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2nd 2TB Seagate hdd not detected
Currently, my Dimension 3100 desktop, 2.8 GHz P4 w/HT, 1.0 GB ram has a Seagate 2TB (6Gb/s) in it. This drive replaced two hdd's, sized 1.TB and 500 MB. The original 2TB drive is 85% full, so I purchased another hdd exactly the same model and size as the current drive (STBD2000101). I run Linux as my primary OS, which has a resident GParted. After I physically installed the 2nd 2TB hdd at SATA2, I tried to set it up with GParted from the first hdd at SATA0. Although GParted indicated the drive was present, when this drive was selected GParted reported "no devices detected." I temporarily removed the original drive and installed the 2nd hdd at SATA0 for the purpose of setting up partitions and formatting it ext3 from live CD. This worked mostly, except that GParted reports the drive as 29 GB used, even after formatting again. To make a long story short, I did some troubleshooting and found nothing is really wrong except that the 2.1-TB limit was exceeded when I installed the second hdd. The BIOS recognizes the new hdd at SATA2. GParted, run from the original drive with Linux OS,sees a drive but is grayed out when the drive is selected. I can see there is an issue with exceeding the 2.1 TB limit on disk capacity. Regrettably, I am using GRUB legacy bootloader, installed to MBR. Hopefully, others have worked through this kind of problem. Please advise.
krobns
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July 31st, 2014 14:00
Thanks for the help. I did find out why the second hard drive was not recognized. This is a kernel issue, as I am using an older version of Linux. Newer kernels don't have a problem with detecting two 2TB hard drives. It's true that I never exceeded the famous 2-TB limitation. The kernel that would not see the second drive was 2.6.32. I am now using kernel 3.2.33 with no problems. Even if the drive can be detected by older kernels (eg. 2.6.32.59) there may be issues that warrant moving to an even newer kernel. The command "grep sdb /var/log/messages" will show warnings if they exist.
krobns
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July 10th, 2014 10:00
Okay, I don't know why there is no response. I am considering alternatives to what I planned.
1. I could switch to a Dell Precision 395 Core2 with 4-port SATA array onboard
2. I could switch to a Lenovo J 3000 series desktop, Athlon x 64, dual core, with two SATA ports onboard.
3. I could install the extra hdd in an external case and connect by USB. Would the extra (above 2.2 TB) disk capacity be available
4. I could install a PCI SATA controller card in the Dell Dimension 3100. Would I connect both hard drives to the PCI controller card, or just the extra drive. What speed controller card would I select for this? The new drive is rated 6.0 Gbit/s. How fast is data transfer on the Dell Dimension 3100? Is it SATA I @ 1.5 Gbit/s? Does this imply that the hard drive is backward compatible with SATA II and SATA I? Any opinions.
osprey4
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July 10th, 2014 17:00
Hi Krobins,
Installing the drive externally would work, as would a controller card. Since the controller card negotiates the speed, it makes no difference what card you use. And of course, no mechanical drive comes anywhere near the controller speed so you'll see no performance gain using the higher speed. Whether you can boot from a drive connected to the controller card, I'm not sure.
krobns
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July 10th, 2014 20:00
Before I commit to a controller card, which is the most likely course of action, I need to know if there is special Windows software involved, or is it simply a hardware implementation. If my decision boils down to a choice between Windows and Linux, that will be a major consideration. Can I purchase a controller card in the big box stores (East Coast USA), or will I have to order online?
osprey4
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July 11th, 2014 05:00
The OS and driver requirements will be provided by the manufacturer of the card. Where you purchase is up to you but as with all things computer-related, online vendors provide better selection and prices.
krobns
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July 25th, 2014 11:00
Of course, I am evaluating this hard drive in case I need to return it. An important point I need to establish is whether the 2TB limitation is per drive or for aggregate internal disk capacity. Both my hard drives are within the 2TB limitation, considered separately. They exceed the limitation only in combination. So then, is the 2TB limitation on aggregate internal disk capacity, or is the limitation on drive size? Because if the limitation is on drive size, I might have a defective hard drive. I am inclined to think the limitation is on aggregate internal disk capacity.
osprey4
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July 26th, 2014 04:00
Per drive
krobns
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July 26th, 2014 06:00
If the limitation is per drive, then why is my computer not seeing the second 2TB hdd? Before I installed the first 2TB hdd as a single, there were two SATA drives, 1TB and 500MB. Both drives were detected and operated as expected. Furthermore, the second 2TB hdd can be operated as a single drive, with no problems. So why does the computer not see this drive when both drives are installed?
zonetrek
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July 28th, 2014 20:00
Hi Kronbns,
One thing you might try to check is your PSU. Maybe your power supply cannot just handle the load while those 3 drives are connected simultaneously in your system. Just a thought