SATA - adding a raptor to existing OS

plug it to the nvidia controller, not the Sil one. refer to your manual

If that doesn't work [assuming the regular controller is not SATA] then just create a raid array with one disk...that's how raid controllers work...and then you can still just use it like a regular disk.

No need for that. The nvidia IDE controller support the SATA interface natively, so, if RAID is disabled, the SATA HDD will appear in the devices list just below the opticals or the PATA HDD.

Then, a quick trip to disk management consol to initialize/partion/format the drive will make the job.

Confusion happen often because, like in the case of the his motherboard, there is the native controller(nvidia) and a third party one (Sil).

Often, to differentiate them, one is labelled SATA while the other is marked RAID... But, both controller can be used with single drive or RAID array.. If both controller will need drivers to operate in RAID mode, only the Sil will need drivers to operate in IDE mode. The nvidia IDE controller works with standard MS drivers as well as with the basic INT13 BIOS command, that installation application use to "talk" to the controller before any drivers being loaded. Once drivers are loaded, the OS directly talk to the controller, bypassing the BIOS.



It is just a matter to look at the manual which controller used which connector, and set it accordingly to the instruction given.

Since first non native SATA controller always needed drivers and sometime specials tricks to use the SATA HDD, then peoples still assume that they are still needed, and start messing with BIOS option and drivers and RAID when with most current modenr chipset, it is only a fact of plugging the drive, disabling RAID for the connector the drive is plugged to (since nvidia controller can do RAID with every HDD plugged to, then RAID assignation can be done at connector level. So, sata1 and sata2 can be tell to be RAIDed while sata3 and 4 to have single drive. That's why RAID should be disabled for the SATA connector the drive is plugged to. Disabling RAID means that the BIOS will keep ownership of this connector, while when RAID is enabled, the connector will be sent to the RAID BIOS to use. This way, the OS wont see it because the BIOS don't have it anymore ...).

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OK just switching the connector over to the nVidia sata connector worked like a charm, thanks for all of the help, greatly apreciated and will keep it in mind in my future builds.

god bless