Adding solid state drive to dell dimension 8300

[Delta Mike]

I added an intel 530 240gb ssd via a PCI SATA card. I set the Bios drive configuration to auto for sata 1& sata 2 and also to auto for primary master and slave. The drive is detected by the Bios (revision A03) but not recognised. It appears as 'unknown device'. It is recognised by device manager in Windows 7 although not in windows explorer.
I have tried updating to Bios revision A07 but the update is only compatible with Windows XP and flash access is denied. Compatibility troubleshooter does not help and XP mode in Windows 7 is no longer available for download.
I tried installing Windows 7 to the SSD. Windows installation recognised the drive but warned that it was not enabled in the BIOS and so could not be used for booting.
Does anyone know a solution?

 

[cin19]

Do you try to connect your SSD directly into the SATAII port on the MB, for SSD you are better to use the SATA port on the MB, if you use the add-on card, sometime the MB can't recognize it even the card manufacturer say they are compatible. Most time the add-on card works well with the HDD, but not for the SSD.
Also SSD works well in the SATAII port, you will get as same performance as the SSD is in the SATAIII port. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sata-6gbps-performance-sata-3gbps,3110-7.html

 

[Delta Mike]

Thanks for this, cin19, I have no SATA port on the motherboard. SATA was created in 2003 and my 8300 was bought in 2004. I guess it is just too early a model for SATA so I am looking for a 'workaround'. DM.

 

[Kisianik]

Thanks for this, cin19, I have no SATA port on the motherboard. SATA was created in 2003 and my 8300 was bought in 2004. I guess it is just too early a model for SATA so I am looking for a 'workaround'. DM.

OOPS

Take a look on your motherboard one more time

you can also look at manual ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_desktop/esuprt_dimension_desktops/dimension-8300_owner%27s%20manual_en-us.pdf

Right under CMOS battery (on colored picture round shiny object) there are 2 SATA I ports! Better than nothing. Your Floppy and DVDROM located on old style IDE cable.
Most likely you have limitation in total size of all hard drives limited no more than 1.2 TB (I have XPS GEN3 from 2004 with this limitation).

Anything else I can help you with?

 

[Delta Mike]

Many thanks, it was a computer repair shop told me I had no SATA port! My Intel 530 SSD is now up and running on Dimension 8300 in IDE mode. However, I cannot update firmware or run the Intel TRIM tool in this mode. I have looked for a switch in my BIOS A03 but could not find one. I have checked the BIOS revisions but the list of fixes does not give anything specifically about my problem. A06 has something similar but I am not sure.
Any ideas? Regards, DM.

 

[Kisianik]

Is it you http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/disk-drives/f/3534/t/19578294.aspx

If yes, you got the best options on board already, continue generate attention there. I wonder how they missed that you initially connected to expansion card.

 

[Delta Mike]

Is it you http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/disk-drives/f/3534/t/19578294.aspx

If yes, you got the best options on board already, continue generate attention there. I wonder how they missed that you initially connected to expansion card.

You don't miss much! Is there anything I can do to switch the drive from IDE mode and run the TRIM function? Thanks again for the previous advice. DM.