a7n8x with SATA drive, how do i get it to work!

[gtsimmo]

I have one sata drive connected to the Sil SATA controller on my motherboard, a western digital raptor. Couple of notes. I know it's a RAID controller so im not even certain if it even works with just a single drive. I tried a fresh install but that fails because the RAID drivers fails to load, could be because no arrays were detected??? So I installed windows on a back up IDE hard drive than i loaded the Sil driver. In the device manager the WD hard drive is detected but windows doesnt assign a Volume Letter to it so it doesnt show up in "My computer" so i dont have access to it.
Anyone with a A7N8X Del using a single SATA drive? Please help. Im thinking i'll need another Raptor or i need to get a PCI controller card.

 

[macky]

I don't have access to my board or manual, but isn't there a jumper you have to switch to do SATA??? This is just a guess on my part.

 

[TC]

There is a jumper that can enable or disable the sata controller. Check that first. Once that is set correctly you can access the raid setup menu during post by hitting a key sequence displayed on the screen - ALT F2 I think, but you need to check. The setup utility should let you build an array with a single disk.

 

[gtsimmo]

SATA is enabled. It comes enabled by default.

The boot up setup screen doesnt allow you to creat a array with just one drive. But i'll have to double check the Windows Utility, thanks for the tip.

 

[pauldriver]

go into the SATA BIOS (read the screen during POST) and configure a storage container.

 

[gtsimmo]

the bios menu only has four options

Creat Raid
Delete Raid
Resolve conflict
Mirror

Nothing about no storage container.
I cant use any of those options.

 

[pauldriver]

create raid would create a raid storage container.

that will configure the raid adapter to understand what you want it to do with the drive(s).

sorry, I use real RAID controllers, and forget that people don't understand this stuff.

 

[gtsimmo]

no storage drive option with the sil controller. Anyway im pretty sure now that the sil sata controller only runs in RAID 0 and 1 with two drive.

I gave up on it and i know have a Highpoint Rocket Raid 1540 4 channel SATA RAID contoller. It allows me to use just one drive and set it as the boot drive. It uses the HPT 374 controller i like so much, i also had the same controller on my previous motherbaord an EPox 8k5a3+ built in. This controller rocks, It just supporst more raid functions, RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5 and JBOD. I also ordered another raptor drive and should get it tuesday for a RAID 0.

 

[evil_lbt]

ASUS A7V8X got their Serial ATA soldered disabled.
That's why they didn't mention anything about SATA on the manual. Look at the board by yourself, you will see the soldering connection, its set to disabled. If you want to enable it, you need to re-solder the connection, but it volid the warrantly if there is something wrong with it.
and asus will not replace the board for you if you break it by trying to enable the connections, just to give you a note.
What you should do is get a Serial ATA controller, they aren't that expensive

 

[evil_lbt]

lmao
its A7V8X not a7n8x