# A8N-E has trouble detecting SATA Hard Drive



## redsniper (Jul 30, 2005)

I recently had a motherboard die on me so I replaced it with an A8N-E. I've got an A64 3000, a Radeon x800xl, and currently 512MB RAM which will soon be 1GB. With my old mobo I was mainly using an 80GB Maxtor SATA HD along with an 8GB IDE HD salvaged from an old comp for backup. Now the problem is that the SATA HD is _almost_ never detected by the BIOS. Usually if I restart the computer during POST several times (about 10 I guess) it will eventually detect it. I've flashed the BIOS to 1005 but it doesn't seem to have made any difference. So, I'd like to get WinXP reinstalled and move on but that won't be practical if I have to fight to get the HD detected every time I turn the comp on. Please help, I'm at a loss as to what's causing this since there doesn't seem to be anything that correlates to it getting detected or not; it's random.


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi,

From the description, not sure I understand why it is not being detected. My good sense tells me to ask you if you have:

1) Set the boot order in the BIOS setup menu to:

CDRom
Floppy
Sata Hard Drive

(don't forget to save before you exit)

2) Turned off the RAID feature that is usually set as a default to on. Go to the Advanced  area of the BIOS setup menu to the sub-menu NVRaid configuration  and turn off the SATA raid seek feature. That should let the motherboard find your Sata drive without a seek for the raid that is not there.

When you check this, then let us know what the results are and if you have already done these, let us know and we will work from that point, but we needed to check the first things first.

Addendum: If this is the Deluxe version of the board, then double check (not sure about the non-deluxe version) that you have the SATA in the non-raid Sata connectors area and not in the Sata Raid connectors. There are both on the deluxe board.


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## redsniper (Jul 30, 2005)

Sata Hard Drive isn't an option in the boot order menu. It has Hard Disk, Removable (floppy), CD-ROM, all the usual suspects but no SATA. This disk has been detected with NvRAID both on and off, usually with it on since I thought it needed to be on for the disk to be detected, but I've since found out it can work both ways. Since you say to turn it off I'll leave it off. Also, this isn't the deluxe version; it only has 4 SATA ports.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

Its important like Tumbleweed pointed out to review your mobo manual carefully / there are sata ports for regular stand alone sata drives and then there are sata ports for the raid configuration / cant mix them without problems

The other issue / boot order 
sata drives are ddescribed in the boot menu as "Sat Drives" they generally call them or activate them as the third or fourth boot device 

so your bios should look like this

floppy / 1st
cd-rom / 2nd
primary ide drive / disabled
3rd boot device = enabled
4th boot device = enabled

try that ??? and please post back

do you have service pack 2 installed for win xp ???????? There are alot of sata fixes in that update

did you load your sata controller drivers ???????

If and whwn you go around to a "clean" install of win xp / it would be very much worth you while to slipstream service pack 2 onto your win xp cd 
this can be done by downloading autostreamer version 1.03 (review the *screenshots* )

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=223562

service pack 2 / here go to bottom of page and download the version for multiple computers / this method allows sp-2 to be downloaded to a folder instead of directly intergrating into the OS immediately

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/winxpsp2.mspx


regards

joe


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

redsniper said:


> Sata Hard Drive isn't an option in the boot order menu. It has Hard Disk, Removable (floppy), CD-ROM, all the usual suspects but no SATA. This disk has been detected with NvRAID both on and off, usually with it on since I thought it needed to be on for the disk to be detected, but I've since found out it can work both ways. Since you say to turn it off I'll leave it off. Also, this isn't the deluxe version; it only has 4 SATA ports.


Hi,

Let's take a couple of stabs in the dark since I don't have the manual for this board and with my slow dial-up, wont' download it tonight.

1. Take out the IDE drive and try with only the SATA disk installed.

2. Enter the BIOS setup menu and set it to factory defaults....exit and reboot and enter the BIOS setup menu again.\

3. Go to the MAIN menu area and see if it recognies the Sata in that area. Let us know what it sees in drives.

4. Go to the ADVANCED area and make sure that the Silicon Sata controller is disabled.

5. Still in the ADVANCED area, Select NVRaid and make sure it is disabled.

6. Still in the ADVANCED area, select IDE Function Setup and make sure ALL things in that area are ENABLED>

7. Go to the Boot order and see if the drive is there yet and change it if it is to the listed boot order I gave you earlier.

