Not detecting MSata SSD within Windows properly

Xebozone · 05 Nov 2013

I obtained a 32GB LiteOn LMT-32L3M MSata drive while scrapping a computer.
I plugged it into my mobo with an adapter I bought on eBay.

Everything looked good. BIOS detected it, and I could format it in Acronis Disk Director.
However, the device does not appear in Windows 7's Disk Management or Device Manager.

I can see it there in the Intel Rapid Storage Technology software, within CrystalDiskInfo, and within AIDA64, but I cannot assign a drive letter to it.

Not much completely stumps me, but I'm out of ideas on where to go next.
Any ideas?

Xebozone · 06 Nov 2013

I didn't want to have to do this... but... BUMP!

Xebozone · 07 Nov 2013

Any takers to this one, or is it looking grim?

Mikeruth · 18 Jan 2014

I'm currently working on a Dell XPS 8700 that was fitted with a LiteOn32GB SSD and a SATA 2 TB drive.

Exactly the same issue. The system works fine but I can not see the SSD in the drive management console of Windows 8.0

Anyone???

Mike R

Mikeruth · 20 Jan 2014

I have a little to add to this today, it appears from another discussion that the SSD is being used as a cache drive. to identify and or make changes there should be a program installed from Intel called Intel rapid storage.
I'm currently looking into this.

Xebozone · 14 Jul 2014

Well... this issue is still frustrating me.
Same situation as before.

As mentioned in my original, I have Intel Rapid Storage Technology software installed (and it does detect the drive)... I just can't assign it a drive letter or use it.

Did you discover anything, Mikeruth?
Any suggestions? Anyone?
Is this device just usable in a non-dell system or something?

Mikeruth · 14 Jul 2014

In my case it appeared that the MSATA drive worked as a cache for the system and that's all it could be used for. I finally accepted that and let it go.

badger906 · 14 Jul 2014

what happens if you remove all bootable drives bar the sata and turn your pc on with a windows disk. does the installation process see the ssd??

Mikeruth · 14 Jul 2014

I don't know. this was a new Dell machine that I was working on and I was curious as to why there was no drive letter for the MSATA drive. I never had the opportunity to try anything else.

Xebozone · 14 Jul 2014

In the end, I worked around the issue (just now) by plugging the device into a separate RAID controller (I had one built-in to my motherboard), creating a raid-0 array (of just 1 drive), and then was able to initialize it and use it within Windows 7. I suppose the RAID controller did the job of passing the drive to Windows, as Windows didn't like the drive for some reason.
Now Windows sees the drive as a separate drive. Voila!
I have an old motherboard, so I don't have the option "Intel Smart Response" caching. I used other software to do the job for me! (Primocache).

The inspiration came to me after I re-installed my Rapid Storage Technology software to a slightly later version (v8 to v9). Before, it detected my SSD, and said it was OK. The newer version actually reported a problem: Incompatible. This means that my system didn't understand the volume/configuration on the SSD (probably from the old system). So, I plugged it into my RAID controller on-board, which did detect the drive and allow me to use it within Windows.

Now that it's working, I haven't tried deleting the array and plugging it back into the standard SATA port. Maybe Windows didn't like the existing array on there from the last machine (although, I did try reformatting it using gparted prior, so that should have deleted the last RAID config?)... but it's working now, so I see no reason to try. I may try later and post the results here.

Not detecting MSata SSD within Windows properly

Not detecting MSata SSD within Windows properly

Dell XPS 8700 has same issue