# Asus A8V SATA (non-raid) HDD woes.



## Jet_Jaguar (Apr 14, 2006)

Hi all, and thanks for any help I might get in advance,

My system:

CPU: AMD 3700 San Diego

Mobo: Asus A8V K8T800Pro

RAM: Kingston 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Model #: KVR400X64C3AK2/1G (in slots 1 and 3, as specified)

Optical: SAMSUNG ATA/ATAPI 16X DVD±R DVD Burner With 5X DVD-RAM Model #: SH-S162L/BEBN (Master (end of cable, jumpered cable select), Secondary IDE)

Optical: ASUS IDE/ATAPI CD-ROM Drive Model CD-S520B (Slave (middle of cable, jumpered cable select), Secondary IDE)

Some floppy drive... <ahem>

Vid: BFG GeForce 6800GT 256

Onboard sound

PS: Antec True 480

HDD: Primary IDE Master (Jumpered as such) WDC WD1200JB-00GVA (Western Digital 120 gig) - no slave on this chan.

HDD: SATA Chan 1 WDC WD 74 0GD-50FLA1


The background of my story is this; I recently upgraded my PC from a P4 2.6 HT on an Intel PBZLK mobo, with nearly the same hardware (added the DVD drive, and changed RAM to DIMMs from the QVL for this mobo). The Raptor was the boot HD, and contained the OS, while the IDE drive was for storing music.

Upon setting up the hardware in this configuration, I attempted to load the Promise SATA378 controller for Windows XP by booting from my xp disc, and pressing F6 during the XP setup scan (as instructed by both the software, and my mobo manual). I had made a floppy with the Promise controller on it, and selected those files to be loaded in at the appropriate time.

During the postceeding several seconds, the XP install gave me this error: "Section Files.SCSI.Ulsata_nt5 of the INF file is invalid" and then; "File caused an unexpected error (0) at line 2161 in s:\xpclient\base\boot\setup\oemdisc.c", and then promptly told me it couldn't continue.

I restarted the boot sequence, chosing to boot from the raptor, as it already contained a copy of XP, hoping it would work. Of course it did not. I attempted to repeat the XP install on the raptor in the same manner as before, but was informed by the setup process that one of the files on my floppy was corrupt.

I remade the Promise driver floppy, and tried again. This time, after specifying the floppy as the site of the driver, the XP install continued for almost a minute, when it then announced that there was no mass storage device on my PC (I had removed the IDE drive by this time to try and simplify things). Lather, rinse, repeat, for about 5 mroe times.

I have installed XP on the IDE drive, and the PC bootted to it fine, however, it did not see the raptor despite the fact that it was present in the BIOS and the F8 boot list. On a hunch, in XP from the IDE drive, I installed the Promise RAID controller, and now I can see and use the raptor HD, but I still cannot load xp onto it (it can't be seen in the install), nor boot from it.

I've tried to use both SATA channels, with and without the IDE drive, booting from the raptor, and trying to install XP, with and without the Promise driver added into the mix to no avail.

I am under the impression that the Promise SATA378 Controller is the driver I wanted to load to use a single SATA HDD (not in a RAID, obviously), however I have been unable to install it. What does one have to do to get either this driver installed, or a fresh xp loaded onto one's SATA drive to boot from? (My attempts at booting from the raptor are met with a shutdown/restart nearly immediately, not even a Windows loading screen)

Thanks again,

Jet


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## steve6387 (Jan 28, 2005)

Sorry if you mentioned this and I missed it, but... If you're installing the raptor (boot drive, correct?) on the Promise, of course, make sure the Promise controller is enabled in the BIOS. But be sure the contoller is set to IDE mode. You only use the RAID mode if you are actually running a phyical RAID Array on those controllers.

Also, you could try using the WD diags program to format the drive beforehand.

Any reason you are using the promise as opposed to the VIA controller? Assuming you get it up and running, the VIA will give (marginally) better read/write times.

Some other things to consider:
Post at the viaarena forums. Some real guru's over there with alot of exp troubleshooting those controllers:
http://forums.viaarena.com/categories.aspx?catid=20&entercat=y

Perhaps try another floppy as well.

Good Luck


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## Jet_Jaguar (Apr 14, 2006)

Thank you for your reply,

I must admit that I am a n00b at all things PC, or relatively so. I have poked around in the BIOS several times, both before your post and after reading it, trying to find where the Promise controller would be in my BIOS. I have been unable to locate it. I am thinking it should be under Southbridge Configuration, but I can't find it there (or anywhere).

Mayhap you could specify exactly where it should be, though in truth, I think I've been through the entire BIOS a few times, and I really think it isn't there.

