Hi A.C. Fairbanks,

I appreciate your efforts to fix this issue and request you to provide the exact system model(E.g. OptiPlex 755), so that I can check the details and provide appropriate information.

Hello,

OptiPlex 990

Service Tag:

[Amin Note: Service Tag Edited per TOU policy]

Thanks for any help,

A.C.

Did you install the Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver? You can get it from Intel's site; I'm not sure if it will fix your problem, but it's worth trying.

You can't boot from ATA because no driver is installed in Windows. To do this, you'll need to bootstrap the system somehow; the easiest way is to temporarily install a third-party SATA card and connect your hard drive to it for the first boot, after which Windows will install its drivers and you can then connect the hard drive to an onboard port and remove the card.

SATA cards can be had for as little as $13.

Hi,

Thanks for your suggestions, but they raise some questions:

First, yes, I already have the Rapid Storage Technology running...

Perhaps I was not clear about this, but the disk that I am unable to add is not to be the boot. It would be used for data only. The boot disk that I use currently is also a SATA, and I wish to continue using it for the boot as I do now.

I don't understand why installing a SATA card would change things (though I am certainly happy to give it a try). Right now, the disk I am trying to add goes into a SATA port on the motherboard, and the BIOS sees it.

Am I correct to understand that if I were to pipe that disk to a SATA card rather than the motherboard Windows would handle it differently?

In any case, can you say a bit more about this suggestion?

Also, somehow, the current boot disk is designated as RAID (even though I purchased the box from Dell with only the one disk installed.) Is there a way I can change that designation? Based on the difficulties I am having, I suspect that were my boot disk no longer designated as RAID, I could install the second disk without hassles.

Sincere thanks,

A.C.

Essentially, when you switch to ATA, you are switching to a different SATA controller than the one your are currently using, and Windows does not have a driver for it, hence the blue screen when you try to boot. By installing a SATA card, you are providing a bootstrap device that will allow Windows to boot, after which you can install the drivers for the onboard SATA. Once those drivers are installed, you no longer need a bootstrap device and you can reconnect the boot drive to the onboard port and Windows will boot properly once again.

I used a 960 last year, but I don't remember it needing any special attention for two storage devices. (I had it set up with an SSD for boot and a hard drive for storage.)

I'm wondering if Intel RST has something funky configured that is causing the drives to be seen as a RAID set.

Hello again,

It has taken me a few minutes to calm down...

I have spoken with 5 different Dell "Technicians" about the problem I have described in this thread.

The last of these said "Please go into the BIOS and set the disk configuration to AHCI, then try to boot..."

The system booted, and the second disk was visible...! The problem was solved.

I am, of course, delighted to have this matter resolved, but will say that the level of "technical" support offered by Dell is appalling. This simple fix required that I invest about three hours in discussion with five "technical" people from Dell.

To those here who have helped, my very sincere thanks,

A.C.

Ahh, I didn't know AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) was one of the options.

RAID is used for multi-disk sets, ATA is for compatibility with older devices and AHCI is the modern standard for single devices.