I am having a problem getting one of my Vista computers to recognize a certain HDD. I have two WD 2 Tb SATA HDD's, I want to install them in the same computer and the computer doesn't seem to want to recognize the second SATA HDD. The drive in question is known good (works perfectly in second Vista computer). The data and power cables to the HDD are both known good (works fine with first SATA HDD). The SATA ports on the motherboard are all known good (seem to be interchangeable with all SATA devices). I know that the older IDE devices had to be configured as Master or Slave (or, if it worked CS). Thought that Windows would just "see" any SATA device without addition configuration. Someone suggeded Device Management, but that only sees to work on devices that the computer "sees". Don't really want to use the WD's data lifeguard mounting software as I want to maintain the data on the second recalcetent HDD and as 2TB drives, it would take that software probably 1000 hours, during which time the computer is locked up. Any suggestions for me?
Hi, I'm not sure what you have for a system board, but I know when we get new Dell's here where I work they only have 2 of the internal sata ports activated by default. I would check in your BIOS and see if all of the SATA ports are enabled/on, and if not to enable them and try again. I have also seen windows 7 be kind of flakey with recognizing other drives, where one minute it doesnt see a secondary, but after the next reboot it sees it again.
I will check the BIOS settings the next time I boot up the computer. I do know that all four of the SATA ports on the motherboard will work just fine with any of my SATA devices in the computer, just not this one particular drive (which works just fine when connected to another computer) . Both of the 2TB drives that I want to get to work are WD's, the same model. Could it be some sort of wammy that the computer can't "see" 2 of the same model HDD's? Grasping at straws here.
