What to do with 3-4 hard drive for storage?

[beau_safken]

I have 3-4 hard drives that I had installed in my old computer. However, my new computer will crap out if you add more than the one hard drive to it. I swear the VIA has to be the worse chipset for SATA ever.

Anyway, I have 3-4 drives that I want to be able to use but I can't plug them into my computer. What do you guys suggest I do?

I looked into external case enclosures, but I dont know. At 20-25 bucks a pop I can build a cheap computer to hold many many many drives. What should I do guys?

Any hints would be nice and greatly appreciated.

[SavageBasher]

you could get a pci card, or like you said just build a smaller computer as a file server. I myself have 4 hard drives and a dvd burner in my main rig

[boris_37]

Yeah adamwinn had some on the storage classifieds but they are all sold. Your best bet (just like me) is to buy a SATA/RAID card to make up for not being able to add more. Granted though if you get one with a good RAID on it, or with lots of slots it will cost you.

[Mr. Roboto]

Another vote for the pci card. I live having all my drives in my tower, rathern than spewed about my desk in enclosures.

[beau_safken]

Ok i'll look into a PCI card for that. It would sure be nice to have my hard drives back :D

I just bought this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16816132006

Hopefully this should fix the problem with my mobo not allowing me to boot when I add more than 1 HDD to the Mobo.

[wreckwriter]

I have an Abit VT7, fairly similar to your mobo I think. My VIA chipset handles 2 SATA drives in RAID 0 plus 2 IDE drives, plus 2 CD/DVD drives just fine.

Maybe all your extra drives are SATA? If so then I guess a PCI card is the only answer.

[beau_safken]

But im not doing RAID, just a single HDD. So its doesnt work when there are 2 not in RAID.

[Audioaficionado]

I have an Abit VT7, fairly similar to your mobo I think. My VIA chipset handles 2 SATA drives in RAID 0 plus 2 IDE drives, plus 2 CD/DVD drives just fine.

Maybe all your extra drives are SATA? If so then I guess a PCI card is the only answer.My Samsung SATA drives have a jumper to select either SATA 150 or SATA 300 so they can be used with the slower/older controllers.

[wreckwriter]

But im not doing RAID, just a single HDD. So its doesnt work when there are 2 not in RAID.

I see. That's interesting. I never tried my SATA drives outside of RAID so I can't say if mine works that way or not.

[SavageBasher]

Have you tried plugging in the drives once you are in windows?

[imgod22222]

i got a rosewill card with 2 sata and it was hell to get it to work. Gook luck!