New build: won't recognize sata hard drive going insane

February 25, 2011 1:43:19 PM

Hello, I just put together a new build for the first time and it all seems to be working with the BIOS working properly and the windows 7 cd being read. But after the first couple of menus it asks to upload drivers because none could be found and the supplier doesnt offer any drivers for it's hard drives (WD)?!? I went back the BIOS (gigabyte) and looked at the integrated peripherals menu and there's stuff entered into the slot where the drive is but it's not hard drives name and it's missing all of it's information. Please help it's driving me insane, I've been tinkering with the mother board and BIOS for hours to no avail along with searching every link in google.
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saint19

Motherboard Master

February 25, 2011 2:24:26 PM

Hi and welcome to Tom's forum.

Check that your HD configuration in BIOS is "IDE", RAID mode and AHCI will ask for drivers, but not for HD drives, the dirvers that ask the installation process comes from the mobo's manufacturer.

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jaquith

Motherboard Master

February 25, 2011 2:33:24 PM

If those are WD SATA3 {6Gb/s} on the Marvell ports then not the BIOS doesn't list them, but they're there. Marvell -> Boot hold Ctrl + M ; keep hitting the 'M'.

Yep, you're better off installing as IDE and later changing to AHCI 'IF' Windows doesn't see the drives. Afterwards you can move the HDD/SSD to another 'bootable' SATA port. In the ports use the one closet to the MOBO itself.

Q - What MOBO?
Q - What HDD/SSD?
Q - What Ports?

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seamonster23

February 25, 2011 6:01:21 PM

jaquith said:

If those are WD SATA3 {6Gb/s} on the Marvell ports then not the BIOS doesn't list them, but they're there. Marvell -> Boot hold Ctrl + M ; keep hitting the 'M'.

Yep, you're better off installing as IDE and later changing to AHCI 'IF' Windows doesn't see the drives. Afterwards you can move the HDD/SSD to another 'bootable' SATA port. In the ports use the one closet to the MOBO itself.

Q - What MOBO?
Q - What HDD/SSD?
Q - What Ports?

Thank you Jaq I've always loved Tom's Hardware but never really posted in the forums. And Saint I'm using a (GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard) and a Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s.

I had it plugged into a SATA III slot which was 7 but it wasn't registering so I moved it to a SATAII 3gb/s 0 slot.

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seamonster23

February 25, 2011 6:51:28 PM

Just checked and I have everything as IDE in my BIOS but it still won't detect the hard drive period.

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jaquith

Motherboard Master

February 26, 2011 12:34:09 PM

Try Data Lifeguard Diagnostic http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=613...

Failure Flash BIOS FF ; Use Q-Flash with FAT32 Flash Drive
GA-X58A-UD3R (rev. 2.0) http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3...
Q-Flash videos:
part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCCId1Mcrw4
part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qlx5GBkiaM0
part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX78S4qyHu0

Failure MOBO vs HDD ; try the HDD on another PC if recognized then RMA the MOBO. Otherwise RMA the WD Drive.

I've see both have issues and it's a flip of a coin, but if you can access the BIOS and it 'sees' other drives e.g. DVD chances are a bad WD.

edit: also try another SATA cord and different PSU power connector to the WD HDD.

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