The reason that I installed the RAID driver was to see if I could even use the drive on the PC with it booted in XP from the IDE HDD, which prior to the RAID controller I was unable to do.

Could you explain how I would go about using the via controller instead? I have read in my research that it is a more efficient controller, and would rather use it, but the mobo manual didn't really give any information on it, and the disc that came with it only has the Promise software, or at least that's all I've been able to find.

Currently in the BIOS, my raptor is listed under the BOOT - Hard Disc Drives section as 'VIA VT6420 1st HDD', whereas the ide drive is listed by it's correct name, 'PM WDC WD-1200JB-00', which leads me to believe that strange things are afoot at the Circle K, but what do I know?

I thought of using another floppy as well, but I have only one in the entire house. People in the know keep saying that floppy is dead, and I've made the switch toUSB flash drives for my needs, but here comes the floppy, rearing it's ugly head 

Thanks for the link to the Via forums. I will follow up on that after I have tried a new floppy, and let one of my way more PC savvy friends have a look at my rig, if those two things should fail me.

Either way, I will post up (hopefully) my resolution, or lack thereof.

Thanks again,

Jet


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## steve6387 (Jan 28, 2005)

Are you using an A8V *Deluxe?* Or an A8V?

I'll try to give you more info, but my board is the deluxe so if I steer you wrong... wicked sorry.

And yes, the floppy is pretty much dead... unless of course you need to install SATA drivers. It's rediculous. Future OS releases will have native SATA support, so even though it doesn't help you today, you probably won't have to deal with the floppy on your next build.

If your SATA is connected to either the SATA1 or SATA2 connectors on the board then you are using the OnBoard VIA VT8237. If your SATA is connected to either the PRI_SATA or SEC_SATA connector on your board then you are using the Promise-378. The manual will have pictures and can help you identify which is which.

I'm not looking at my manual and am at the office (ssshhh. don't tell on me) so I can't say for certain but I'm pretty sure the controllers are under the device configuration section of the BIOS. BootRom = VIA controllers. They simply have settings of enabled and disabled. The promise controllers are labeled just that. Once you enable the p[romise controllers, however you then have a sub option for IDE mode or RAID (I think). If you're going to use a single harddrive on the promise, choose IDE mode.

I can't lay my hands on them now, but poke around the Via Arena forums and search through SaphireX's posts. He's got some tutorials on creating the floppy driver disk and the install sequence and etc.


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## Jet_Jaguar (Apr 14, 2006)

Hola again 

I am using the regular A8V, which has but 2 SATA ports, labeled in the manual as SATA1 and SATA2, which support RAID 0, RAID 1 and JBOD.

In the boot sequence, these are identified as something like SATA channel 0 and 1, on which my raptor is listed, but it flashes past too fast for me to see much else.

I did notice that there were at least a few posts in this forum about people having issues with their SATA controllers, but nearly all the ones I found were in regards to the non-standard A8V, or had to do with setting up a RAID, so they were of limited help to me.

In my BIOS, under 'Advanced' and then 'Onboard Devices Configuration' I have 'OnChip SATA BOOTROM' which is enabled. My choices for this option are enable and disable. There's nothing else there having to do with SATA, or even the Promise controller, at least as far as I can tell.

New floppies still pending, in a couple hours...

Thanks,

Jet


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## steve6387 (Jan 28, 2005)

DOH!!!! Confirm in your manual, but I'm almost positive you don't even have promise controllers, which would explain why the promise drivers aren't working for you.

Make sure the Via (BootRom) controller is enabled in the BIOS and load the VIA8237 drivers onto the floppy instead of the promise drivers.


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## Jet_Jaguar (Apr 14, 2006)

Hola 

I've returned from the store with said floppies, and I think I will try the VIA controller. I'm wondering though, if it's a RAID controller and I don't want to run a RAID, is that going to work out?

Call me stupid, but if something is a RAID controller, the uninitiated (that's me) might think that it would be not so good for just one disc...

BTW, my mobo disc did come with the Promise drivers, though that is surely no indicator that my board can use them 

Jet


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## steve6387 (Jan 28, 2005)

Yes, the controller will work just fine with one hard drive


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## Jet_Jaguar (Apr 14, 2006)

Ok, problem solved 

The RAID drivers are apparently what I needed, and no, evidently my mobo doesn't have the Promise controller. Though in truth, it never did hit me that I couldn't use the Promise drivers with the VIA chipset. I did say I was a n00b at this...

So, having put in the proper drivers, I'm currently doing fine.

Thanks for the help 

Jet


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## steve6387 (Jan 28, 2005)

:woot:
No problem. Glad you got it sorted out and have fun :jackson:


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