BIOS Detact new SATA drive as IDE

[VinH1977]

I recently got a new WD SATA HD WD5000AAKX - WD Blue / SE / SE16 (SATA II) -500 GB and now I am trying to install in my mobo but my BIOS is detecting as IDEt and displaying its size by 0 KB.
I have attached pics to describe my issue.
Here is my configuration
My mobo is ASRock -Wolfdale1333-D667.
IDE - 80 GB Samsung - Master - windows 7 installed
IDE - DVD writer - Slave
RAM -2GB DDR2
http://community.wd.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/14215i2C3C3C4D8352A6E1/image-size/large?v=mpbl-1&px=-1
http://community.wd.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/14217i933D67541C882F00/image-size/original?v=mpbl-1&px=-1

I read about AHCP option but i could not find that in my MOBO,
Please please some one help me

 

[alexoiu]

Try booting from the Windows install CD and format the HDD there.

 

[Hawkeye22]

You may want to check the asrock web site for a newer firmware update.

 

[Paperdoc]

I think you have five issues here, one of which is almost unimportant.

First, on many BIOS's, the labels used are odd, and they label a SATA HDD as an IDE which is Master of its port. So your screen shows that, on the SATA II port #1, it found an "IDE Hard Disk". This is merely a bad label, and you should ignore it.

Second, you do have a hardware problem to fix. The BIOS Setup screen you posted (I presume this is the new SATA unit) appears dead. Now, maybe it is faulty, but let's check on that first.
(a) Verify the the SATA port you connected to is Enabled.
(b) Verify that you have connected to it BOTH the power supply from the PSU and the data cable to the mobo SATA port. Check that neither is loose - some SATA data cables are prone to shaking loose.
(c) Did you change any jumper on the new SATA unit? You should NOT do that. (There is no Master or Slave setting to make on any SATA HDD.) If you did, change it back to the default setting as it came to you. (If you don't know it, check the maker's website). On some SATA units there is one jumper setting that makes the unit appear dead to most mobos, so if you set it that way by mistake, you have a problem. BUT if you never changed any jumper, then probably ignore this item.
(d) If the unit still appears dead in BIOS, can you try connecting it to any other computer to see if it also appears dead there? If you conclude the unit is faulty, contact the maker's Tech Support people to arrange a replacement.

Third (IF you can get the new unit to appear normally in BIOS Setup), you MAY have another issue to adjust. Now that you have installed your first SATA unit, the BIOS by default may assume that you want it to be the first boot device. However, it actually contains no data at all, so it can't do that job. Now, I assume you did not plan to work this way - that you plan to continue to boot from the old real IDE drive, and use the new SATA unit for data. What you need to do is go into the section of BIOS Setup where you select the Boot Priority Sequence and restore what you had: first choice is the IDE-connected optical drive, second is the older IDE HDD, and there is NO mention of trying to use the new SATA unit at all. If you make changes here, don't forget to SAVE and EXIT.

Fourth item depends a bit on which Windows you are using. Up to and including all versions of XP, Windows did not have any built-in device driver for an AHCI device (which is the real type for a SATA unit). Beginning with Vista, Windows does have that driver built in, so you can ignore this if that is your case. BUT if you're using XP (or older), AFTER you have the HDD working in BIOS Setup, boot Windows normally. The new unit still will not appear anywhere. But Windows should detect the presence of a new device, and load a driver for it. Ideally, this should be the driver exactly for your mobo's SATA chips, and that driver should be on a CD that came with your mobo. If you don't have that, go to the ASROCK website and find the SATA driver for your mobo and for the Windows version you are using. Once that is installed in your Windows, it will load automatically in future (just like any other device driver) so you can use the AHCI device. NOTE that you may read about installing a SATA driver in XP using the F6 key during a re-Install of Windows. You can ignore all that - it is only required if you plan to use that HDD as you BOOT device, and I don't think you are doing that.

Fifth, you'll have to Initialize your new HDD - that's a step ALL new empty units need. To guide you, read WyomingKnott's sticky at the top of this forum here:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/265764-32-guide-installed-disk-system

and pay special attention to his Step 5.

 

[VinH1977]

Thank you Paperdoc for detailed answer.
Here is my replies.
I am trying to install windows 7 on new SATA disk. I cant do that because SATA disk is not detecting while setup. Nor its detecting in IDE disk drive's Disk manager.
a) I also tried after removing other IDE drives (IDE HD and IDE dvd writer) and then detect to new SATA drive in BIOS but I got same result.
b) someone has advised me set jumper at 5 & 6 pin i did that also.
c) I have total 4 SATA ports available on my mobo and i have used all them one by one. How to know that SATA port is enable or not ?
d) I also checked by changing SATA cables

 

[popatim]

Show us the IDE configuration page of your Bios, its under the advanced section.
I suspect you have it in compatibility mode so we will need to know which operating system you have installed also but typically you will need to set the combined option to "IDE,Sata2,sata4" while installing the drive to s2 or s4. this would apply to 95/98/nt OS.

If you are running xp or newer then you should be in enhanced mode instead of compatible

 

[VinH1977]

Hello popatim,

I have choose Enhanced mode in BIOS advanced section as my IDE HD has Windows 7 Installed and also I want to install Windows 7 in new SATA drive

 

[Paperdoc]

Thanks for the additional info, that will help. I'm looking at your mobo's manual for further info.

1. You do NOT need that jumper on pins 5 and 6 on your SATA HDD. On p. 23 of the manual it says for a WESTERN DIGITAL unit (is that what you have?) placing a jumper there will limit it to the oldest SATA 1.5 Gb/s communication speed. NOTE that this jumper position is different if your HDD is by another manufacturer. BUT also note that your mobo does NOT need to have the HDD slowed down like that - the mobo fully supports SATA II (that is, SATA 3.0 Gb/s in current naming), so you should NOT have that jumper in place.

