Port multiplier

[david2498]

I have an acer aspire x3800 and I bought a externat probox bay that can hold 4 drives. It has a usb and a sata cable. The usb cable works fine but the sata cable see's nothing, The trouble shooter asks if mine is a sata port multiplier, My question, How can I see if this machine has a sata port multiplier and apply it or is there an upgrade for the motherboard or cmos or bios to increase the sata port to a port multiplier
Thanks for any info
Dave

 

[WyomingKnott]

The ability to use a "port multiplier" is a feature of the SATA controller / port that allows it to talk to more than one drive through a one-to-five expander that is the actual "port multiplier." Either the controller on your motherboard supports this feature or it doesn't. Sounds like it doesn't.

You would have to buy a capable SATA controller like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816104010&cm_re=port_multiplier-_-16-104-010-_-Product . This is not an endorsement of that product, which I have not used.

This issue is not specific to Win7; it probably belongs in the Storage forum.