Unable to boot into any mode...storage devices not recognized

It looks to me like you have lost your SATA controller on the motherboard. "Reboot and select proper boot device" means the system can't find any drives connected to the system. Since they are physically plugged in and powered up (can you hear them spinning?) this means that the problem is at the motherboard.

Based upon the other information you supplied there are a couple of possibilities. But first off, have you made any recent changes to the PC (added/removed components)?

But in all cases like this it is important to start with the basics. First we need to determine why you can't enter the BIOS, which is an independent function that does not rely on the drives.

So first I would disconnect all hard drives and CD drive SATA cables, then boot. See if you can get into BIOS.

If you can get in, then add just one drive back and test again. If that works then test the other drive (alone). Then add them all again. Report here the results of these tests.

After these tests are complete you should try a ClearCMOS procedure. This will reset the BIOS and force it to rediscover the components in the system. Note: CLRTC and ClearCMOS are the same thing. Refer to your motherboard manual to find the ClearCMOS jumper.

• Shut down the computer > remove the power cord.
• Remove the 3v battery.
• Move the CLRTC jumper from pins 1-2 to 2-3.
• Touch a metal part of the case and Press and Hold the reset button for approx. 30 seconds to discharge all power from the board.
• Put the CLRTC jumper back on pins 1-2.
• Replace the 3v battery > replace the power cord > boot.
• Immediately go back into BIOS and reset all your preferred settings. If the CLRTC worked you will need to reset the date and time.

No, you can try the ClearCMOS. We will see if that will clear up the problem.

The SATA tests lend more evidence that there is a problem with the SATA controller.

To test to see if it could be power related, try connecting both drives with SATA and then disconnecting the power from each drive one at a time to see if you can get into the BIOS either time. I'd also try both drives with power disconnected, although I don't think that will show anything.

Yes, if the Sata controller is bad. But you want to try and determine the actual cause before you start buying parts. The Sata controller is the obvious suspect, but without some definitive evidence then it is just a guess, really.

There are a few points of failure here:

• The SATA controller (will not connect with any drive)
• A conflict between a new device or system setting and the Sata controller (did you change any BIOS settings recently?)
• A power problem (power supply is just one of the types of power problems)
• A cable problem (a poorly connected cable or bad cable)
• A defective drive (either drive could be bad and is shorting out the sata controller)

So what I'm having you do here is a series of "If-this-then-that" tests to try and isolate the problem.


Now IF you install either of the two drives in another computer and they work (can be recognized by the system without a problem), THEN we know there is not a problem with the drives.


IF you switch the sata cables (use the other computers cables or just switch the cable/drive combination, THEN we know if the cables are the fail point. Same goes for power connectors.



That's the idea. If you can't pinpoint a cause then we have to start guessing. The first guess will be to decide which component makes most sense to replace first.