Question

External SATA drive not detected

Asked by: wn411

Hi, I am running XP SP3. I purchased a Seagate 500 GB SATA Drive. I am using a drive docking station via a USB connection. The drive is not being detected. It does not even show in disk management for me to format and assign a drive letter.

Since the docking station also has an eSATA connection, I was thinking about using that and an eSATA to USB adapter.

I have read that it could be everything from not enough amps at the docking station power supply to a firmware issue with the hard drive.

Does anyone have other ideas? Right now XP detects is as unknown in device manager. Nothing is listed in disks, storage disks or USB mass storage.

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Asked On
2009-08-24 at 08:01:54ID24676762
Tags

XP

,

SATA

,

BIOS

,

External Drive

Topics

Windows XP Operating System

,

Hard Drives & Storage

,

Removable Backup Media

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
18

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Answers

 

by: flubbsterPosted on 2009-08-24 at 08:48:42ID: 25169520

Does your system currently use an Internal Sata Drive? If not, if most likely is due to the fact that you don't have the SATA drivers installed.

You may be better off using an eSATA extender kit if your MB supports eSATA. The extender will bring the connector to the rear panel of your PC.

 

by: pankusareenPosted on 2009-08-24 at 08:48:56ID: 25169521

Are u able to see the disk in bios ? if yes

Initialize new disks
To initialize new disks

   1. Open Computer Management (Local).
   2. In the console tree, click Computer Management (Local), click Storage, and then click Disk Management.
   3. Right-click the disk you want to initialize, and then click Initialize Disk.
   4. In the Initialize Disk dialog box, select the disk(s) to initialize.
      On x86-based computers running Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1), Itanium-based computers, or x64-based computers, you can select whether to use the master boot record (MBR) or GUID partition table (GPT) partition style.
      The disk is initialized as a basic disk.

 

by: wn411Posted on 2009-08-24 at 09:36:23ID: 25170003

pankusareen: As mentioned,  the drive is not available in computer management. (nor bios).

flubbster:Thanks, this is what I am thinking. It is a laptop with an IDE drive. Is there a USB to eSATA converter that I can use? The docking station I have came with a eSATA cable as well.

 

by: pankusareenPosted on 2009-08-24 at 10:05:47ID: 25170264

 

by: pankusareenPosted on 2009-08-24 at 10:07:19ID: 25170276

 

by: flubbsterPosted on 2009-08-24 at 10:15:03ID: 25170323

As stated, yes. It appears the issue is indeed lack of sata drivers. The converter should have everything you need.

If there is a Best Buy store in your area, check there. They offer several types of laptop esata cards and usb to esata converters, including a SATA docking station with usb and esata connections.

 

by: wn411Posted on 2009-08-24 at 10:32:24ID: 25170462

Thanks I will check Best Buy for esata to usb adapter and report back.

 

by: wn411Posted on 2009-08-24 at 19:37:21ID: 25174215

OK, I got the adapter at another store. It is the BYTECC USB to ESATA/SATA adapter. When I plug it in, it tries to install "usb to ata/atapi bridge." It then fails saying it cannot install. I tried looking for usb ata atapi bridge drivers for xp and could not find any. Any suggestions before I just return all of this and go back to IDE drive enclosures?

 

by: pankusareenPosted on 2009-08-24 at 21:38:15ID: 25174568

Try this adapter on some other PC
And can u tell the Exact name of the device? if there is any website of it also give its link

 

by: pankusareenPosted on 2009-08-24 at 21:47:47ID: 25174593

u can try these drivers
http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=506195

Note:But i think the drivers should be automatically get installed

 

by: wn411Posted on 2009-08-25 at 05:50:33ID: 25176956

That is the name if the device. BYTECC. Nothing is listed in the drivers section for that brand. I already tried that driver, the link takes you to: http://support.necam.com/ The driver is not listed on that site.

 

by: wn411Posted on 2009-08-25 at 05:51:12ID: 25176965

Also, I went to the BYTECC site. No drivers there either except for WIN98.

 

by: flubbsterPosted on 2009-08-25 at 05:58:39ID: 25177019

Take a look in Disk Management and see if the drive is showing up in there, even if it is not showing in My Computer.

Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management>Disk Management

 

by: flubbsterPosted on 2009-08-25 at 06:28:36ID: 25177327

Also, does it prompt you for a location containing the driver it is looking for?

 

by: wn411Posted on 2009-08-25 at 08:43:51ID: 25178786

flubbster: I have always been checking Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management>Disk Management as stated in my original question. It never shows there.

Yes, I get prompted for a location. I have tired pointing to Windows and Windows/System32.

 

by: flubbsterPosted on 2009-08-25 at 09:02:46ID: 25179001

When you get prompted for the location, point it to C:\windows\system32\drivers

or

c:\windows\inf

the inf folder is a hidden folder. Make sure that "Show hidden files and folders" is turned on in the Tools>folder options menu

 

by: wn411Posted on 2009-08-25 at 09:14:59ID: 25179145

I have pointed to all those locations as well. But I will try again tonight and report back

 

by: wn411Posted on 2009-08-25 at 16:51:36ID: 25183374

OK, guys I got it to work. Here is what I did. I searched for the driver in all the folders mentioned plus more. Then I searched the XP and 2K install CDs. Nothing. I then tried to install the W98 driver from the BYTECC site. Nothing. I then found a W98 NEC driver here:
http://members.driverguide.com/driver/detail.php?driverid=243973

I unzipped the driver and pointed to it during the hardware wizard. It worked!. I then got prompted for another driver install for the HDD USB. That failed. But I checked disk management and the disc was finally there. I initalized, formatted and saved a test file. So looks good so far. Thanks for your help, I will split points.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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