Serial ATA PCI Controller Card Problems

How old is the computer? Its possible that it won't boot off a pci device.

I like to know where I should set the following HP BIOS settings to support this new controller board:

1. PnP-OS:

Selects whether BIOS or Plug And Play system (Windows) configures non-bootable devices. This also affects integrated devices that are set as [Auto]. What setting should I use?

2. Reset Data:

[Select Yes if you want to clear system configuration data]

Should I select Yes or No?

3. PCI Device Slot 1:

Option ROM Scan -> Initializes device expansion ROM. Enable this option if the device is used to boot the operating system. Based on what is posted above I think this needs to be enabled.

4. Bus Master:

Enable this option if you need the BIOS to set the PCI Bus Master bit. This could be necessary for some older PCI accessory boards. Should I enable this option?

5. Bus Latency Timer:

What do Aoh, Coh, Eoh, F8h mean?

6. High Priority:

This option maybe used in order to set a higher priority for this PCI slot. Should I set this to enable or disabled?

7. Quickboot Mode:

Allows the system to skip certain tests while booting. This will decrease the time needed to boot the system. Should I set this to enabled or disabled?

8. Boot Device Priority:

Will the new SIG II Serial ATA PCI controller board ever show up here?

9. Integrated Bus IDE Adaptor:

What setting should I use... Primary Only, Secondary Only, Both Enable, Both Disable?

1: Yes (for Windows)
2) Don't know, (I'd guess no)
3) Yes (make sure your card is in slot 1)
4) Probably not
5) Hex values, try A0h first
6) Probably yes
7) Probably yes
8) If it's configured, probably (should appear as a SCSII device); you might need to power-cycle (after configuring) for the device to appear in the list.
9) These are the on-board IDE channels, leave them enabled; disabling empty channels will (slightly) reduce boot time (turns off device detection) but will prove to be a PItA when you forget they have been disabled.

If this doesn't work, try posting a PC/MoBo model number and see if anyone has access to a BIOS manual.

How do you know if you can boot off a PCI device without experimenting / trial and error?

Don't have a manual. The computer was purchased used from where my wife use to work. How can I make it boot from a PCI card? Can I disable something? I should be able to use a hard drive with XP Pro on it that runs in another machine right? Where can I read up on DMA channels, IRQ's because I don't know what they are.

It's an HP Vectra VL420 MT. System number P5756T.

Okay on my other hard drive with Windows XP not working. I will get a new hard drive but before I do that I would like to see the BIOS for this PCI to SATA controller card show up like the manual for controller card says it should.

It's a tower. The existing HD is IDE. There are no PCI cards fitted... all three PCI slots are empty.

Maybe I should give up on this card and try this ->

http://www.cooldrives.com/sahadradtoid.html


Or try a more expensive solution that I can later use in another computer because now I'm pissed and want to boot from a PCI slot ;> ) ->

http://www.promise.com/product/pro [...] uct_id=165

I've reviewed all the manuals from the link you posted and found a spec for the HP Vectra Tower PCI bus.

"PCI Bus Interface

• Supports PCI at 33 MHz
• Supports PCI Rev 2.2 Specification
• 133 MB/sec maximum throughput"

The Promise card has a 66 MHz PCI bus. Will a 66 MHz PCI bus controller card work on the HP Vectra 33 MHz PCI bus?