eSata Port Freezes Computer XP

[WEW]

I have a Abit IP35-E with Win XP running - I installed a VIA Sata PCI Card , specifically this one.

Sata Card

Then I bought a Simpletech 1TB with a esata port - I bought a esata to esata cable from BestBuy to try it out - but my computer freezes when I plug it in - it freezes for like 20 seconds - comes back on for like 2 secs - then freezes again.

The USB port works fine.

I have no idea how to resolve this problem.

 

[fidelissemper]

drivers issues? sounds like a software problem

 

[WEW]

I checked Device Manager - I see under Raid Controllers the VIA Card/Chipset. I am not sure what else I should do - do I remove the card and then reinsert - or delete something from device manager to reinstall?

 

[fidelissemper]

does the drive actually works after the freezing? open up tast mnger and try pluggin in the drive again. it also might be your hardward not being able to keepup if you xp rig is too slow, but it shouldn't be like that.

 

[WEW]

The drive works with the USB port - when I connect the esata cable - power on the drive - my computer freezes.

 

[fidelissemper]

would you happen to have another eSATA device at hand? you can try another device and see what happens and if it freezes as well, then we can narrow the problem down to ur PCI card.

if not, then try pluggin in the device after windows has booted. I'm assuming you started this post because you can't make it work in windows and you just tried booting it with the cable plugged in. If your computer boots into windows then it is probably a driver problem. if not, it could be a bios compatiability problem.

 

[RebateMonger]

What happens if you plug the drive in BEFORE you boot the PC? If the PC boots fine, then it's likely an issue with the hot-swap capability of the SATA controller card or its drivers.

 

[WEW]

I dont think its the hard drive - I just bought a 500gb Mybook with esata to try out from Circuitcity - same thing happens - my computer freezes - in fact it remained forzen even after I unplugged the power. With the Simpletech - if I would turn the power switch off - the computer would unfreeze.

What I also have tried is connected it via esata - the simpletech drive - through my PCI card - then turned it on - next booted my computer -- and my computer would just like stay at the windows screen - the black one - it would go further - it would seem it just clocks there - so I then I just manual turned the power off.

I dont know if that helps narrow down the problem.

 

[fidelissemper]

Quoting from the website link you gave in your first post: " Let Windows search the CD for drivers and use xtreme boot maker to create a bootable usb stick."

Have u tried creating the USB boot, enable USB boot in BIOS and then boot up with the USB stick? I'm assuming it is a BIOS flash and you need to flash your bios in order for the card to work with your mobo.

 

[WEW]

hey fidelissemper - those instructions are for the xbox 360 to like flash it.

not related to the PC/Bios

 

[Old Hippie]

What I also have tried is connected it via esata - the simpletech drive - through my PCI card - then turned it on - next booted my computer -- and my computer would just like stay at the windows screen - the black one - it would go further - it would seem it just clocks there - so I then I just manual turned the power off.

Sounds like you should eliminate that drive from the boot order.

I'm with RM. That card doesn't support hot-swapping. It's not true eSATA.

If you want those externals to work, they must be powered on at boot, and removed from the boot order.

Good Luck!

 

[fidelissemper]

If the boot order was messed up, wouldn't BIOS display "couldn't find OS" after the diag screen? I thought about it earlier but the problem seems to be that the computer freezes, so there must be some sort of conflict. I dunno. I guess you can try go into BIOS and put ur main HD before the eSATA (i dunno why the PCI card would come before an internal drive in the first place) and then try that.

 

[Old Hippie]

If the boot order was messed up, wouldn't BIOS display "couldn't find OS" after the diag screen?

Should, but who knows exactly what's going on. By telling the BIOS to only boot from the "C" drive, I hope to eliminate the possibility that it's looking somewhere else for an OS. They get confused just like I do! :laugh: