[jonuck]

I am not sure if this is not so much a problem as more of an enquiry ........ I recently purchased a Sata2 HDD and mounted it in a Vantec enclosure which gives me the option to use it with either USB2 or Sata 1.5gb interface .... the unit installed without a problem and because my MB supports Sata1 I am using this for data transfer ......... I am most impressed at speed of this. My query is My Computer doesn't see the External HDD unless I boot with the unit turned on ......... it will not see it if I boot and then turn the unit on .... is this normal with Sata interface?. If I use the USB interface I can boot and then turn the unit on and it is immediately recognized. Would welcome observations regarding this.

jonuck,

 

[Triple6]

SATA 3Gb/s added full support for hot swapping drives, earlier SATA 1.5GB/s hardware was not fully hot swappable. What motherboard, enclosure, and hard drive do you have?

 

[jonuck]

SATA 3Gb/s added full support for hot swapping drives, earlier SATA 1.5GB/s hardware was not fully hot swappable. What motherboard, enclosure, and hard drive do you have?

Thanks for response Triple6 ...... my MB is an Asus P4P800-4 and the external HDD is a Seagate Barracuda 7200 320gb Sata2 3gb/s .... the enclosure is a Vantec Nexstar 3 Sata and USB2.

 

[Triple6]

I would probably limit the drive to SATA 1.5Gb/s operation using a jumper as shown here: http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/installation_assistance/jumper_setting_illustrations/sata

I would also check that the SATA isn't in IDE or Legacy Mode in the BIOS and maybe update the drivers for the chipset: http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scr...&OSFullName=Windows* XP Home Edition&lang=eng

Oh, and you motherboard model is incorrect, that last 4 should be a letter or two.

 

[JohnWill]

Considering that the SATA interface is many times faster than the USB connection, SATA is sort of overkill in an external enclosure.

 

[jonuck]

Would seem that I have more of a problem than I first thought ....... I have updated my chipset drivers and checked again that I do indeed have the drive jumpered for 1.5gb\s but I can find no reference to sata configuration in the bios. When I boot the computer with the enclosure in eSata mode and switched on, the unit is detected and it performs without problem ... if I switch it off it locks the computer and if I switch it back on again it reboots the computer and becomes usable again. Now I am getting really confused.

jonuck.

 

[Triple6]

Considering that the SATA interface is many times faster than the USB connection, SATA is sort of overkill in an external enclosure.

The enclosure's external interface is also SATA, so the drive should have he same performance as an internal drive.

 

[Triple6]

my MB is an Asus P4P800-4

I think you have a typo there...

Do you have the manual for the motherboard?

 

[jonuck]

I think you have a typo there...

Do you have the manual for the motherboard?

You are right Triple6 ...... it was indeed a typo .... I hit the 4 instead of the E, P4P800-E. I must add that my internal drives are both Pata so I have never since I intergrated this system had an occasion to activate the Sata interface capability of this system ..... I have 4 ports on this board for Sata use .. two are annoted Sata 1 and two are annoted Sata raid ....... I am using one of the Sata 1 ports to interface with the external drive and I have made sure that the IDE configuration in the bios is selected for Enhanced mode and the Sata raid option is disabled. Yes I have a manual for the MB.

jonuck.

 

[Triple6]

You may wish to try the RAID ports or enable RAID feature - it may enable the advanced features.

Note that you should really use the Safely Remove icon when disconnecting the SATA drive, unlike with USB drives that it rarely mattered - although it was still recommended.

 

[jonuck]

I have been thinking of doing that very thing ...... I will connect to a raid port and enable raid in bios and will post back results. I thought this system was state of the art when I built it 2 1\2 years ago and now I am beginning to realise what planned obsolescence is!!.

jonuck.

 

[JohnWill]

The enclosure's external interface is also SATA, so the drive should have he same performance as an internal drive.

I noticed that later.

 

[jonuck]

Thank you guy's for your input and observations ......... would seem that I must live with the performance limitations of my External HDD ....... I have no limitations using USB2 interface but using Sata 1 I must switch off unit and reboot to resume normal operations ...... this would be I reckon to be a small price to pay for the advantage of internal unit speed of transfer of data when you consider that afterall the unit is but a storage receptable. Transfering the unit to Sata Raid interface did not produce any improvement of performance. If anyone else can suggest more by way of remedy I would be more than ready to digest ....... once again guy's thanks a lot ....... what a great forum :up:


jonuck,

 

[Triple6]

Sorry, I don't have any more ideas. I have set this up on 2 systems before. One worked fine - it was an NForce4 chipset. The other didn't work, I couldn't disconnect the drive while Windows was running without the computer freezing - it had an older VIA chipset. The enclosure had USB 2.0 as well and that worked fine. If the drive can be connected and left connected while they system is in use then stay with eSATA, if you need to disconnect the drive while the system is being used then go with USB 2.0. I think some of the older chipsets don't work well with eSATA, hence why SATA 3Gb/s includes better support for eSATA and Hot Swapping.

 

[jonuck]

I think you have nailed the problem Triple6 ...... I think my Asus board has Via chipsets ...... I bought it just as they were changing to the 775 socket and as a result I got a sweetheart of a deal. What you have described is exactly what is happening here and I can work around the problem and still get the added speed of Sata albeit 1.5gb\s. I purchased all of my equipment from NCIX Netlink Computers in Vancouver and they have a pretty good Tech Support service so I have thrown the problem at them and will see what they come up with ...... I will post back with results. Once again many thanks Guy's.


jonuck,

 

[Triple6]

Actually your board uses an Intel chipset and has an additional Promise controller. The Intel i865 chipset was a first generation SATA controller. Not sure about the Promise controller.

 

[jonuck]

You are quite correct Triple6 ............ the board has a Intel Springdale i865PE chipset and I have updated this to latest revision ....... the Promise Controllers would appear to relate to Raid SCSI use and are something I have not had an option to exercise ....... when I built this computer I used my PATA HDD's from my old computer and this is the first time I have had occasion to make use of the SATA interfaces. This board was probably one of the last Socket 478 and one of the first to utilise SATA interface hence the ensuing problems with the newer technology, however the system has given me good service and coupled with a P4 3 gb Prescott Processor has been very stable ...... it has been interesting to note that I have been unable to relate to the Promise Controllers on the Promise website ...... maybe they do not support them anymore.

jonuck,

 

[Triple6]

Promise expects the motherboard manufacturer to support the controller, so try the Asus website.

But you may be fighting a losing battle.

 

[JohnWill]

FWIW, if you look, you'll probably find drivers at Promise for the same chipset, and they may solve the problem. I had a similar issue a while back, and I found the drivers at Promise to revive a MB Promise controller.