SATA Hard Drive Not Working In Compaq Computer

[timmage89]

I got a new 320gig Western Digital hard drive for an older Compaq desktop. Neither the bios or the windows xp setup disc can find the new drive. And there don't seem to be any SATA settings in the bios. Its like the motherboard doesn't have an SATA controller, yet it has SATA plug-ins?

[Train]

Post teh model number too.

[timmage89]

SR1115CL

Also, I can hear the drive clicking, even when I'm just sitting in the bios.

[Midknyte]

check if the WD drive has compatibility jumpers to take it down to SATA150.

[Train]

HP and Compaq Desktop PCs - Motherboard Specifications, A7V8X-LA (Kelut)

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=421624&dlc=en&docname=c00069442#c00069442_doc

Motherboard layout and photos
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=421624&dlc=en&docname=c00069442#N767

Softwaare and drivers
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=228&lc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=421624&dlc=en

[timmage89]

There is a jumper setting for 150mb/s, I tried that, it didn't work.
Isn't SATA150 1.5gb/s?

[timmage89]

Thanks for the links Train. Should I try updating the bios?

[Midknyte]

SATA150 = SATAI = SATA 1.5Gb A Rose is still a rose.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_ATA
SATA 1.5 Gbit/s

First-generation SATA interfaces, also known as SATA/150 or unofficially as SATA 1, communicate at a rate of 1.5 gigabits per second (Gbit/s)

Keep the drive jumpered to SATA150. Your next step would be to flash the bios.

[timmage89]

Alright, I downloaded a bios update from the link that Train posted. It's an exe file. How would I go about flashing the bios while not in windows with an exe?

[Train]

Installation Instructions

1. Download the update.
2. Double-click the icon for the update downloaded in Step 1, and then click NEXT.
3. Select I accept the terms in the license agreement, and then click NEXT to proceed with the installation.
4. If an Overwrite Protection message appears, click YES TO ALL.
5. Click OK at the Windows Based BIOS Update window.
6. Click YES at the next Windows Based BIOS Update window, and then wait for the update to complete.
7. At the Windows Based BIOS Update window, click YES to restart your PC.
8. If you see the following message during the restart of your PC, continue with the remaining steps; otherwise you are done with the update.

Default BIOS settings have been loaded due to BIOS update or checksum issue. Press to enter Setup. Otherwise, allow the PC to continue.

9. Press and hold F1 for a few seconds to open the BIOS Setup.
10. Press F5, use the Left and Right arrow keys to choose YES, and then press Enter to load the BIOS defaults.
11. Press F10, use the Left and Right arrow keys to choose YES, and then press Enter to exit the BIOS Setup and save the changes.
12. Press Enter to confirm the save.
13. If you see a System Settings Change message prompting you to restart your PC, click YES to restart the PC again.



http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=pv-31037-2&lc=en&cc=us&lang=en&os=228&dlc=en&product=421624

[Midknyte]

I don't see a DOS bios update for that system.

did you try different sata and power cables? are you using sata or molex power? did you test the drive in another system to make sure it is good?

Double check that you have the correct jumper settings: (5-6 for SATA150)
http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=981&p_created=1052339456&p_sid=wuJWb11j&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX 3Jvd19jbnQ9MzQ3LDM0NyZwX3Byb2RzPSZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY 9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9c2VhcmNoX2ZubCZwX3BhZ 2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWp1bXBlciBzZXR0aW5ncw**&p_li=&p_topview=1

[timmage89]

Yeah, the jumper is in the correct position. I will try the drive in my computer tomorrow.

[Sterling_Aug]

If you want to do a BIOS update on a system that does not boot into Windows, then try using a simple BartPE CD.

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

[timmage89]

The drive works fine in my computer. This is the first time I've ever used BartPE, and I'm having trouble getting the bios file off my flash drive. In "Bart's Stuff Test," I can find my flash drive, it's called physicaldrive4, but I can't figure out how to open files from it.

[Sterling_Aug]

I use the plugins XPE or A43 File Manager.

[timmage89]

It still wouldn't show my flash drive in the file manager, so I just put the bios file on a compact flash card and it worked. When I start the exe and click next for the license agreement it says "MSVFW32.dll not found" and "WBDDA34I.dll not found".

[timmage89]

Would making a new BartPE disc with those files on it work?

[Sterling_Aug]

According to my google-foo:

msvfw32.dll is the module that contains bitmap compression and decompression routines used for Microsoft Video for Windows.

WBDDA34I.dll is a file used in Wilson Windoware.


I have never seen these missing files in my BartPE CD. Did you get any errors when you were creating the ISO image file?

[timmage89]

nope, no errors.

[timmage89]

After many BartPE discs, I finally got the bios updated. The hard drive still isn't detected!

[Midknyte]

I already said to try different power/data cables, but I didn't see an answer to that.

Not a whole lot left besides getting a new SATA controller card.

[timmage89]

I tried it in my computer with the same power/data cables and it worked fine.

[timmage89]

Its Alive! I forgot to put the jumper back on after I tested the drive in my computer. The bios still makes no mention of a SATA controller, but it detects the drive. Thanks for your help everyone!

[Midknyte]

you should have left the jumper on the whole time. oh well. at least it is working now.