Optiplex GX270 doesn't recognize SATA HDD

Question

I have installed a new SATA HDD in place of an old IDE drive in this PC.

It is a Western Digital WD3200AAKS (Caviar SE16) 320gb drive.

All the cables are secure (checked many times!)

I've updated the BIOS to A07.

It still can't see the drive in BIOS.

When I go into Drive Configuration and select SATA Primary Drive, it just show "Unknown Device".

Is this drive not compatible with the GX270?

Any help much appreciated.

Bostjan · Answer

WD3200AAKS is SATA2 hard drive. Khm, did you check the jumper on SATA/SATA2 mode? Try ordinary SATA drive first than larger one.

Sweep2110 · Answer

Tried jumpering it down to SATA. Still the same. Any other ideas?

Bostjan · Answer

According to documentation on the web page: you probbably have 2 SATA connestors. Did you try both of them?   And second. Since you didn't write what kind of hard disk you have before (I will presume that you have 80Gb PATA hard drive), then did you check on system setup for right primary disk option? Maybe the computer try to start from CD/DVD drive (since it can not see your new disk) and that drive will not recognize as bootable OS drive.

Bostjan · Answer

Maybe it would sound stupid but (because I belive that you check this allready): 1. Did you try your new hard drive on some other computer? 2. Did you try smaller SATA (less than 147Gb) drive on your computer? 3. Did you try some hardware diagnostic for SATA controller?   By my experiance with larger SATA drives which are not rocognized by the system I try smaller (I have 80Gb for this purpose) and if it does not work I put PATA hard drive with at least 16Mb cache on it in computer and this drives almost never fails to work.   If you need more space it is better for this Small Form Factor machines, which are realy small, to buy some external hard drive. I had one and I had major overheating problem with the computer. WD have nice collection for this purpose (MyBook, NetCenter).

Sweep2110 · Answer

Mine is the compact form factor with only one SATA connector.

Previous drive was a PATA, 30gb.

I disconnected the old drive (can only fit one drive in the small case).

BIOS can't detect the drive, so it can't be set as the first boot drive.

I turned off (in BIOS) references to the IDE drives.

Still no joy.

Think I'm gunna give up and just get a big PATA drive.

Sweep2110 · Answer

Never stupid to make suggestions. Assume nothing!

1. I know the drive is OK, as I have already "ghosted" the current PATA drive to it by using an external USB connector.

2. Unfortunately I don't have a smaller SATA drive to test with. No point buying a small just to test with.

3. Not sure how to do this. Can you suggest any suitable diagnostic tools?

As I said, I think I'll just get a big PATA drive, and maybe stick the SATA one in an external USB enclosure for extra storage.

Thanks for your help.

Bostjan · Answer

Dell Diagnostic CD is part of software you got with the computer and it is also available on Dell Web page. I use Herins CD (also available on web) which has quite a collection of nice diagnostic and other usefull tools. I use version 8.8. but I belive that is 9.1. also available on the web (find ISO version and make bootable CD).

I have one more suggestion: try to get stand alone SATA controler on card to put in a computer and connect the Hard drive on it (some Promise SATA150 TX2 would be great - it has 2 SATA and 1 PATA conectors and works on every OS - I use this for backup and data transfer between diferent types of Hard drives).

To get some hardware for me is to borrow from my PC frends or store. I belive if you ask nicely on your local dealer they will borrow some drive to test a machine.

Message Edited by Bostjan on 08-01-2007 01:05 AM

Storage, Drives & Media

Optiplex GX270 doesn't recognize SATA HDD

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