Why can't I see my SATA drive???

Fun Guy

Golden Member
Oct 25, 1999
1,210
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I loaded Windows XP on a new machine I'm building on a SCSI drive because that's how I thought I wanted to go. Turns out the speed will be no better than a modern SATA drive, and besides, I'd rather have quiet and cool over a few percent better throughput, so I'm bailing on the SCSI and want to go SATA instead.

So here is where the weird thing comes in. I'm trying to format and partition the SATA drive while I still have the SCSI drive with the OS installed, etc., so I can configure the SATA drive the way I want (i.e. three partitions). Problem is, it seems I can't see the SATA, drive unless I set up a RAID array.

I boot into XP with the SCSI drive and the SATA drive hooked up, and I can't see the SATA drive, even in Disk Manager. Also, I can't see it in Hardware so I can load drivers and see it. I can see 'Promise RAID Console' and 'Windows Promise Fastrack 579' under 'SCSI and RAID Controllers', but no SATA drive under hard drives. What is going on?

Is the only way I can use this SATA drive in an array? My motherboard has two IDE channels, plus this Promise RAID controller. Here is the motherboard here.

HELP !!!!!
 

MagnusTheBrewer

IN MEMORIAM
Jun 19, 2004
24,122
1,594
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Try removing the scsi drive, installing the sata drive and, install windows. The XP disc will allow you to partition the sata drive however you want. After XP is installed, reconnect the scsi drive and do some file maintenance. :)
 

Fun Guy

Golden Member
Oct 25, 1999
1,210
5
81
Why can't the motherboard just see the SATA drive? Am I missing something? I want to partition the SATA drive just like I could an IDE drive if I hooked one up.
 

Venomous

Golden Member
Oct 18, 1999
1,180
0
76
Well why dont you tell us the hardware you are using first. What kind of motherboard are we talking about?