E-SATA PCI card issues

[Daran]

Hi all
Please assist where possible. I am new to the forum and I don't have as much experience as others here so please be patient.

I have added a PCI caed to my Asrock motherboard so that I can use my ESATA external HDD. The problem is that it is not always picked up, freezes my PC, or make it extremely slow and when it picks it up it changes the names of my other HDD's. I am only talking about the PCI card now.

Even if it is seen by W7, I can still not see my external???

Please assist.

 

[Night Hawk]

Welcome to the Se7enforums! Daran

When first installing the eSata controller card did that come with a software/driver cd? With any or most addon devices a device driver of some type will often be needed in order it to work unless Windows has it's own generic version or limited number of original drivers included.

The problems you are seeing there suggest that you already did install drivers that may either be hanging up on you or were the wrong ones for that particular card. Usually a few system restarts will eventually see new drivers fully install and be configured by Windows when they are good and the correct ones.

A bad install or the incorrect drivers on the other hand can cause a list of problems until they are removed or the correct ones see a good install on the next attempt once removed.

 

[Daran]

Hi NightHawk

It did not come with any drivers. When it did install, everything was fine, but it did not pick up the external, so I was forced back to USB2, and 220 gig on USB2 is not fun.

 

[Night Hawk]

Did the card come with or without a controller circuit on it or is it just a card holding ports? A port holder simply uses the slot to hold the card in while an onboard controller circuit will need the dirvers/software to even see that work. That goes through the pci bus there.

 

[Antman]

A mfgr name and model number for the card would be nice. And the external drive also.

 

[Night Hawk]

Another thing to consider would be any required connections from the card to the board in order to work. If the card is simply a holder for eSata ports you still have to run the cables from the card to the board so the onboard controller take charge of the drives.

 

[Daran]

HI guys.

Thx for the responses, CHRONOS PCI ESATA ADAPTER (MP6421-E) eSATA, PCI Card, Chronos MP6421-E
Is what I have, the external HDD I am unsure of to be honest.

 

[Night Hawk]

That's an ide to eSata adapter card there! Hopefully you plugged the card into a pci slot! You may still need a driver set however since it has it's own controllers on the card itself.

This allows you to use a sata drive on a system that lacks any sata ports on the main board itself. On looking that over you also have the option for adding on another ide drive if you already 4 drives in use.

 

[Antman]

After trying to locate a driver for you, I am convinced that you should acquire another card. Unless you speak Russian. Beware of "Driver download" sites.

 

[Daran]

So. I must insert the card onto the board via the PCI slot and then use an IDE cable as well?

 

[Daran]

And......No I did not plug it into the IDE plug aswell
I think the drivers will load though....will try again...

May I ask a different question?
I Installed W7, but I cant delete my "old windows" folder....I dont seem to have right?

 

[Antman]

So. I must insert the card onto the board via the PCI slot and then use an IDE cable as well?

No. You may damage your computer.

The card supports IDE drives and sata drives. The IDE connection is on the card to connect drives, not the mobo.

Your card is crap. Sorry.

I will not be around to follow-up on this. I did PM NightHawk to ask to check his post, but I think he is offline.

DO NOT CONNECT YOUR IDE CABLE BETWEEN THE MOBO AND THE CARD WITHOUT ADDITIONAL CONSULTATION!

 

[Antman]

And......No I did not plug it into the IDE plug aswell
I think the drivers will load though....will try again...

May I ask a different question?
I Installed W7, but I cant delete my "old windows" folder....I dont seem to have right?

There is a tutorial here. It is easy to do. I must retire for the night. Use the search tool at the top of the forum page. You want the entry in Tutorials.

 

[Daran]

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

 

[Daran]

Thanks Guys....

 

[Night Hawk]

Some cards simply have the ports and rest in a pci slot while this connects one or both types of drives(one of each) by way of the pci bus. Other eSata adapter cards will run a data cable out from a port on the board to the card where you simply plug one more in from the outside into the port on the card instead of the board there.

You can easily find a new one however by shopping around like the one seen for $13- at [ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00199EPKW/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2/184-8585222-4992644?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=06HRF5M35D9Q71GTKA83&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_i=B000G28ZVS"]Amazon.com: SYBA Combo IDE(1)/eSATA(1)/SATA(2) PCI Card SY-VIA6421-3S1P: Electronics[/ame]

If you simply need to run a sata drive but lack a drive bay for it then you would simply toss in a sata to eSata type card that simply slip down into a slot but still runs off the board's own controllers. It's kind of like having an ac plug on the outside of the house to plug a power tool in rather then stretching the cord through a doorway or open window.

You're still running off of the board while the drive is outside of the case. The other option would be picking up an external usb enclosure that simply plugs into any usb port that allows you to run either or both ide and sata but through the other bus.

 

[Daran]

Thanks for everything guys, I should have it covered now. Unfortunatley in South Africa the crappy card that I bought costs R300 (about $40) so it ios an expensive process. Also no one even knows about USB2 to Esata converters or hubs so it is difficult.

 

[Night Hawk]

It's certainly hard on you not having access to the numerous vendors that would carry the various adapter cards. If the case itself is too small and lacks an extra 3.5" drive bay a 5.25" to 3.5" reducer would allow you to mount the drive in the extra 5.25" drive bay there provided you have one or more sata ports available on the board. That would rule out the need for the go between.

 

[Daran]

Thanks, I will take that into consideration, but the external is actually a floater drive that goes between a group of us. So its just to copy and then its gone.

 

[Night Hawk]

In that case you would be better off with either an external casing to drop the drive into that plugs into a usb port which costs far less then buying a self contained external for usb or eSata. An external casing has it's own ac to 12v adapter while a self contained still seeing the wall adapter is far more portable and preferred by laptop users.

Which ever you end up with make sure the drive has an NTFS partition since that will be recognised right away by XP and Vista as well as 7. On each system when in use you can also assign a drive letter you can use on each separate system like S for storage, T for transfer rather then a low letter more apt to be used like F, G, ,H, etc.!