, supposedly Sony's WindowsXP MCE is based on WindowsXP Pro FWIW)


Go to add a Third ..another Maxtor 200 GB - SATA
(same model as the second HD)

Start - My Computer - Right Click - Manage - Storage - Disk Management

disc 0 Western Digital
disc 1 Maxtor 1 (3 partitions 1 NTSF 2 FAT-32)
disc 2 (CardReader)
disc 3 "
disc 4 "
disc 5 "
CDROM 0 DVD R/W
CDROM 1 DVD Rom

SWAP SATA cables (Maxtor 1 & Maxtor 2)
Maxtor 1 - sata port 1
Maxtor 2 - sata port 2
becomes:
Maxtor 2 - sata port 1
Maxtor 1 - sata port 2

(go back to Disk Management

disc 0 Western Digital
disc 1 Maxtor 2 (1 NTSF just as it should be)

(the rest is the same)

So, its not the SATA cables,
Both harddrives are individually identified
BIOS recognizes everything
WinXP just doesn't end up showing ALL three drive ..just two


Hmm, AMI Bios shows like this

Primary IDE DVD R/W
Primary IDE DVD Rom

Third Master Western Digital sata port 0
Third Slave Maxtor 2 sata port 2
(this is the third drive)

Fourth Master Maxtor sata port 1
Fourth Slave [not detected]



IF.. I put the third drive's sata cable into port 3 THEN:

Primary IDE DVD R/W
Primary IDE DVD Rom

Third Master Western Digital sata port 0
Third Slave [not detected]
Fourth Master Maxtor 1 sata port 1
Fourth Slave Maxtor 2 sata port 3
(this is the third drive)


Of note: intel 915 chipset
82801FB

apparently not RAID from what I gather on Intel's site
If 915 ..then wanting RAID it'd need to be an 82801FR

Kronk
 
Does the board support RAID....Typically with SATA or RAID,you need to
adjust the BIOS for SATA,advanced chip set,integrated peripherals-or
similiar,
On Chip Serail ATA,combined mode or enhanced mode-or similiar,plus a
setting or two in that area,enhanced makes RAID available with IDE,combined
enables SATA with IDE,youre board will vary but the BIOS set-up is similiar..
Read the owners manual....Also,download and install the drivers for the SATA/
RAID controller.
 
Does the board support RAID....Typically with SATA or RAID,you need to
adjust the BIOS for SATA,advanced chip set,integrated peripherals-or
similiar,
Click to expand...

Not to my knowledge. It "Sony VAIO" computer was purchased at BEST BUY
For RAID it seems it had to be Custom Ordered (Configure-to-Order) via
the http://www.sonystyle.com store

Supposedly, if it had RAID there'd be some CONTROL I prompting. Which
you of course don't see because of the BIOS. Default has it only showing
the FULL LOGO SCREEN. F2 gets you into the BIOS and you can disable
that VIAO logo screen. ..which I have done but, no CONTROL I prompt.
Only promptings I see are F2 to run setup and F11 for BBS pop-up (which
is a funny way to say: Select the device in which to boot from.)
On Chip Serail ATA,combined mode or enhanced mode-or similiar,plus a
setting or two in that area,enhanced makes RAID available with IDE,combined
enables SATA with IDE,youre board will vary but the BIOS set-up is similiar..
Read the owners manual....Also,download and install the drivers for the SATA/
RAID controller.
Click to expand...

Nothing in the "Quick Start" guide supplied w/me Sony computer. Well,
other than reference to another guide "About RAID Systems" that of
course you don't get ..because it wasn't a "Configure-to-Order" and it
says you don't get that guide UNLESS it is.


Anyway, something is ODD. Why can it use SATA at all? Have 4 ports on
the MOBO (made by AsusTeK for Sony). I don't really want what I know as
RAID 2 hardrives seen as one (in this case (2) 200GB as one 400 GB HD)
nor to I wish to have (2) 200GB mirrored such that it only shows it as
one 200 GB HD. I just would like to have (upto 4, duh, 4 sata ports
available ..should mean 4 HDs) individual each registering as
themselves.

I'm thinking its (as currently config'd) just a new means to connect a
hard drive and all the old type IDE (I guess called P-ATA) limitations
still apply. Only Four devices.

Primary Master Primary Slave
Secondary Master Secondary Slave

Though, I'm having a bit of a time accounting for the number of devices
actually shown in the BIOS and the wording. But, I think I have a
handle on it. All those shown in Windows Disk Management window are
really a USB device all the removeable media / card reader dew-hickie.
so.. discount that has being a device at all


So that leaves me with
2 DVD units (1 a R/W, 1 a ROM)
2 Hardrives.
-
4 devices

I'm tempted to figure out how to unplug the DVD-Rom (its rather crowded
in there and the connectors are not easy to get at, unless I'm mistaken
as to their location.) and see if it does free up a slot (so to speak)
and ..hope upon hope there'll be that third hard drive being displayed.

Kronk
[email protected] said:
Hello,

I have a Sony VGC-RA820G
have DL'd all the latest Windows updates
DL'd all the Sony updates

The unit came with a Western Digital 200 GB HD - SATA
Added a Maxtor 200 GB - SATA

WindowsXP MCE sees them fine.
(hmm, supposedly Sony's WindowsXP MCE is based on WindowsXP Pro FWIW)


Go to add a Third ..another Maxtor 200 GB - SATA
(same model as the second HD)

Start - My Computer - Right Click - Manage - Storage - Disk Management

disc 0 Western Digital
disc 1 Maxtor 1 (3 partitions 1 NTSF 2 FAT-32)
disc 2 (CardReader)
disc 3 "
disc 4 "
disc 5 "
CDROM 0 DVD R/W
CDROM 1 DVD Rom

SWAP SATA cables (Maxtor 1 & Maxtor 2)
Maxtor 1 - sata port 1
Maxtor 2 - sata port 2
becomes:
Maxtor 2 - sata port 1
Maxtor 1 - sata port 2

(go back to Disk Management

disc 0 Western Digital
disc 1 Maxtor 2 (1 NTSF just as it should be)

(the rest is the same)

So, its not the SATA cables,
Both harddrives are individually identified
BIOS recognizes everything
WinXP just doesn't end up showing ALL three drive ..just two


Hmm, AMI Bios shows like this

Primary IDE DVD R/W
Primary IDE DVD Rom

Third Master Western Digital sata port 0
Third Slave Maxtor 2 sata port 2
(this is the third drive)

Fourth Master Maxtor sata port 1
Fourth Slave [not detected]



IF.. I put the third drive's sata cable into port 3 THEN:

Primary IDE DVD R/W
Primary IDE DVD Rom

Third Master Western Digital sata port 0
Third Slave [not detected]
Fourth Master Maxtor 1 sata port 1
Fourth Slave Maxtor 2 sata port 3
(this is the third drive)


Of note: intel 915 chipset
82801FB

apparently not RAID from what I gather on Intel's site
If 915 ..then wanting RAID it'd need to be an 82801FR

Kronk
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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