GA-890GPA-UD3H, Windows 7, SATA & Me

[Josh V]

First new build in a *long* time.

Gigabyte GA-890SPA-UD3H rev 2.1 mobo
AMD Phenom II x4 3.4
Western Digital WD1002FAEX (just the one, no RAID)

Everything seems cool. It'll POST just fine and recognizes the hard drive in BIOS for SATA as IDE setup or after POST if I set it to AHCI. Either way, the board sees the drive. When I go to install Windows 7 however, there is no drive or unallocated space for me to install on.

Manufacturer's website has some drivers listed to 'preinstall' before the OS and I've downloaded them. When I attempt to install them during Windows setup, I have to uncheck the box that says 'Hide drivers that are incompatible with your hardware' (paraphrased, but you get the gist). I assume this is because the drivers aren't signed, so I install them anyway. Refresh, and still no drive. Reboot, and still no drive.

I've tried the both the x86 and x64 versions of the both the AHCI and RAID drivers, each with 32-bit and 64-bit Windows. No driver/BIOS tweaking combination seems to unlock what is rapidly becoming a 1TB pain in my ass. I would just put the drive in another box and partition/install there, but this is the only mobo I have that supports SATA. Like I said, it's been a long time between builds.

Full disclosure, there have been two BIOS revisions since the FE version I'm rockin', but neither update mentions anything about SATA or AHCI support, and I'm reluctant to flash the hardware unless I'm posititve that it's necessary.

Thanks for any and all thoughts you can share with me on this one. Something else that probably won't help, but can someone explain to me the difference between Onchip Sata mode and Onboard Sata Controller?

 

[Dereck47]

1.) Make sure your new drive is connected on ports SATA3_0 or SATA3_1. Download the User Manual from Gigabyte's website to determine where those ports are located on motherboard.
2.) Enter BIOS
3.) Enter Advanced BIOS Features
4.) Enter Hard Disk Boot Priority
5.) Make sure your new drive is #1 on the list; if not, make it so.
6.) Your 1st Boot Device should be wherever the Windows 7 installation software is
7.) Your 2nd Boot Device should be "Hard Disk"
8.) Enter Integrated Peripherals
9.) OnChip SATA Controller should be "Enabled"
10.) OnChip SATA Type should be "AHCI"
11.) OnChip SATA Port4/5 Type should be "As SATA Type"
12.) Save changes and exit
13.) Cross fingers 🙂
14.) If this works and you're able to install Win7, after you're done go back into BIOS and change your 1st Boot Device to "Hard Disk"

 

[Josh V]

No dice. I did have fingers on both hands crossed however. Maybe they cancelled each other out. Trying again with just one pair crossed.

Starting to think I'm going to have to find another system to try this hdd out on or just RMA it.

 

[supaorange]

i have the exact same mobo, HDD and CPU. i'm trying to install windows 7 ultimate 32 from a usb

the HDD isn't detected in BIOS

how do i configure the BIOS, and where exactly in BIOS does it display the HDD? also what driver is need when installing windows 7 to it?

 

[BerylLee]

It should be detected and displayed in 1st POST.
If not, you can go to boot priority menu by pressing F12 in 1st POST to see any boot device in Hard Disk field.
Or in bios, there is option Hard Disk Boot Priority, there will be detected HDDs available.
If using AHCI, firstly go to bios to set it as AHCI mode, and then preinstall driver necessary during OS installation, and the last chipsets driver installed in Windows.

 

[supaorange]

thank you for replying

http://img217.imageshack.us/g/dscf2688f.jpg/

In the first picture on the Standard CMOs feature menu, the channel i have the HDD connected too does not display it, yet it doesn't say list [none]. Note how the DVD drive is displayed though.

Pressing auto-detect on the channels menu does nothing. The standard red box appears with DETECTING HARD DRIVE, at stays there a notable time longer compared to trying to auto detect on a channel listed as [none]

the Hard disk boot priority under the Advanced BIOS features menu. The channel the HDD is connected to is display but is blank.

after i press F9 on the BIOS main menu, the system information is shown, there is no HDD displayed.

 

[BerylLee]

This is weird .. the system could find the HDD and let OS installed but now it seems disappeared.
Make sure connected cable is not loosened.
After that, boot up and press F12 in POST to see if the device can be found in Hard Disk or other field.

 

[supaorange]

It lists the the channel the HDD is connected to but its blank just like in the CMOS feature menu and Hard disk boot priority

 

[spooky2th]

Have you formatted the HD?

 

[jaquith]

If the problem is AHCI then 9/10 in Windows the registry is set incorrectly and the wrong drivers are being used.

Boot into Windows, review the article below, and change the registry values to '0' zero, boot into the BIOS and set the appropriate SATA from IDE -> AHCI, save & exit = yes.

