No SATA

Specific details about what motherboard you are using and what SATA drives?  If you're not using them as a RAID array, you should not be using the RAID drivers; plain old SATA drivers should do.

The motherboard is an MSI 845PE Max 2.  I have tried the MSI drivers.  I have tried the WD drivers, as the drives are WD Caviar SATA.  None would let me see the drives to re-install the OS, but I can easily boot to the OS, if I disconnect the IDE drive.  I have tried both plain and Raid drivers.  I have tried them at boot up (F6) and while in the OS of the IDE drive.  I also have a PCI driver I cannot figure out.  This machine was handmade, not any brand name.  

Have you explored any of the different options in the SATA controller with respect to the drive access modes?  Are the WD drives SATA I or SATA II?  If SATA II, they should be jumpered to SATA I to work with SATA I controllers.

I do not know, but they work fine if the IDE is not connected, although they are still not seen in the BIOS.  How do I tell whci they are when I am on that computer?  How do I tell if I have to shut down?

Usually, you can look up the model of the drive on the internet and there will be information on it as to whether it is an SATA I or SATA II drive.

It does not say, but if it only says SATA, I would suppose it is NOT a SATA II.  

I took a look at the manual for the MSI 845PE Max2: http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/manual/mnu/spt_mnu_detail.php?UID=366&kind=1

As far as I can tell, this motherboard does not have SATA connectors, so what are you plugging them into?

Callandor makes a good point. 4 IDE slots, no sata. So you are running a PCI sata card? Promise or whatever. You will in this case need to load the sata drivers appropriate to the card. Or perhaps are you using IDE to SATA adapters. In this case, since they are plugged into the IDE RAID slots, you must use the IDE RAID drivers.

Chris B

The drives are plugged into two separate small slots in the lower right hand corner.  They are not plugged into the IDE RAID.  They work fine when the IDE is not plugged in.  I just do not know the password to the OS that is there.  The system was given to me and the previous people do not remember the password.  Even the guy who made the machine does not remember the password.  On the same site you found that manual, you will notice that it says that there are different versions of this motherboard.  The picture is not the one I have; however, it is marked as so.  I have tried IDE drivers, anyways.

Here is a link to my board http://www.msi.com.tw/program/support/download/dld/spt_dld_detail.php?UID=401&kind=1 

Aha. Version 2. OK. The SATA is raid only by the looks of the manual, but once it is enabled in the BIOS, you should be able to select it in the boot order ahead of the IDE.

Chris B

I don't want it to boot to the Raid.  I have the OS in the IDE, as I cannot get the SATA to install a new OS and the old OS has an unknown password.

Did you try a new IDE disk with a Win2K or WinXP OS install?  Perhaps the SATA driver you are using doesn't work for Server 2003.

The old OS is small bus. server 2003.  I know that it has worked before.  I have tried the third IDE controller and it does not work as the master drive.  I do not know if I can use it either.  Any suggestions?

If it has worked before, then why do you even need to install drivers?  What happened to it such that SATA is no longer detected?

I need to re-install the OS because the present OS has a password that nobody knows.  I got the computer from a friend who used it in her network and got a new server.  She showed me the passwords that she thought it might be and none worked.  I talked to the guy who built the server and his password did not work.  I also do not want small bus. server.  I want server 2003 standard.  That is what is on the IDE drive.  When I try to install the new OS in the SATA, the machine tells me that there are not any drives, yet I can boot up into those non-existent drives.  I installed 2003 standard in an IDE drive in this machine with little trouble.  I do not know what happened to the computer, as it is new to me.

The key has to be SATA drivers for Server 2003 - did you install the Promise PDC20376 Serial-ATA RAID Utility?  It specifically says WHQL Pass for WinXP / Win2000 / Windows Server 2003, and I would guess it is necessary to access the SATA drives.  I also note it doesn't have non-RAID drivers for SATA, so maybe you need to set up the SATA drives as part of a RAID array (if it has a JBOD setting, that would be good enough).

I tried a Promise Serial. It was in the right part of the web site for my system, but when I tried to install it, it was not for 2003.  Where did you find that driver?  Can you give me the URL?  I still do not understand why I can get to the OS on the SATAs, but not have it seen.

I found the driver.  I looked it up in Google.  Too bad I am not near the server.  This will have to wait until the 15th, as I am in Portland, now.

I found it through the link you provided in http:#16586778

I could not get that URL you sent for the Promise utility.  Could you send it again?