Unable to Boot Win8 after Connecting 3 TB Seagate HDD

[virtualdanger]

Hi,

I recently bought a 3 TB Seagate HDD and connected it to my PC. Windows 8 is no longer loading. My motherboard is an Asus P5Q, which has the Intel ICH10R storage controller, with 6 SATA ports.

From my reading online I was led to believe that with the latest Intel Rapid Storage Technology (Intel® RST) 3 TB HDD support would be possible. I have downloaded and installed version 12.5.0.1066. That doesn’t seem to have helped, as I am not even able to boot to Windows.

In the Bios between IDE, AHCI, and RAID, I have it on RAID. I have a feeling this maybe the problem. I used to use RAID before but don’t now. Unfortunately if I try changing it to AHCI, Windows boot again fails. So I guess I can’t change that now, post Windows install. The OS is installed on an OCZ SSD, which is my primary/boot disk.

During boot-up, I do get a Device connected to Disk 2 error. Press F1 to continue. This is during the POST, prior to loading Windows.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions. Thanks

 

[ur6beersaway]

Unplugged 3TB & boot?

 

[avjguy2362]

If you disconnect the 3TB drive things boot up normal again? I would definitely set your BIOS to AHCI, but you may have a problem with the drive itself. If you have an external enclosure of any type, USB2, 3 or eSata, you could turn it on and establish if the drive is good when you are already in Windows. Have you checked to make sure your SSD is still the first HD in the Boot priority?

 

[virtualdanger]

Yes, as soon as I unplug the 3TB and boot, everything is fine.

Unplugged 3TB & boot?

 

[virtualdanger]

Yep, boots up normally if the 3TB is disconnected.

As for AHCI, looks like I will need to re-install Windows. Want to ensure there is nothing else simpler I could do first.

I do have an Transcend external eSata enclosure, but that has a 2TB limit. So as of now I'm not sure if I can test HDD functionality. I have another PC, that olders and runs a Intel ICH7 controller. Not sure if the 3TB will work on that.

Boot priority checked. SSD is still the first. Windows 8 in fact starts to load, but then takes much longer than usual and eventually restarts after displaying an error.

If you disconnect the 3TB drive things boot up normal again? I would definitely set your BIOS to AHCI, but you may have a problem with the drive itself. If you have an external enclosure of any type, USB2, 3 or eSata, you could turn it on and establish if the drive is good when you are already in Windows. Have you checked to make sure your SSD is still the first HD in the Boot priority?

 

[ur6beersaway]

What error? Device connected to Disk 2 error. Press F1 to continue?
Boot & log on, plug in hdd & format drive

 

[avjguy2362]

I could be wrong on this, but I think the ext enclosure will still work. I would try the ext enclosure, since you have it and it's not that much work. I would try to establish that the drive even works. If it works but shows a lower size than at least you know the drive is functional. I was under the impression that the Sata controller driver just needed to be up to date ( as you have indicated you are ) to read the larger capacity disks which would be the case in W8 with a recent BIOS. Just turn on the eSata enclosure after your are already in windows.
I just read some of the forum's below and it may be wise to install the Seagate Disc Wizard or the Seagate SeaTools for Windows: http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/seatools/ These seemed to solve their similar problems for them!

 

[virtualdanger]

Tried the eSata enclosure. That didnt work.The enclosure has a 2TB limit by documentation, so I'm not convinced that the new HDD is bust. At least not yet.

I took a look at the SeaTools for Windows. It had what I thought was the answer, by documentation atleast, until they clarified the feature was not for SATA. So that wont work.

I could be wrong on this, but I think the ext enclosure will still work. I would try the ext enclosure, since you have it and it's not that much work. I would try to establish that the drive even works. If it works but shows a lower size than at least you know the drive is functional. I was under the impression that the Sata controller driver just needed to be up to date ( as you have indicated you are ) to read the larger capacity disks which would be the case in W8 with a recent BIOS. Just turn on the eSata enclosure after your are already in windows.
I just read some of the forum's below and it may be wise to install the Seagate Disc Wizard or the Seagate SeaTools for Windows: http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/seatools/ These seemed to solve their similar problems for them!

