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WD 2500 Hard Drive Hell!

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yoitzdavid   11-21-2007 at 06:10:05 AM

Okay guys, I am entirely stumped by this problem and would appreciate any advice anyone might have!

I have a Sony VAIO desktop (pcv-A31L) that recently was having issues. When loading off of the Windows disc, I would get a BSOD before it completed entering setup.

No worry, I thought. I would just format the drive and start from scratch.

The drive is a Western Digital WD2500 SATA 250GB, birth date of May 2005.

I connected the hard drive to my SATA to USB adapter (i-connect brand) and accessed the drive from a known good machine. The machine mounted the drive and I was able to access all files and folders without issue. I formatted the drive and then hooked it back up to the Sony.

Now, when I load Windows Setup, and go to the screen where I specify the drive, it lists "Unknown Drive" four times!

The drive appears in the Sony's BIOS just fine. I even checked the drive out through my good machine with Computer Management / Disk Management and everything is fine.

Is there some special driver needed for this drive to work with XP?

Thanks,

David

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chookman   11-22-2007 at 12:34:04 AM
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How did you format the drive before putting it back in the laptop? I would suggest removing any partitions on the drive through your desk machine and leave it clean (no partitions just blank). If this doesnt work try a full chkdsk on the drive on your desk machine could have bad sectors or something.

------------------------------ "This thread made me strap on my lolerskates and head for my roflcopter."
 Reply to chookman
g-paw   11-22-2007 at 12:36:45 AM
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Did you do a full or quick format? Did you format as NTFS? I'd download the WD diagnostic/repair software and run it off a floppy. Sounds like you may need to format it again

Reply to g-paw
yoitzdavid   11-22-2007 at 01:04:02 AM
- 0 +

Okay, I gave up and bought a new drive.

SAME PROBLEM!

In the BIOS, the (new) drive appears as "SCSI-0 : WDC4000 xxxxxx".

When Windows Setup starts, it just doesn't see the drive.

I'm thinking that based on the age of the system (2005), Sony might have used some sort of SCSI to SATA adapter on the motherboard and it needs a special driver, but I can't find anything, anywhere!!!

Reply to yoitzdavid
yoitzdavid   11-22-2007 at 01:26:51 AM
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MORE INFO: The motherboard is a P5LP-VX, I'm assuming by Asus.

I can't find any SCSI drivers for this mb's chipset... and I'm assuming I have to load custom drivers during the start of Windows Setup to get setup to see the drive.

Any ideas on where I can find these drivers??? Asus doesn't even list that model! Thanks Sony, for nothing.

Reply to yoitzdavid
g-paw   11-22-2007 at 01:32:51 AM
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That board would have SATA 1.5 and the drives are likely 3.0. On some drives you have to use a jumper to set it to run on a 1.5 connection, check the mfg website. Also check all your BIOS settings for hdd. On a P865 mobo I had to change one or couple of the BIOS settings for SATA and ATA but don't remember what they were. As for being seen as a SCSI drive, I recently read an explanation for it but it's not the problem


Message edited by g-paw on 11-22-2007 at 01:33:58 AM
Reply to g-paw
bc4   11-22-2007 at 01:52:25 AM
- 0 +

I have a similar Sony at work. Never had any problems and upgraded to a new sony and installed an extra drive (sometime last year)

 

Are you using an XP disk or the Sony recovery disks (you would have had to make these bootable DVD's following the instructions)

 

It sounds to me that you are using an XP install disks instead of the Sony Recov. The XP install disks will not have the mobo drivers and all that. Try going to Sony's site and downloading all the drivers and installing them.

 

Oh yeah, when I checked sony's site it asked which of these model's
http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/m [...] l=pcv-A31L but they do offer the drivers as downloads :)


Message edited by bc4 on 11-22-2007 at 01:54:11 AM
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tlmck   11-22-2007 at 03:02:52 AM
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I ditto the jumper thing.

------------------------------ I know what I know, and I don't know what I don't know.
 Reply to tlmck
Zorg   11-22-2007 at 04:51:00 AM
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Check in the BIOS to ensure that the drive isn't set for AHCI. If it is, either set it as IDE or load the AHCI drivers "F6". There really is no reason for them to have done that, other than it's SONY so anything is possible.


Message edited by Zorg on 11-22-2007 at 05:01:52 AM
Reply to Zorg
yoitzdavid   11-23-2007 at 07:44:01 AM
- 0 +

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: SUCCESS - FINALLY!!! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

Yes, the Sony site did have a driver which I must have overlooked. A special driver did have to be loaded during Windows Setup using F6.

For any poor souls who may come across this thread, the driver is located at:

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/s [...] &os_id=16#

It is an Intel RAID driver and is critical for Windows to recognize your drive.

Thanks bc for pointing me again to the Sony site. I think the reason I missed it before was Sony has it listed under "Security" --- wtf? :)

Reply to yoitzdavid
cfvh600   11-23-2007 at 01:13:37 PM
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Glad you got your drive sorted out. :-)

Reply to cfvh600
awaselito   03-12-2009 at 01:34:08 AM
- 0 +

hi all, i just wanted to say that i am having this same problem and i did this part here,, For any poor souls who may come across this thread, the driver is located at:

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/s [...] &os_id=16#


but i still can't get the machine to load the driver. it states that it can't load the file. i must have downloaded the file to a floppy disc like 5 times and nothing. CAN SOME ONE PLEASE HELP??? i have the same pc that this gentleman dose.


Message edited by awaselito on 03-12-2009 at 02:32:17 AM
Reply to awaselito
awaselito   03-12-2009 at 02:55:46 AM
- 0 +

this is what it states,

http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/blazerkid93/NewImage.jpg


and when i press enter it brings me up to the same request.


Message edited by awaselito on 03-12-2009 at 02:57:01 AM
Reply to awaselito
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