Be sure to save the changes before you exit.

Then, if that does not work, go back and change the Silicon Sata controller to Enabled, save and exit and see if that helps.

Report back to us and let us know what happened with these things.

ADDENDUM: When you try it each time, make sure you put the OS disk in the CDRom, and be sure you partition and format the drive if it comes up.

ADDENDUM #2: Make sure you have your SATA plugged into the 
Sata #1 port and not one of the other ones.

NOTE: That linderman types faster than I do, but pay heed, some very good points he has given you. Darn, you beat me again linderman. Good to see you.


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## redsniper (Jul 30, 2005)

Tumbleweed:
1 & 2. I've tried already
3. The HD doesn't show up in the BIOS setup when it isn't detected and, of course, when it is detected it does show up.
5. doesn't seem to make a difference but like I said, I'll leave it disabled.
4 & 7. I'll get to that tomorrow; it's getting late here.
and yes, it's plugged into sata port 1.

Linderman:
SP2 is installed on the SATA drive in question, however this is a new, different mobo so I don't think Windows would boot up on that drive even if it were detected by the BIOS. (at least I've heard that XP doesn't like to boot up if you change motherboards, this is true, right?) The times I have gotten the BIOS to detect the SATA drive it has shown up just fine in Windows on the IDE disk.


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## redsniper (Jul 30, 2005)

4. There is no Silicon SATA controller anywhere in the BIOS.
7. The only options for boot order are Floppy, CDROM, Hard Disk, Legacy LAN, and Disabled. _These don't change._ However, there are other menus that let you decide specifically which device these options are referring to. So right now if I go to the Hard Disk menu, the two IDE disks that are currently connected are listed. I believe that if the SATA disk were detected it would show up here as well.


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi,

One more time of double checking:

You did tap f6 when installing the OS to load the drivers?

On page 2-14 of your manual, in the Main area, you do have the extended drive area listed as AUTO?

In the Advanced area (manual 2-24) of the BIOS setup menu, onboard device configuration items are all enabled?

In the NVRaid Config (manual 2.25) area, all items are Disabled?

Under the Boot area, under the Hard Drive area, you do have the Sata listed at the top of that list of hard drives or moved it there?

Under the Boot Device Priority, you do have the Sata listed under the boot order (should say hard drive after you set the hard drive area correctly?

Is there something we missed that I have not told you about?????


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## redsniper (Jul 30, 2005)

*You did tap f6 when installing the OS to load the drivers?*
I haven't even tried to install Windows on the SATA disk since the BIOS hardly ever detects it. When I installed it on the IDE disk I'm currently using, yes I did install sata drivers. Whenever the BIOS detects the SATA disk (which it does ocassionally just not very often) it shows up just fine in Windows on the IDE disk.

* On page 2-14 of your manual, in the Main area, you do have the extended drive area listed as AUTO?*
yes

* In the Advanced area (manual 2-24) of the BIOS setup menu, onboard device configuration items are all enabled?* 
yes

* In the NVRaid Config (manual 2.25) area, all items are Disabled?* 
The SATA disk has been detected with NVRaid enabled and disabled, it doesn't make a difference. However, it has been disabled since you first told me to disable it and it will stay that way unless you tell me to re-enable it.

*Under the Boot area, under the Hard Drive area, you do have the Sata listed at the top of that list of hard drives or moved it there?* 
No, because usually the SATA drive isn't detected by the BIOS therefore it doesn't show up in the boot menu. The few times it _has_ been detected I haven't bothered to mess with the boot menu. Besides, even if I did set it up as the first hard drive to boot from it's almost never detected and XP won't boot on a new motherboard anyways.

*Under the Boot Device Priority, you do have the Sata listed under the boot order (should say hard drive after you set the hard drive area correctly?* 
No, because again: the BIOS isn't detecting the SATA drive. I can't do _anything_ with it when the motherboard doesn't even know it exists!

Also, I'm going to be out of town on vacation for a week, so don't expect any responses for a while.


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## redsniper (Jul 30, 2005)

Alright, I'm back, and of course my computer didn't fix itself while I was gone so we can just pick up where we left off.


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## redsniper (Jul 30, 2005)

Okay, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt this time. Maybe you just didn't notice that this got bumped.


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## redsniper (Jul 30, 2005)

Look, if no one knows how I can fix this at least say so and I'll look for help elsewhere. Just don't leave me hanging here.


