NF4 SATA HDD not being detected

[Cazlone]

I'm having serious trouble getting the MB to detect my SATA HDD with any regularity at all. I've searched and read most of the posts relating to this issue and I think it might have to be an RMA job, but before I do that I thought I'd try one last check.

 

System set up as below. Followed the WinXP install guide on this forum to get it stable, and flashed to the official 623-3 BIOS to solve instability problems relating to not supporting SD chips. Finally got memory stable at stock speeds, Memtest passing overnight 23 passes no errors at 2-2-2-5 and 2-2-3-6. Windows installed and stable (WinXP Pro SP2).

 

Throughout whole process always had intermittent problems with the BIOS detecting the Htachi T7k250 HDD in single disk mode, all RAID functions disabled, all SATA ports enabled. Usually on cold boot it wouldn't find the HDD on SATA1 without going into the BIOS to manually detect it. SATA1 eventually stopped working at all. Moved it to SATA3 after reading threads here suggesting that might help, and sure enough it worked fine for 5-7 days, but y-day it didn't detect first time but did when done so manually in the BIOS, and finally this morning it would detect at all on any SATA port either through BIOS or direct. HDD LED coming on fine so think its getting power. Have varied the detection delay in the BIOS but makes no difference.

Put it onto SiL controller ports, and it is detected by the SiL bios (in SATA only mode in BIOS). WinXP however won't boot, it offers Safe mode options but immediately gives BSOD reboots once past that stage. Can't read the error code cos its too fast.

 

Given that the HDD has worked fine once detected in the past I'm not convinced its an HDD problem. Haven't yet tried changing the cable but will do so tonight. If that doesn't help am I looking at a Mobo chipset problem?

 

Can't remember chipset voltage, though NB temp showing 52C no matter what I do (fairly hot room). Would increasing chipset voltage help?

 

Supplier have sent me an RMA code for both the Mobo and HDD, as they weren't sure which was at fault. Any advice before I send t back?

 

Many thanks......

[Dams]

I had problems of a similar nature when I was building up my rig. What fixed it for me was setting up the drive as a JBOD raid array with just 1 drive. try that

[Cazlone]

I had problems of a similar nature when I was building up my rig. What fixed it for me was setting up the drive as a JBOD raid array with just 1 drive. try that

 

OK, if that fixed it it implies the problem is with the NVidia drivers embedded in the BIOS? and that the NVRaid drivers are ok? Would a BIOS upgrade therefore help if it had different drivers in it?

 

Also, if I change my set up now to a JBOD array will I lose the data on the disk?

[Prostock62]

If your just using the drive as a sata drive with no raid setup you dont need to install any drivers.

[Cazlone]

If your just using the drive as a sata drive with no raid setup you dont need to install any drivers.

 

Thanks - I know I don't need to install any drivers, but was under the impression that the BIOS comes with some NVidia drivers built in to allow it to know how the chipset works etc (when you look at the DFI bios site it refers to NVxx 4.xx included in the BIOS file for example). I was asking therefore whether the nvidia sata stuff embedded in the BIOS might be the problem. Clearly my problem is not a WinXP problem.

 

Incidentally, I could not install WinXP without using the F6 option and installing dirvers from the floppy no matter what I did. the install would stall quoting something about missing hardware (namely the HDD). When I used the F6 option and only installed the drivers for IDE not RAID it worked fine.

 

In any case since I can't get the HDD to be recognised, any solution involving Windows isn't going to help me!!!

[mcpdigital]

Problems here too. I couldn't figure out yet, but the SATA controller hates my Maxtor 300GB DiamonMax 10, sometimes it recognize it sometimes it just hung when trying to detect it. With the Seagate Barracuda it is fine no matter what.

 

Interesting thing, I have saved some BIOS parameters from my already tested overclocks, and believe it or not, when I boot pressing the hotkey to load the exactly same parameters as the last "no-boot" BIOS the system boots fine, if I save it and reboot, not a cold one, its fine yet but as soon as I power it down everything starts all over again. No Boot anymore and keep detecting the HDs forever.

I already swapped Sata inputs, cables, reduced power utilization in other devices. You name it, I've done. It doesn't work at all.

 

Marcelo

[Cazlone]

I resolved my SATA problems. Turns out the MB was faulty, as the drive wasn't even spinning up. RMA'd it and the new board works fine.

 

In your case you might have a problem specifically related to the Maxtor DM drive - there are a lot of posts in here about Maxtor specific issues on these boards. You should do a search for Maxtor Diamondmax problems......