eSATA help needed

Hey guys first post here


I am in need of some help, i have just installed a eSATA PCI-E card hoping that it would solve my eSATA problem. Now my problem is that when turning my external hard drive on via eSATA it will freeze my PC for about 5 mins and will not appear in my computer, disk management or BIOS. Have also tried turning the Hard drive on about 30 secs before starting my PC in which freezes at the welcome screen. Have also enabled AHCI in which is still not visible.

Anyone has any ideas they will be appreciated thanks.

Is the drive formatted?

Antman said:

Is the drive formatted?

Yup! Hard drive was being used via USB.

I have used this hard drive with eSATA on an old xp install but could never get it to work in Vista or Windows 7.

Well, that begs the question - how does it perform connected via USB?

Your words...

...hoping that it would solve my eSATA problem. Now my problem is ...

...seem to indicate a change in problems.

Antman said:

Well, that begs the question - how does it perform connected via USB?

Your words...

...hoping that it would solve my eSATA problem. Now my problem is ...

...seem to indicate a change in problems.

USB works without any problem, drive is detected straight away and getting an average of about 15MB/s


Sorry for confusing you

I have used the same drive on an XP install by a esata bracket but have upgraded OS to Vista & Windows 7 build 7100 in which i could never get esata to work so just used the drive via USB.

Now i have purchased a esata PCI-E card thinking it would work simply by installing the drivers needed but all i keep getting is my PC freezing and no Hard Drive detected.

Hope that is a little clearer for you

Your mobo has 8 SATA ports. Why do you need a card? Anyway - are any of the ports configured as anything other than SATA - like AHCI?

To rule out drivers, connect the eSATA bracket directly to a SATA port on the MOBS - a SATA port configured as SATA.

Yes make sure you have it configured in the bios under sata configuration - sata as ide -dont use AHCI as that requires a driver installed via a floppy drive at start of install where it asks - have you any SCSI devices and press f6, if so. I also think to make the troubleshooting easier connect the drive via the esata port. Turn everything off at the power - power up the external drive - next power up the pc. Ok if your happy you have done all that try updating your bios to the latest version.

whest said:

Yes make sure you have it configured in the bios under sata configuration - sata as ide -dont use AHCI as that requires a driver installed via a floppy drive at start of install where it asks - have you any SCSI devices and press f6, if so. I also think to make the troubleshooting easier connect the drive via the esata port. Turn everything off at the power - power up the external drive - next power up the pc. Ok if your happy you have done all that try updating your bios to the latest version.

F6? Floppy? Windows 7? Please, gather yourself.

whest said:

I was just briefly explaining that you need a driver if you enable AHCL in the bios as he said he tried AHCL, and may not realise it needs a driver - dont you think we are answering these questions to help others, which isnt easy in any case, without
unnecessary antagonism - quote "Have also enabled AHCI in which is still not visible".

What I am saying to you -

You are describing a process that DOES NOT OCCUR IN WINDOWS 7.

"...as that requires a driver installed via a floppy drive at start of install where it asks - have you any SCSI devices and press f6..."