2. On p.33 of the manual it outlines how to set the hard disk configuration. It appears your BIOS configures IDE and SATA ports all at once and allows for two possible OS situations. For older versions of Windows (that is, NT and older) you must set to Compatible because those OS's only allow up to 4 IDE devices. In that case, you then have to make a further choice of using the one real IDE port plus SATA ports 2 and 4, or SATA ports 1 and 3 plus the IDE port. It does not say what the difference is, there, but MAYBE it implies that the two SATA ports in use could be treated as either the Primary or the Secondary IDE port. HOWEVER, that page also says that if you are going to install Win XP or more recent - and you ARE - you should set it to Enhanced - which you say you did - because those OS's can handle more devices. It does not say this directly, but it implies that, in this setting, ALL four SATA ports PLUS the IDE port are Enabled, and you do not have to choose which set of ports are available. Just to be sure, go into BIOS Setup again and verify that this choice is set to Enhanced. Remember that, if you change anything, you MUST finish by using the SAVE and Exit option.

3. Now, you say you have set this to Enhanced, but still the new SATA HDD does not appear to work. The screen shot of the boot messages shows that the two devices on the IDE1 port are detected correctly, and a HDD is also detected on the SATA II port #1, but then the "Primary Master Hard Disk" has an error. Presumably this is the the SATA HDD. Then your other screen shot of the BIOS Setup page for Advanced ... Primary IDE Master shows you set it correctly but the device is detected wrongly - it thinks there's a Hard Disk with no space and no support for any features! That really looks like your HDD is faulty, OR the cable connections are faulty. You have already tried changing data cables, and changing the SATA port you connect to. This really sounds like a faulty HDD, and the only other test I can suggest is trying to connect it to a different computer to see if it still looks faulty. BUT be SURE to remove that jumper on pins 5 and 6 - it is not needed, and MIGHT be causing a problem.

4. When you do get a SATA HDD working in this machine and are ready to re-Install Win 7 on it, I have an important suggestion. First, some background. When you Install Win 7, it looks around the machine for a second HDD. If it finds one, it places some semi-hidden backup files for the OS on that second HDD, plus some critical boot records, and then does the Install on your main HDD. This is part of a process to save you from a possible future HDD failure. If the OS files on your main HDD get corrupted in future so you can't boot, it will automatically look for the backups and restore from them, then complete the boot for you. Very nice way to save you a big headache! BUT this also means that EVERY time you boot the OS will look for those backups and, if it can't find them, it cannot boot! So if you ever remove that second HDD, you're stuck! (Well, there is a solution for that, too.) For this reason, some people defeat part of this safety feature. When you go to Install Win 7, if you only have ONE HDD in the machine it will place the backups on that HDD (which is the one you're installing the OS on, anyway). So you still have backups, but they are a little less safe because they are not on a separate HDD unit. However, you can boot and run with ONLY that HDD in place.

SO, if you want to go this way, when you plan your Win 7 Install, do this:
(a) Note that you do NOT need to Partition or Format or Initialize the new SATA HDD unit before starting the Install. The Install process will do these tasks for you before doing its main work. Also note that you will NOT need to install SATA or AHCI device drivers from a floppy disk using the F6 key process during the Install. Win 7 HAS its own drivers for AHCI and will install / use them automatically.
(b) DISconnect your old IDE HDD. This means you will need to unplug from it the wide data cable (the END connector on the ribbon), the disconnect the MIDDLE connector from your optical drive and plug into that the END connector. If you have jumpers set on your IDE drive and optical drive to make them Master and Save, temporarily reset the jumper on the optical drive to make it the port Master. This will make the optical drive the only device on the IDE1 port, and its Master. (Any IDE port MUST have a Master device to work.) Close up and reconnect power.
(c) Place the Win 7 Install CD in the optical drive. Boot into BIOS Setup and go to the Boot Settings Configuration screen (manual p. 39) and set your choices. For example, in my machine I have it set to try my floppy drive first (yes, I have one), then the optical drive, thirdly my SATA drive, and NO other choices. Now SAVE and EXIT, and the machine should boot from the Install CD. Do the Win 7 Install to the new SATA HDD.
(d) When completely done, remove the Install CD then shut down and disconnect power. Reverse the temporary changes to the IDE devices. Change the jumper on the optical unit to become a Slave again, and change the connectors of the ribbon cable - Middle one to the optical unit, End one to the old IDE HDD. Close up and reconnect power. When you boot, go into BIOS Setup again and check the Boot Settings Configuration screen to be sure it has not changed - you don't want to be booting from the old IDE drive any more. If you have to make an adjustment SAVE and Exit. The machine should boot from the SATA drive which should now be your C: drive. The optical unit and your old IDE drive should both be available for use in My Computer. IF you want to change which drive letter is assigned to each of these, you can do that in Disk Management.

 

[VinH1977]

Thank you very much Paperdoc for your effort to help me.
I will try all steps and let you know.
Have a nice time

 

[VinH1977]

Hello Paperdoc
I tried every steps you mentioned But still SATA disk not displying in bios. Also I checked my product registration record at WD and found that my previous SATA disk was the same model as now. In this case new SATA disk should work perfectly. But its not so finally I decided to give up and create RMA . however current SATA disk came as a replacement but look like its faulty. So i dont have any other option.

Paperdoc, Here i want to say big thanks to you and other friends who tried to help me. ) Thank you all.
This forum is really superb
God bless you all.