New Sata harddrive doesn't show up

  • Thread starter Thread starter marsha
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M

marsha

I just got a new sata harddrive. I plugged it in but it doesn't
show up in My Computer. Do I have to format it first?? What
is best way to do that for drive that will be slave?

(It is a WD800JD.)

Thanks
 
Yes, it should be formatted. Additionally, you may have to install
SATA/RAID drivers (you don't have to set up in a RAID config).

If you received a utility disk (such as MaxBlast for Maxtor), the
manufacturer usually recommends using it for formatting and partitioning.
Some give you the option of installing the drive as a bootable drive
(includes Master Boot Record), or as a storage drive (no MBR).

You can also use Windows Disk Management thru Control Panel>Administrative
Tools>Computer Management>Storage>Disk Management. Highlight the drive,
right click, select Format.

Fitz
 
I just got a new sata harddrive. I plugged it in but it doesn't
show up in My Computer. Do I have to format it first?? What
is best way to do that for drive that will be slave?
Click to expand...

I just went into BIOS and I do see it there although something
can't be right. I have 3 hdd's plugged in. I have the OS hdd
sata plugged into sata 1 on mobo. The new sata is plugged into
sata 2 on mobo. I have an IDE coming out of Promise 133 controller
as a master.

In the BIOS, there are no drives detected on Primary IDE M or S.
Secondary IDE M shows the CD-ROM. No Secondary IDE S.
Then my OS hdd (sata) is shown as Third IDE M. And the new
sata is shown as Fourth IDE Master.

The mobo is very new Asus A8N32-SLI series.

Thanks for any help!
 
You can also use Windows Disk Management thru Control Panel>Administrative
Tools>Computer Management>Storage>Disk Management. Highlight the drive,
right click, select Format.
Click to expand...

Thanks Fitz. I when there and Enabled the drive. The only choice I had
after that
was to create Dynamic Links. I don't know what that means. I didn't have
format as a choice that I saw.

Thanks again!!! It is people like you that make the internet work and be a
fun place.
 
I went in and got to where you meant.
Thanks again. I still don't understand the identification system in
the BIOS.
But now I see all my drives and can do what I want.
Thanks again!!!!
 
Fitz said:
Did you install the motherboard Serial ATA drivers when you initially
installed the OS?
Click to expand...

hmmm, not sure. I thought I installed all the drivers. I did initially use
an IDE drive when I first tested the system. They I bought a WD Raptor
(74G) for the OS and installed reinstalled my xp on it. So I must have
installed drivers?? But honestly, I don't know. Do you think that is why
they show up as IDE's. The raptor certainly works well. I'm not thinking
well today as I just caught this thing going round (sore throat, fever,
headache).
I'm taking medicine and my head feels like a fuzz ball. Please forgive my
forgetfulness.

Thanks again
 
Your bios is correct. Because the promise bios handles your IDE hdd, your
motherboard bios will not report an IDE hdd installed because nothing is
connected to its built in IDE ports. For the sake of simplicity and to free
up a pci slot you should get rid of the promise controller. It is redundant
since the onboard IDE supports the drive just fine.
 
If you had installed the Silcon Image Sata drivers with the OS, you
would have extracted the Sata drivers from the utility disk (that came
with the motherboard) to a floppy diskette, and when the windows
installation asked you if you needed to install any 3rd party drivers,
you would have had to hit the F6 key and then insert the diskette when
prompted. Windows would then load the drivers for your onboard Sata.
The other poster raised a good question...why are you using a Promise
PCI card when your onboard Sata/IDE is perfectly capable of supporting
the harddrives you are using. I'm not sure what it would involve to
change now....if it's a new system with little or no 3rd party software
installed, I'd be tempted to reformat the drives, remove the Promise
controller, and reinstall Windows with the Sata drivers provided by
ASUS. Maybe someone else can offer a better solution to get you drives
configured better without a reinstall.

Fitz
 
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