MS Article -> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

Good Luck!

 

[supaorange]

I have not formatted the HDD, not sure how too either.

When i set the Onchip SATA Type to AHCI the channel has none listed instead of it being blank.

I don't have a operating system installed.

Gigabyte tech support replied and claim this is a hardware issue and that i send it back to my supplier for further testing.

Thank you all for the suggestions

 

[supaorange]

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/268955-31-formatting-bios-win7

i have the same issues as this, more than likely my hard is buggered, (that is what DOA means?)

i'll send it back to for them to test

again thank you all

 

[jaquith]

@OP - I ass-u-me "since the FE version I'm rockin'" meant the OS is installed.

@supaorange - What EXACT SATA Port {e.g. SATA2_0} and OS {e.g. Windows XP SP2 32-bit}?

Installs on for example XP require you to make a 'custom' Installer or the use of the 'F6' Drivers. In that case you'll need to use http://www.nliteos.com/ or get a Floppy to 'pre-install' the driver(s) which the OS might be lacking. SATA3 6Gb/s ports are not listed in the BIOS in most MOBOs other that setting it as IDE/AHCI/RAID. Further, NOT every SATA port is a 'Bootable' port. --- READ the manual to determine what SATA Ports are used for an OS/Bootable.

Example - GA-890GPA-UD3H
GIGABYTE SATA2 Preinstall driver (For AHCI / RAID Mode)Note: Press F6 during Windows setup to read from floppy.
Simplest solution, install OS as IDE, afterwards install ALL drivers, next see my first post.

 

[spooky2th]

jaquith? What is the advantage if any, of setting up the system for AHCI? Unless maybe one wants to set up some sort of RAID. Otherwise, wouldn't IDE be the way to go?

 

[jaquith]

First, I am not a big AHCI 'pusher', but AHCI improves 'speed' in both HDD & SSD. I've recommended IDE in this forum to OP to correct apparent problems caused by AHCI just to be ridiculed -- so I go with the flow.

In many of my systems I use RAID so AHCI is a required byproduct. I'm not a big advocate of yanking-off a spinning HHD either unless you have quick release trays and allow the HDD to spin-down before replacing/moving.

Here's a couple links:
SSD Benchmark Tests: SATA IDE vs AHCI Mode http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=505&Itemid=38&limit=1&limitstart=3
AHCI vs IDE – Benchmark & Advantage http://expertester.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/ahci-vs-ide-%E2%80%93-benchmark-advantage/

 

[g_dario]

Yet again this site saved me. and this time it was you. so funny story goes like this my book essential WD 2 tb recently started doing weird stuff... well for some time already, blue screen, i thought not enough air, last thing on my mind was an external drive. finally it died. not sorry at all. last time i buy wd. i opened it, and it was just a hd 2tb inside of fancy plastic cover, with a plate for electricicty which burned and couldnt start the disk. i have loads of stuff and i know i didnt loose it i just couldnt open it anymore. so i decided to connect it on on of my sata ports directly to motherboard... first start computer and... disks offline. what i did. i pulled the electricity cable and that was from the disk having os on it. finally when i realise what i did , i said... f.. lets reinstall the windows and start fresh. when i built my pc few years ago, i couldnt get to find drivers to install the windows, sata drivers,. i got them somewhere here on tomshardware, for which i am ethernaly greatful. but that was on an memory stick and i think i moved it deleted it ... so i tried to reinstall without sucess the windows today... nothing. untill i found your post leading me how to do it. i followed the steps you posted, only tried instead of ahci cause it didnt work, i tried raid, and WINDOWS THE VERSION ALREADY INSTALLED IS BACK. Dereck, i am so greatful for this post. i couldnt find the drivers, (or maybe i have them for raid cause i kept trying ahci) but i dont need them anymore. All thanks to you.
Best regards,
Dario

1.) Make sure your new drive is connected on ports SATA3_0 or SATA3_1. Download the User Manual from Gigabyte's website to determine where those ports are located on motherboard.
2.) Enter BIOS
3.) Enter Advanced BIOS Features
4.) Enter Hard Disk Boot Priority
5.) Make sure your new drive is #1 on the list; if not, make it so.
6.) Your 1st Boot Device should be wherever the Windows 7 installation software is
7.) Your 2nd Boot Device should be "Hard Disk"
8.) Enter Integrated Peripherals
9.) OnChip SATA Controller should be "Enabled"
10.) OnChip SATA Type should be "AHCI"
11.) OnChip SATA Port4/5 Type should be "As SATA Type"
12.) Save changes and exit
13.) Cross fingers 🙂
14.) If this works and you're able to install Win7, after you're done go back into BIOS and change your 1st Boot Device to "Hard Disk"