Is SATA compatible with IDE Hard drives

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dave Neve
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Dave Neve

Hello

I would like to know if I put together a new computer with a SATA drive,
would I be able to install a second IDE HD (cos I have one already)

Would both HD's be able to boot the system as I normally have a dual boot
system also

Thanks

Dave Neve
 
Dave Neve said:
Hello

I would like to know if I put together a new computer with a SATA drive,
would I be able to install a second IDE HD (cos I have one already)

Would both HD's be able to boot the system as I normally have a dual boot
system also

Thanks

Dave Neve
Click to expand...

This depends entirely on the BIOS you have. I recommend
you check out its boot options.
 
Also some of the boards ive seen will not let you boot to the SATA drives
if you have a hard drive on the primary IDE controller. (A bios issue like
Pegasus was pointed out) This could cause complications. If you run into this
you have the option of putting the IDE hard drive on the secondary controller.

As long as you dont need access to data on the drive your not booting
too you should be able to just disable the SATA or IDE controller in the BIOS
on boot up. This is what I do at home. This will also keep you from
accidently giveing a virus to your other OS. Not that you would.

The Woodpile

The Woodpile
 
The Woodpile said:
Also some of the boards ive seen will not let you boot to the SATA
drives
if you have a hard drive on the primary IDE controller. (A bios issue like
Pegasus was pointed out) This could cause complications. If you run into
this
you have the option of putting the IDE hard drive on the secondary
controller.

As long as you dont need access to data on the drive your not booting
too you should be able to just disable the SATA or IDE controller in the
BIOS
on boot up. This is what I do at home. This will also keep you from
accidently giveing a virus to your other OS. Not that you would.

The Woodpile

The Woodpile
Click to expand...


Dave:
I'm rather puzzled by "The Woodpile" comments re the inability of
SATA-capable motherboards not being able to boot to a SATA drive. I've
worked with a fair number of these boards from a variety of manufacturers
and I've yet to find a single SATA-capable motherboard that would not permit
a boot from a properly connected SATA HD. And in every case I've encountered
where a PATA (IDE) HD was installed in addition to a SATA drive, there is a
BIOS option to boot from either drive. It is true that some boards are, *in
addition*, also equipped with IDE connectors that will not allow a connected
HD to boot from that connector as they're basically designed for optical
drives.

If "The Woodpile" or Pegasus have encountered SATA-capable motherboards not
having the above capability of which I speak, I certainly would like to know
their makes & models.
Anna
 
I cant tell you the exact motherboards but I know one was a giagbyte with the
ICH5 chipset. The SATA drive will boot fine as long as you do not have an IDE
hard drive on the primary controller. Im sure you have seen BIOS setting that
will allow you to set up a SATA drive to look its on the primary IDE? This is
where the problem is. Some manufacturers have not implemented the choice to
choose wether to do this or not. On these particular boards you can not have
anything on the primary IDE if you want to boot to the SATA because it views
them as the same connection. Even though they are not. The weird thing is you
can use the SATA drive for data storge while booting to the Primary IDE.

I have only seen this on a few boards. They were all ICH5 chipsets. Im not
sure if this is just coincidence or not.

I would guese that 99% of board models do not have this problem. I just
wanted to mention it because we have had this issue.

I hope I am explaining this ok Anna. I am dislexic so sometimes when I
explain something it looks ok to me but it makes no sence to someone else.
HeHe.

The Woodpile
 
No, you make perfect sense. I don't own any SATA capable PCs, but I've read
PC hardware and OS newsgroups since 98. Can't recall any special make or
model PC or motherboard, but when first introduced their were myriads of
complaints about simultaneous IDE and SATA hard drives, wouldn't boot from
SATA. You'd have to have your head in the sand back then not to know this
now. That's why I'm careful reading some people's stuff, they all have
their own little boxed-in world.
 
Jonny:
All I can say is that based upon my experience with working with at least a
score of SATA-capable motherboards from different manufacturers over the
past three years or so, I've yet to encounter a single motherboard that did
not permit a boot from a properly-connected PATA hard drive. Now there were
(and continue to be) problems with the IDE>to>SATA adapters and perhaps
that's what you're referring to when you mention "hard drives (that)
wouldn't boot from SATA". But that's not the issue here. We're talking about
booting directly to a PATA HD properly connected to its IDE (bootable)
motherboard connector.

As I also mentioned to Woodpile, if you are aware of any SATA-equipped
motherboard that does *not* possess the capability of which we speak, I
would be appreciative of learning its name & model number.
Anna
 
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