 

[virtualdanger]

Update:
I figured out how to edit the registry so that Win 8 would allow me to boot, if I change from RAID to AHCI in the bios. Once I did this I was able to boot. But now, I have a new set of problems trying to get the HDD to work.

The Intel Rapid Storage driver (RST), is unable to initialize. Tried uninstalling it and reinstalling it. That does not help. Tried older versions of the driver, that does not work either. So Now I'm unable to get the Windows to use the drive. In disk management the drive appears as a 3950 MB disk, but I am unable to perform any actions on it.

 

[FireWire2]

Update:
I figured out how to edit the registry so that Win 8 would allow me to boot, if I change from RAID to AHCI in the bios. Once I did this I was able to boot. But now, I have a new set of problems trying to get the HDD to work.

The Intel Rapid Storage driver (RST), is unable to initialize. Tried uninstalling it and reinstalling it. That does not help. Tried older versions of the driver, that does not work either. So Now I'm unable to get the Windows to use the drive. In disk management the drive appears as a 3950 MB disk, but I am unable to perform any actions on it.

Once you change to AHCI, then IRS driver is no longer required. As long as you see 3TB in DM you are in good shape.

Try this...
Note the Disk # of 3TB
Go to Command Prompt using DiskPart utility to clean up the 3TB
After that init it as GPT then format it

 

[virtualdanger]

Tried the DiskPart utility, and the clean function. No luck with that either. In the past I've found DiskPart to be quite helpful; sadly not this time around.

Did some testing with SeaTools for Win, since the drive was now visible in Windows. Just about everything failed. I am of the belief that maybe the drive is faulty after-all. I have a secondary drive controller on my motherboard, a JMicron 2 port controller. Seemed to support 3 TB without any driver upgrade.

So finally decided to return the HDD to Seagate for RMA. Lets see if the replacement drive works better.

Update:
I figured out how to edit the registry so that Win 8 would allow me to boot, if I change from RAID to AHCI in the bios. Once I did this I was able to boot. But now, I have a new set of problems trying to get the HDD to work.

The Intel Rapid Storage driver (RST), is unable to initialize. Tried uninstalling it and reinstalling it. That does not help. Tried older versions of the driver, that does not work either. So Now I'm unable to get the Windows to use the drive. In disk management the drive appears as a 3950 MB disk, but I am unable to perform any actions on it.

Once you change to AHCI, then IRS driver is no longer required. As long as you see 3TB in DM you are in good shape.

Try this...
Note the Disk # of 3TB
Go to Command Prompt using DiskPart utility to clean up the 3TB
After that init it as GPT then format it

 

[popatim]

your motherbd doen not have 3tb drive support natively. There are modded bios's that have added the support but none from asus afaik.

Its the RST firmware level that you need, not the driver level that you installed and you only get the RST Firmware with a motherbd bios update (thats why people are mod'ing the bios)

 

[virtualdanger]

your motherbd doen not have 3tb drive support natively. There are modded bios's that have added the support but none from asus afaik.

Its the RST firmware level that you need, not the driver level that you installed and you only get the RST Firmware with a motherbd bios update (thats why people are mod'ing the bios)

I did read about the modded bios'es but was concerned to try them out. Are there any reliable ones you can recommend for the Asus P5K motherboard that supports a 3TB HDD?

 

[popatim]

Sorry, the last I looked into it none worked properly but it has been a while so if you find out something please post back.

 

[virtualdanger]

This is an old thread, but looks like I never posted a closure comment. The drive was bust. Returned it to Seagate RMA, and got a new drive. Hooked it up to one of the 2 ports through the additional controller. It was successfully detected before the Windows boot. Windows loaded successfully, and I was able to use the drive.