PLEASE HELP! Can't configure SATA to work with 3 PATA drives.

[netman2002i]

Hi, just joined to sort this problem.

I have this machine:
Jetway i865PEDAP Motherboard
512MB DDR333
Sony CDRW (jumper: slave, cable: Pri Slave)
Hitachi DVDROM (jumper: CS, cable:Pri Master)
80GB Seagate Barracuda SATA HDD (SATA port 1)
RUNNING WINDOWS XP PRO.

Until now the optical drives were set up both on the primary IDE channel. The SATA controller was set to auto in BIOS. The SATA drive would show up as IDE secondary master. No problems then.

Then I added an internal ATAPI ZIP250 drive to the secondary IDE channel with the jumper on it set to master. The secondary channel now showed the zip drive as the sec master but no HDD, i couldn't boot. I then changed the sata controller to enhanced to supposedly enable all 6 IDE device channels and rebooted. The same problem persists, i.e. the primary channels show the optical devices fine, but the secondary master channel shows the zip drive, the slave is empty. There are NO SATA channels shown even in enhanced mode.

I've also tried this after changing the zip's jumper to slave and cable select, no joy there either.

The only apparent method to get the SATA HDD working seems to be to set the SATA controller in BIOS to combined mode, and then assigning either the primary or secondary IDE channel to the SATA ports, but then I either lose out on the optical drives or the zip drive.

HOW CAN I GET ALL 3 PATA AND THE SATA DRIVE WORKING?

Any help much appreciated. Thanks.:)

[genesound]

You must not have this 865pedap (http://www.jetwaycomputer.com/spec/865pedap.html) mobo, it doesn't have sata. Or maybe you have an add-on sata adaptor, but you didn't mention it.

[netman2002i]

You've got the wrong company (I think). This (http://www.jetway.com.tw/evisn/product/p-4/865peda/865peda.htm) is my mobo. Two SATA ports are onboard, however I can't get all 4 drives to show up in BIOS at the same time, either using the BIOS SATA controller auto option, or the enhanced mode option.

[genesound]

Originally posted by netman2002i
You've got the wrong company (I think). This (http://www.jetway.com.tw/evisn/product/p-4/865peda/865peda.htm) is my mobo. Two SATA ports are onboard, however I can't get all 4 drives to show up in BIOS at the same time, either using the BIOS SATA controller auto option, or the enhanced mode option. Wow! I'm so very sorry, strange there are conflicting Jetway info on the web!

Maybe someone with more SATA experience will respond. :t

[G]

Try this BIOS update and then set to Default Settings and work from this unaltered BIOS platform.

File name: A07 (09/03/04)
GDAPA07.BIN

Download:
865GFA07.BIN
http://207.150.192.12/temp/jetway0c/downloads/bios/865gft/865GFA07.BIN

[netman2002i]

Ok, I HAD tried this update before but the inbuilt awardflash utility kept coming up with:

"BIOS update file checksum error"
"!You can't update this BIOS image file!"
"Check to see if HDD/FDD error and redownload source file"

I've tried this update with a few floppies, known to be working but to no avail. Currently the BIOS is updated to GDAPA05.bin (http://www.jetway.com.tw/evisn/download/BIOS/865/GDAPA05.BIN)

Thanx for the suggestion though. Any other ideas anyone?

[netman2002i]

Ok, i put the awdflash.exe utility on a floppy and ran the program through DOS command prompt. The BIOS is now updated to A07, but its not worked, the same problem is there. Also, in the boot order there is no mention of SATA. It is currently set to floppy-HDD 0-CDROM. And it boots up fine, but the zip isn't detected.

[genesound]

I've read here at sysopt that the sata optiion in the boot order is often refered to as SCSI... this is due to the machine (and Windows) handling the calls to the controller in a similar manner... if there a SCSI option in the boot order, try it! :t

[netman2002i]

Yep, read it and tried it. If the HDD is recognised by BIOS, then if the boot order has SCSI in it, the system will try to boot via floppy, then SCSI, then the two cdroms, then it boots from the HDD automatically.
If the HDD is NOT recognised by BIOS, i.e. in enhanced SATA mode, then it tries the boot order, doesn't find the HDD and gives a system error: no boot records found or something. This is even if the boot order is on SCSI or HDD 0/1/2/3 (tried them all).

[G]

Well the BIOS update is a good start.

As it seems that the zip drive is causing the boot problems, why don’t you disconnect it for the time being.

SATA should be the first bootable device, much the same as with SCSI.

Is it the case that you have been trying to update the BIOS only in DOS? It is not possible using a DOS flash utility while in Windows to update the BIOS. You would need a Windows flash program specific to your motherboard to do it that way. Even then it is always prudent to update the BIOS via DOS.

It could be a PSU issue consider the devices you are powering up.

[netman2002i]

First thing, i can boot up when the zip drive is physically connected, just that the zip isn't recognised coz the SATA ports take over the IDE secondary channel (under combined mode).
Next thing, SATA doesn't appear in the boot device list, putting it on SCSI doesn't help, i get the same non-system disk error (under enhanced mode).
Thirdly, i did (successfully) update the BIOS in DOS not windows, so no problems there either, but it didn't help.
Finally by elimination it doesn't seem to be a PSU error either.
I took the PC to the local PC shop today and he couldn't fix the problem directly either. However, what he tried last was put SATA in BIOS on enhanced mode, freeing up my secondary IDE channel, hence showing all 3 removable drives in BIOS, but no SATA. The computer wouldn't boot as usual. Then he booted from the WinXP Pro CD, and the cd found the HDD, i.e. WinXP found the HDD where BIOS couldn't. The guy suggested that I should reinstall windows.
Now the stage is set next question:
CAN I REINSTALL WINDOWS XP PRO OVER THE CURRENT VERSION, WITHOUT LOSING MY CURRENT USER DATA? I realise that i'll have to reinstall some drivers but what about my files, and the installed software?

Thanks again.

[Someone Stupid]

Nope, you can try to run a repair of the XP CD. That should accomplish the same thing long as you don't have a registry flag tying things up causing all this mess.

A registry cleaner might help if the repair doesn't work. If not, backup what you can (don't bother with programs, they need registry entries, so just backup files you save, if you game, saved games if you want, anything other than programs themselves unless they are downloaded executabled or zips that can install themselves.

[netman2002i]

Great. I'll try it tomorrow. Thanks again for all the suggestions.