Archived from groups: alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus (
More info?)
"Paul" <nospam@needed.com> wrote in message
news:nospam-1303052150370001@192.168.1.178...
> In article <FoydnfWLY8ikZanfRVn-iA@eatel.net>, "GLeger"
> <legend96@NSPMeatel.net> wrote:
>
>> I'm new to the SATA hard drives, and was wondering if I can add the SATA
>> drive to the computer while keeping the existing UATA drive(s).
>> I actually have 2 uata drives now, but I would like to add a 3rd by using
>> the SATA cable.
>>
>> Can this be done? Or do I have to take out one of the uata drives?
>>
>> Also, any special instructions on using SATA drives because this is the
>> first one I've used.
>>
>> thanks
>> Gary
>
> It depends on the OS. Win2K and WinXP support six drives off the
> Southbridge. If you are using Win98SE, the answer is only four of
> six drives can be used.
>
> Think of the two SATA interfaces, as being equal to one IDE cable
> with a master and a slave on it. When you are in Win98SE, you can
> use any two of three "IDE cables" worth of drives. This is due to
> the clever emulation trick that Intel is using. When the BIOS is set
> to "Compatible" mode for the Southbridge, the SATA drives are made to
> look like an I/O mapped IDE cable. There are only standard IRQs for
> two IDE cables, and thus the two "cable" limit in Win98SE.
>
> If you select "Enhanced" mode in the BIOS, that is suitable for
> Win2K and WinXP. I think that is the default BIOS setting. That
> allows all three IDE "cables worth" of drives, to be used at the
> same time. In this case, the Southbridge maps the drives to the
> PCI bus, instead of the traditional I/O space.
>
> This is all explained in yout manual, usually in two different
> sections of the manual.
>
> There is some boring reference material here:
>
http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets/manuals/25267102.pdf
>
> Paul
Thanks for the reply Paul!
I will be adding the SATA drive, and will put WinXP on it, and use the
existing drives as just extra space.
I think that I will need to add some drivers! I'm saying this because I've
had this motherboard for a while, and when
it's booting, I remember seeing something about sata drivers missing, but
never paid it any attention because
I knew that I didn't have any SATA drives connected. I would imagine this
file is on the drivers disc that came
with the mobo?
Oh well, I hope it works out.
thanks
Gary