Inspiron 531 problem adding 2nd SATA HDD (500gb)

Question

Helping a friend with his new Inspiron 531. Xp5600 - 2gb 667 (2x1gb) - 320gb sataII - built in graphics and audio - Vista home premium   Got the system today and set it up. Works fine in stock configuration. Tried to add one of his 500gb western digital drives from his old PC and having major issues.  Drives are WD5000AAKS 500gb 7200rpm 16mb cache each.   At first, the Inspiron 531 wouldn't recognize either of the 500gb drives. I tried installing one at at time along with the 320gb Samsung (included).  Bios showed Sata0 = Samsung HDD - Sata1 = Optical drive - Sata3 = NONE  Sata4 = NONE.   I unplugged the DVD RW drive and plugged it's orange Sata cable to one of the 500gb WD drives. Powered up...and BIOS showed Sata 0 = Samsung 320gb  Sata1 = WD 500GB. For some reason...the 500gb drive(s) won't work in this system using the Sata cables from his old PC but will with the Dell build Sata cables. From what I understand....a sata cable is a sata cable...so this is very odd. At least we got bios to recognize a new Hdd.  Unfortunately the system will NOT boot with either of the 500gb drives attached along with the 320gb Samsung HDD.   With the 320gb drive ONLY connected we booted into Vista and the system responded normally.   We then added ONE 500gb drive (hot swap) and windows stopped responding and required a power down and re-start.  We unplugged the 500gb drive....booted into windows....and tried to plug in the other 500gb drive. The system froze again and this time blue screened and did a memory dump.    As a final test... we unplugged the Samsung 320gb drive and plugged in ONE of the 500gb drives by itself. It was recognized in bios. We then did a quick install of windows XP and had no problems at all with the install or booting into the new XP build.  We then shut down...added the 2nd 500gb drive...and again...the system would not boot!  Crazy!   Conclusions: By installing one of the 500gb drives by itself and installing XP it shows the system works fine with this type of Western digital hard drive. It appears it will not operate properly with 2 large drives installed at the same time with totals of 820gb (320gb+500gb)  OR 1TB (500gb+500gb).    The Inspiron 530, 531 and 531S systems are all 'supposed' to be able to support 2 x 500gb hard drives with a max system total of 1TB.    Soooo..... WHAT IS GOING ON HERE??!!   Hard drive limitation is an issue we did not even consider would come up with a new system. This should be EASY!   This system is under evalutation....and if it doesn't pass muster...it's going back.   Any and all suggestions and help would be appreciated.     Thanks in advance. Dave

mombodog · Answer

You may need to turn on the Sata ports for those drives, highlight Serial-ATA Config and hit enter key

Advanced Tab>Integrated Peripherals>Serial-ATA Configuration

Image - Illustrates the Advanced page in system setup.

Image - Illustrates the Integrated Peripherals sub-menu.

Highlight the Sata ports you need enabled and use the -/+ key to change the value to enabled.

Do not change the first 2 settings "Sata Controller" or Raid Enabled"

Image - Illustrates the Serial-ATA Configuration.

Navigate to exit tab and select "save and exit setup".

Message Edited by mombodog on 10-27-2007 06:46 PM

Dave446 · Answer

Thanks. That's a good suggestion. I did look in bios and was trying to find the sata

configuration to see if they were enabled....but I didn't see the raid config/ sata channels.

Might've missed it. I'm used to looking at my Biostar Tforce 550. Compared to that....

the bios in this Dell is pretty crippled.

Unfortunately...I don't think it is a sata config issue. I unplugged the DVD/RW drive

on Sata1 which is definitely enabled and plugged the 500gb drive to that channel. It did

see the drive in bios but wouldn't boot with a 2nd drive connected. And...as I indicated...

when I boot with just one drive and try to add a 2nd drive hot swapping...windows

locks up. I'll check the sata channel config anyway but I don't think that's the problem.

NEW....

My buddy bought an external 3.5 enclosure Sat. and put the 500gb drive in it then

connected via USB. Should have read as a removable drive...but the system did

NOT see it. I know some of these Sata to USB enclosures have flakey interfaces

so that may be the problem there. Uncertain at this point because the selection

of external Sata/ USB enclosures in local stores is extremely limited. The one

we tried is an Antec MX100. USB2 with support to 1TB. It does NOT say if it supports

SataII but since Sata1 drives were generally much smaller in storage capacity....it

most likey does support SataII. Antec has NO specs on their site...but I found the

basic specs we got at circuit city (where he bought it). Will try to install a 1.5gb

limitation jumper tomorrow to see if it recognizes that way. Not hopeful though.

Thanks for the reply.

Any other suggestions......? Anyone?

Message Edited by Dave446 on 10-28-2007 12:52 AM

mombodog · Answer

'try to add a 2nd drive hot swapping...'   That model does not support hot swapping.

Dave446 · Answer

Thanks for the reply.   The 531 isn't hot swappable? I thought all SataII controllers did this by now. Only reason I even attempted hot swap was because the system wouldn't boot with a 2nd drive installed.   Good Configuratons: 1. 320gb Samsung ONLY(Dell supplied HDD w/ Vista home prem)  - boots   2. 500gb WD5000AAKS ONLY (OEM HDD w/XP - installed in THIS system to test) - boots   Bad Configurations: 1. 320gb Samsung (Dell HDD w Vista) + 500gb WD5000AAKS HDD (empty) - Won't boot   2. 500gb WD5000AAKS (OEM HDD w/XP) + 500gb WD5000AAKS HDD (empty) - Won't boot   ALSO - RE: Removable HDD enclosure... apparently it DOES work! My friend tried the new external enclosure yesterday and said it didn't work...but I just spoke to him and apparently he  forgot to connect the external power pack! The system does recognize external removable drives. He tested both of the 500gb WD drives individually and they work fine.   Still...it shouldnt be necessary to run an external storage drive all the time when the system should be able to handle an additional internal drive....or 2...up to a 1TB total.   Sooooo....the Question remains....why won't it boot when 2nd drive is connected?   And here I told him to buy a Dell rather than have me build him a system cuz he's goin overseas and will need a simple reliable system....and tech support. Not so simple apparently...lol.   Could use more suggestions please.....     (Give me W2kpro and a home built system any day. Oh wait....that's what I'm using....)

mombodog · Answer

After you install the hard drives, check the boot sequence in the bios be sure it is set to the OS drive as first boot device.

Dave446 · Answer

Checked that every time we swapped drives to make sure the boot drive (either Vista or XP) was first. Storage drives are always 2nd. Not an issue. Message Edited by Dave446 on 10-29-2007 12:18 AM

Storage, Drives & Media

Inspiron 531 problem adding 2nd SATA HDD (500gb)

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