sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

[falcon25]

Afternoon,
I'd say good afternoon, but its been a long day attempting to set up a system using a gigabyte ma785gmtud2h motherboard.

It has an AMD Phenom dual core processor, 4 GB corsair ram, one IDE 40GB seagate drive, IDE dvd rom drive, floppy drive, and 2 1TB hitachi sata drives connected.

For some reason, the sata drives are not recognized at all.

I put them in another machine, it recognized them without any problems. This machine only sees the IDE devices.

I've tried multiple different BIOS settings, downloaded the preinstall controller drivers from the gigabyte website. reinstalled windows, using the preinstall process. windows runs fine, but the sata drives are not visible or usable at all.

the system found the raid/sata controller drivers and installed them and they show as functional.... but the drives do not work.

suggestions?

[artdrivers]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

I can help which Windows are you using? Are you using motherboard rev1.0 or rev1.1?
You should have them installed in SATA2_0 & SATA2_1 Then go into bios and set

Integrated Peripherals
OnChip IDE Channel [Enabled]
OnChip SATA Controller [Enabled]
OnChip SATA Type [RAID]
x OnChip SATA Port4/5 Type IDE
Onboard LAN Function [Enabled]
Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]
} SMART LAN [Press Enter]
Onboard Audio Function [Enabled]
Onboard 1394 Function [Enabled]
OnChip USB Controller [Enabled]
USB EHCI Controller [Enabled]
USB Keyboard Support [Enabled]
USB Mouse Support [Disabled]
Legacy USB storage detect [Enabled]
Onboard Serial Port 1 [3F8/IRQ4]
Onboard Parallel Port [378/IRQ7]
Parallel Port Mode [SPP]
x ECP Mode Use DMA 3

Then setup the RAID by following instructions in chapter 5 of your motherboard manual.
Motherboard manual large pdf file download give it time to finish then scroll to chapter 5---->http://download.gigabyte.ru/manual/m...-ud(s)2h_e.pdf
After you get the array set be sure you (look at figure 5) page 80 set the Assignment to Y not N like in the figure 5
This will assign the 2 hard drives for a RAID.
Then you must reboot. Go into bios again and set:

Advanced BIOS Features
Internal Graphics Mode j [UMA+SidePort]
Internal Graphics Mode kl [UMA]
UMA Frame Buffer Size [Auto]
x Surround View Disabled
Onboard VGA output connect [Auto]
AMD C1E Support (Note) [Software SMI]
Virtualization [Disabled]
Patch AMD TLB Erratum (Note) [Enabled]
AMD K8 Cool&Quiet control [Auto]
} Hard Disk Boot Priority [Press Enter] [COLOR="DarkRed"]Press Enter 1st boot to RAID[/COLOR]
First Boot Device [Floppy]
Second Boot Device [Hard Disk]
Third Boot Device [CDROM]
Password Check [Setup]
HDD S.M.A.R.T. Capability [Disabled]
Away Mode [Disabled]
Backup BIOS Image to HDD [Disabled]
Init Display First [PCI Slot]

Then reboot and run Windows setup again with the drivers as in F6 option for XP or page 85 in your manual for Vista or 7

http://download.gigabyte.ru/manual/mb_manual_ga-ma785g(p)mt-ud(s)2h_e.pdf

I hope this helps. Let us know how it's going.

[falcon25]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

I can help which Windows are you using?

Windows XP Pro non 64bit version. with service pack 2 and all updates applied.

Are you using motherboard rev1.0 or rev1.1
motherboard shows rev 1.0

Updated bios for the board to version 5 from the gigabyte website and used Qflash utility.

I have tried multiple times to use the settings below.

OnChip SATA Controller [Enabled]
OnChip SATA Type [RAID]
x OnChip SATA Port4/5 Type IDE
Onboard LAN Function [Enabled]
Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]

When I do, it does not even see the drives, but it does give an option for CTR F to set up raid, but then that screen gives options 1,2,3,4 but none of them do anything except 4, which shows no options for current drives (since it doesnt see the drives).

I recently loaded bios optimized settings, will go back and reset them as indicated in your post and see if anything changes....

[falcon25]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

Well, I went back to the bios and set the settings as recommended. restarted with no differences. the system still does not see either of the two sata drives.

they are plugged into the sata2/0 and sata2/1 ports. seems odd that they are not visible by the system.

could that part of the board be bad?

