E-SATA PCI card issues

Daran said:

Dave76 said:

Daran said:

Which will be quicker......The card in question (working properly) or using a Sate to E-Sata connection directly from the Mobo?

Depending on the controller you are using this might work and hot swap. If you have or can find a SATA to eSATA cable and back plate, plug it in and try your external HD.

If it doesn't recognize it with your OS booted up, shut down your computer plug in the eSATA cable and power supply and re-start your computer.
Let us know if it works and which way, running OS or boot up with external plugged in and powered up.

If this works you may not need the card.

Daran said:

Thanks
It is NTFS and assigned: S........will let you know what happens on Monday. Again thanks for all the info

What controller are you using?
If you know how to find it, disregard the directions below .
Start orb, then 'controll panel', then 'Device Manager', then expand 'Storage controllers', under it will be your SATA Mode driver. Copy that or a screen shot. Let us know what is listed there.

Chipset driver info would be useful also. VIA VT6421 Raid Controller

What is your BIOS setting for 'SATA Mode'?

Unsure, Please advise as to where in the Bios I will find it.

Can you give a little more information on your rig?
Do you have a manual for the MOBO and/or BIOS?

Download SIW - Information for Windows it's a computer information program that will tell you pretty much everything you want to know about your computer.

Find the BIOS name and version, google it and get the manual, if you don't have it already.

BIOS are different but, mine is under the 'Advanced' tab look on the list for 'SATA Mode' or something similar. If you don't have an advanced tab, just look through it until you find 'SATA Mode', 'Storage controller' or something similar. Best to download your manual.

You've listed a RAID controller, depending on where you found that information, your possibly set to 'RAID' in your BIOS 'SATA Mode'. This should enable hot swap for the external.

Did you try this from the previous post:
"If it doesn't recognize it with your OS booted up, shut down your computer plug in the eSATA cable and power supply and re-start your computer.
Let us know if it works and which way, running OS or boot up with external plugged in and powered up."

With your computer booted up and the OS running, plug in your external, then power it up. Let me know if it's recognized by Win7.
If it is not then shut down the computer, plug in the eSATA cable and power it up, then boot up into Win7. Tell me if it is recognized by Win7.

If it is able to be recognized from a running Win7, but is not listed in the "Safely remove hardware' function, let me know. There is an easy way to remedy that.

Any questions, just ask,

Daran said:

Hi Guys

The update is as such: PCI card is a hassle and not working correctly. Even though it has installed the drivers and shows "working properly" it does not. Does not pick up the external and I used its extra Sata slot for my DVD writer and it shows but does not "open" if I want to explore. My PC also freezes like there is a big Memory problem. In the start up it says: "If you want to install Linux default partition raid driver, please do not use Oprom creation operation".......what that means I do not know.

I used an Sata to E-Sate converter, plugged staright onto my motherboard and it worked straight away, no problems. I have asked for a refund on the card, then I will be buying 2 IDE to Sata concerters, but I am having a problem giving it back as it is now considered "used".

Regarding the external drive, it has USB2 and E-Sata connectors. I am the only one that will know how to use E-Sate. The other guys are just Plug and Play USB 2 types. Once I get mine running properly, I will suggest it to others

The problem there is the sad lack of detection being seen with the external drive while the drivers seem to have found their way on ok. Sounds like a hidden defact with the card while the main chip on it is seen by Windows as working normally.

Once you went right to the board you saw the immediate results with the drive then under control by the onboard controllers themselves showing the drive itself is working like it should! Good News for you!

Since the drive comes with both options for USB and eSata you can benefit from the faster access times through the eSata connection you set while the rest will be stuck with the slower usb bus! But at least now you can share the use of the drive. You wouldn't need to make any changes in the bios itself while Antman's link for chipset drivers is something to keep in mind there.

Daran said:

Hey all
I will be taking in my rig to the PC shop so that we can test what will be working better as I now have 5 Sata devices and only 4 slots. The PC shop does not have any converters that I can put directly onto the Motherboeard, only ones to change the Sata to IDE on the DVD Writer/HDD. I will be testing a Chronos PCI Sata card that will give me 2 extra slots, but I am not confident that it will work , thus I will be taking my rig in.

Good luck, I hope it works out for you

Let us know the results.

Daran said:

Hi all

The results are as such, even the Chronos PCI Sata card did not pick up on the motherboard. The PC techie reckons it cause I am running W7 How he gets to that conclusion only he knows. Then he put in the adapter to change my Sata on my DVD Writer to IDE and that did also not pick up. So I asked if I can have a look...I took aout the adapter, changed the jumper to Slave, turned the IDE cable around (he had it the wrong way) and viola, it worked. So in the end, because I could only get a credit and not the cash, I bought a new 22x Lightscribe writer (ide) and my Sata to E-Sate is connceted to the motherboard directly.

Thanks for all the help.

Glad to hear you got it all sorted.

Is your external HD listed in 'Safely Remove Hardware' when plugged in the eSATA port?

At least you were able to get things going there. It will be a lot easier running it from one of the board's own ports by the looks of things there not because you have 7 on!

I think you may want to frind a new shop since that guy doesn't know what he is even doing by the sounds of it.