Can't get an eSATA controller to work with Win 7/64

546 Inspiron · 08 Mar 2010

ccatlett1984 said:

Esata is just a different connector, most internal cards come with a daughter-board that has an esata connector on it and plugs into the card inside the case. It does take up two slots, but thats what most folk do.

The ones I've been looking at have eSATA ports outside and sata ports on the inside. All I need is 1 esata port but nobody claims theirs will support Win 7/64.

pbcopter · 08 Mar 2010

Just to clarify, the card I chose doesn't have eSATA connectors, just standard SATA but my case already has eSATA connectors mounted on it that use standard SATA connectors to interface to the motherbaoard or an add-on card. This card also gives me the option to add internal 6.0Gb/s drives if I chose not to use it for eSATA.

546 Inspiron · 08 Mar 2010

pbcopter said:

Just to clarify, the card I chose doesn't have eSATA connectors, just standard SATA but my case already has eSATA connectors mounted on it that use standard SATA connectors to interface to the motherbaoard or an add-on card. This card also gives me the option to add internal 6.0Gb/s drives if I chose not to use it for eSATA.

What I have is 4 ports on the mobo that are all taken and I bought a Cavalry ext drive with an eSATA option but only the USB option works on it. I got a controller card from StarTech with 1 eSATA port but I can't get to work because it doesn't support Win 7/64. I am starting to think I am out of luck with the sata option.

pbcopter · 10 Mar 2010

As I said the card I referenced and others by the same manufacturer (HighPoint) support Windows 7.

Newegg.com - HighPoint Rocket 622 PCI-Express 2.0 x1 Low Profile Ready SATA 6.0Gb/s Controller Card - Controllers / RAID Cards

hgernhardtjr · 10 Mar 2010

The problem must be a fairly common one with Win 7 ... I just purchased an Addonics ADSA6GPX1-2E PCI Express eSata card that provides two external eSata ports, also for a "Dell" — my new Alienware Aurora that has only one external eSATA port.

Drivers are not found, even though it sees the card in Hardware. Addonics is usually quick on their replies, so we shall see what they want me to do. The site says the card does support Win 7, btw.

I'm a photographer and keep extensive external backups so need the eSATA ports. Oh, their outstanding SATA media card reader works like lightening, much faster than the fast external Firewire 800 one I used on my old computer.

Only the PCI Express to external eSATA is giving me the dickens of a time installing. Help would be appreciated!

ADDENDUM on EDIT:

Well, it took just shy of an hour for the folks at Addonics to get back to me ... and their solution worked! I will include their instructions below as they might work for the OP also:

In cases where the “Found New Hardware Wizard” does not display and Windows automatically installed the built-in Windows drivers for this controller card, try to locate this driver in Device Manager.

In Device Manager, navigate to IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. The driver that Windows uses is Standard AHCI1.0 Serial ATA Controller.

Highlight and right click on the Standard AHCI1.0 Serial ATA Controller driver then select Update driver. Navigate to the drivers on the folder labeled XXXXX (I removed my device's specific driver folder name that I downloaded from their website, you should use yours).