[artdrivers]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

I can help which Windows are you using? Are you using motherboard rev1.0 or rev1.1?
You should have them installed in SATA2_0 & SATA2_1 Then go into bios and set

Integrated Peripherals
OnChip IDE Channel [Enabled]
OnChip SATA Controller [Enabled]
OnChip SATA Type [RAID]
x OnChip SATA Port4/5 Type IDE
Onboard LAN Function [Enabled]
Onboard LAN Boot ROM [Disabled]
} SMART LAN [Press Enter]
Onboard Audio Function [Enabled]
Onboard 1394 Function [Enabled]
OnChip USB Controller [Enabled]
USB EHCI Controller [Enabled]
USB Keyboard Support [Enabled]
USB Mouse Support [Disabled]
Legacy USB storage detect [Enabled]
Onboard Serial Port 1 [3F8/IRQ4]
Onboard Parallel Port [378/IRQ7]
Parallel Port Mode [SPP]
x ECP Mode Use DMA 3

Then setup the RAID by following instructions in chapter 5 of your motherboard manual.
Motherboard manual large pdf file download give it time to finish then scroll to chapter 5---->http://download.gigabyte.ru/manual/m...-ud(s)2h_e.pdf
After you get the array set be sure you (look at figure 5) page 80 set the Assignment to Y not N like in the figure 5
This will assign the 2 hard drives for a RAID.
Then you must reboot. Go into bios again and set:

Advanced BIOS Features
Internal Graphics Mode j [UMA+SidePort]
Internal Graphics Mode kl [UMA]
UMA Frame Buffer Size [Auto]
x Surround View Disabled
Onboard VGA output connect [Auto]
AMD C1E Support (Note) [Software SMI]
Virtualization [Disabled]
Patch AMD TLB Erratum (Note) [Enabled]
AMD K8 Cool&Quiet control [Auto]
} Hard Disk Boot Priority [Press Enter] [COLOR="DarkRed"]Press Enter 1st boot to RAID[/COLOR]
First Boot Device [Floppy]
Second Boot Device [Hard Disk]
Third Boot Device [CDROM]
Password Check [Setup]
HDD S.M.A.R.T. Capability [Disabled]
Away Mode [Disabled]
Backup BIOS Image to HDD [Disabled]
Init Display First [PCI Slot]

Then reboot and run Windows setup again with the drivers as in F6 option for XP or page 85 in your manual for Vista or 7

http://download.gigabyte.ru/manual/mb_manual_ga-ma785g(p)mt-ud(s)2h_e.pdf

I hope this helps. Let us know how it's going.

[artdrivers]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

I forgot to mension save settings and exit bios. sorry it's alot easier to do it than to explain it.

[artdrivers]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

Try disconnecting the ide hard drive for now just to see if it is causing the 2 TB limitation.

[falcon25]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

I downloaded the manual, seems more detailed than the manual that came in the box; maybe not though.

I would be able to follow the instructions easily if I could get the machine to recognize the drives. Setting the bios settings and restarting gives no appearance of the sata drives. they work fine in the other windows xp machine.

I was hoping to set up raid 1 and have it be for the main file storage location and put the system on the ide seagate 40gb drive.

Would that be possible? any ideas on why the MB & bios doesnt see the drives?

are there additional bios settings that are hidden? power to the sata ports or something I'm not seeing?

[artdrivers]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

Are you aware of the 2TB limit? I am not saying that the motherboard is fully functional but you may need to try different things to be sure it is the motherboard before RMAing the motherboard and finding it to be something else. Have you updated the bios? Do you have another SATA hard drive? Have you tried just 1 of them? instead of 2? Just to see if the bios can see 1TB?

[falcon25]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

I was not aware of a 2TB limit. Should not be a problem if the two drives are working in raid1, mirroring, right?

I disconnected the IDE seagate 40GB drive, and one of the two sata 1TB hitachi drive. I recopied the drivers from the installation disk, and am working through the reinstall process... but it halted when it could not find any drives on the system to install the OS onto.

the sata ports just do not seem to be functional at all. I have two other machines with gigabyte boards and they were no problem setting up. This one has taken me over two days of messing around and I'm getting pretty tired of it.

Any additional suggestions?

[artdrivers]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

When you go to a single hard drive set the OnChip SATA Type to ide in bios. If you have already done this. It sounds like a motherboard RMA is in order. Gigabyte contact info is in the back of that motherboard manual. You may be at the point of going that way. Print all of this up for a record of what you have tried and send it to them.

[falcon25]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

I tried the sata set to IDE with only one hard drive attached. The system still does not recognize the drive. Will call tomorrow and speak to a rep and ask for RMA options. thank you for the help today. :)

[artdrivers]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

Your welcome, We may have overlooked something, but we tried. Let us know how that comes out, and what happens.

[falcon25]

Re: sata drives not recognized on GA-MA785GMT-UD2H system...

Well, I called gigabyte and got put on hold for way longer than I'd like to admit staying on hold for. Tried calling back and selecting their other options, like sales, customer service, marketing, operator, etc... all of those numbers went to voice mail. No replies from their website support email system either.

Called the store I bought the board from, they explained everything pointed to be a bad board and told me to bring it in with receipt for a refund or a swap. Apparently though, the store has sold out of the specific board... so I'll end up with 4GB of DDR3 ram and an AMD Phenom II processor with nothing to put them in after this board is returned.

Any suggestions anyone for a good board that can do the following:

Accept an AMD Phenom II processor
Accept GB of DDR3 ram
support for RAID 0,1, or 10
hold at least 4 total ram sticks
at least 1 pciex1 port
at least 1 pciex16 port
at least i pci port
at least 4 sata ports,
at lease 1 external esata port
onboard grapics with vga/hdmi/dvi out options
onboard sound