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Hi redsniper,

I see you have been on vacation...hope it was a good one. 

Do you have an area under the BIOS setup menu, *ADVANED* area that says:

*IDE FUNCTION SETUP*

If so, be sure *all the items under that area are ENABLED*.

Also, under the *MAIN* area, make sure the *First Sata Master is set to AUTO.*

Set the Smart Monitoring (if your unit has that area) to Disabled. (sure would help if I had a copy of that manual)

Quite honestly, it should show that drive if you have no other hard drive connected. This one is difficult to say the least. We can keep trying, but if you choose to look elsewhere, then we do understand. 

The problem we have is that all people on this forum are volunteers, not paid, in their spare time workers working for free. Most hold full time jobs to feed their family away from this forum, so the time they spend here is spare time between mowing the lawn or doing grocery shopping. Some of us may be working ten or fifteen different threads at one time, so we may not get back as quick as one would like. Not making excuses, just wanted you to know why sometimes it is difficult to get back quickly.

Let us know if you have those items and maybe when this is jumped up to the top, someone else might have a quick solution that I have missed. All of us have times that we miss something that a new set of eyes sees a solution real quick. Hope we get the job done for you.


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## redsniper (Jul 30, 2005)

:embarased Well, I didn't realize this place was volunteer only. You guys sounded professional so I assumed you were. I'll understand from now on if you don't respond for a while. Now then, all that IDE Function stuff is enabled, First Sata Master is set to Auto, and SMART monitoring is disabled. I'm wondering: would it be worth it to try a SATA pci card? Does such a thing even exist? and could it just be that my motherboard is defective? It seems to me that Asus is the best mobo manufacturer out there and I haven't had any other problems with this board aside from this one.
Oh, and the vacation was good. :grin:


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

redsniper said:


> :embarased Well, I didn't realize this place was volunteer only. You guys sounded professional so I assumed you were. I'll understand from now on if you don't respond for a while. Now then, all that IDE Function stuff is enabled, First Sata Master is set to Auto, and SMART monitoring is disabled. I'm wondering: would it be worth it to try a SATA pci card? Does such a thing even exist? and could it just be that my motherboard is defective? It seems to me that Asus is the best mobo manufacturer out there and I haven't had any other problems with this board aside from this one.
> Oh, and the vacation was good. :grin:


Hi,

Well, many of us on here are professionals and run our own shops or train others at the college level. A great deal of the helpers on here have degrees and are certified in different areas. Those of us just collectively like to help others get their rigs going for the fun of it. Besides, it is more fun than mowing the lawn.

Now, back to the point at hand. Yes, there are SATA cards for the pci slots. They run from around $30 to $60 bucks depending upon what you get. However, if your motherboard is capable and we can get it going, that is actually the best solution. 

I am going to ask you to do try another way and in the meantime offer another suggestion if you can hold on a day or so.

First of all, this thing should work and you said it already had a system on it. If you can get the computer to boot some way, either with the Sata (you said it would sometimes), then I would suggest cleaning the Sata and starting again. I don't remember for sure and could not find it, but I though (so many threads, so hard to keep track) you had mentioned someplace that you had an IDE drive that would boot up?????? I reread and did not see that statement, but seems as that is what I thought anyway. If not, then keep working with it (you said it would boot maybe one out of ten times) until it will recognize the OS CD and format it there.

When you get it cleaned or formatted, then hook it in like it is a new disk and try an install of Win XP, after setting the BIOS setup menu to the default setting. Don't forget to select the F6 when you start to load the Windows CD.

In the meantime, I will ask one of the other guys to take a look and see what I might have missed. Some times a new look can see something immediately that we might have missed. I am the type that just hates to see you give up unless we can not find a solution. I will go ahead and send an IM and see what we can do with getting a new set of eyes to look at it. Hang in there and give the earlier suggestion a try if that is possible.


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## redsniper (Jul 30, 2005)

I _used_ to boot from the SATA drive when I had my old mobo. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't boot now since I got a new mobo. I put an old IDE hard drive in and installed XP on it and I've been using that to access the SATA HD (when it's detected) and backup my files. Now then, on another forum I met a guy who had basically the same problem with a Maxtor drive and an A8N-E. He said that it was an issue with the hard drive's firmware. So, I emailed Maxtor support requesting the latest firmware and I'm waiting for a response.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

read the bottom of post no.5
http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=398375


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