Asus A8V Mobo crash - missing Sata discs

[snoopythedog]

Here is a little of what my problem is so I hope you guys can help me

Last week my PC crashed and took out two Sata drives for some reason, after restarting I found both drives were

missing, I have never had this before.

I finally bought a USB gadget and managed to use that to confirm that they were in fact working ok so at least I

didn't lose any data.

After a few days of pulling my hair out I gave up and bought a cheap Silicon Image SiI 3112 SATA Raid Controller

from Maplins (UK), installed it but now the device manager has a ! next to it.

I have to admit I'm not too sure what to do next, I did try to install 3rd party drivers through the XP CD setup

but failed miserably.

Now I can't get the two Sata Raid/Sata Raid 2 sockets on the Mobo to do anything.

Does anyone know why I lost the two drives after the PC crash and how to get them back please or how to get the

new controller card to be seen so I can use that instead of the onboard messed up Sata sockets:cry

Is this controller card any good, are they all the same, if I bought another one would it just install in XP?

Asus A8V Mobo
Silicon Image SiI 3112 SATA Raid Controller


thanks very much

[outlaw2001it]

Hello,
In Windows XP, you need to install the SATA Drivers when installing. Hook-up the SATA drives back on the MB (not card), and install XP. Download the SATA drivers, and view the Readme File for directions (Item 6/7). I looked at it, and it seems pretty easy. Any problems give a new thread back here. Take Care, and Good Luck. http://support.asus.com/download/dow...Language=en-us

[Micro Bean]

Were either one of the drives your OS drives with OS installed on it? Meaning can you get into Safe mode or in Windows. Do you have the Sata driver that came with the Mobo if not go to the Manufacter website here:http://support.asus.com/download/dow...Language=en-us Might help probably the drivers got currupted.

[snoopythedog]

Yes I had them installed and running fine, it was just the crash that lost them.
I remember installing some drivers at some point but back then I can't remember whether it was on the mobo or the driver update in the hardware profile.

Sorry to sound like such a noob but I managed to get a bit confused now.

I have two black Sata ports and two red Sata ports on my Mobo which seems different to the only data I have on the Mobo.

C drive is on one of the so named Sata 2 port, the other red coloured ones are the ones that are dead.....

Do I need new Mobo bios update from Asus or do I need a new driver for something else?

Now I'm not sure which card is driving the existing C drive.

I have attached a picture to show the cards.

Thanks for your help, I really do appreciate it.

[outlaw2001it]

Hello,
You got Windows XP installed...is this correct?
The Exclamation Point that I'm seeing is for the SATA/RAID card. I'm not sure what Drivers that you installed for it but try installing these, and see what happens. http://list.driverguide.com/list/company2431/index.html
look for Silicon image sil 3112 SataRaid Controller (5). It looks like the Via Serial ATA Controller is running the Hard Drive. What SATA Controller on the MB you have the Hard Drive attached to doesn't matter at this point if it's working. Possibility that the other two SATA Controllers are for RAID Configuration only. Let's us know what you come up with. Take Care.

[snoopythedog]

Yes I have XP Pro running.
I will try that driver for the Sata control card, sorry but am I correct in saying that they have to be installed using the F6 option and XP disc?

[outlaw2001it]

Hello,
No, the driver for the control card should install in XP. Let us know what happens. Take Care, and Good Luck.

[snoopythedog]

Thanks again but I still can't get anything to work.
I got the new driver as you suggested and did an F6 job on it but no good, one thing that I can't understand is after I have done the floppy disc thing what do I do, do I exit or carry on, if I do then it obviously takes ages to check the HD's etc, hope you know what I mean.
Getting back to the extra pci sata card, do all these a cards carry the same usless drivers or are some better than others? The one I got cost £30 from Maplins UK, I have seen a Belkin Sata card for about the same price but unsure if it will be any better?

thanks for the help!

[outlaw2001it]

Hello,
The F6 command is for installing the XP SATA Drivers for the Motherboard, and not the Card. The drivers that you downloaded off of that link should install within Windows either Automatically, or Manually. If all else fails remove the card as long as the computer is up and running; but the drivers should install. Let us know what happens. Take Care.

[snoopythedog]

I have loaded the drivers doing the F6 option but still get the ! mark next to it in the hardware list.

As usual I'm getting confused because I'm trying to get the onboard Sata Raid sockets going at the same time, to be honest thats what I should have been doing first anyway.

Just to recap, I have two black Sata sockets that are working fine and two red Sata Raid sockets that are dead but these were the ones that were used for the other two discs and worked fine, now there dead.

I was thinking about getting another PCI Sata card made by Belkin, hoping that it had a better set of drivers onboard already, any idea about that theory or do all cards like this have the same hardware and drivers?

thanks very much for your help mate

[outlaw2001it]

Hello,
The Drivers for the card get loaded into windows. Try doing this...go to device manager/hardware, and look for the device that has the exclamation point. Try updating the drive, and manually point the device to the driver that you downloaded, and see what happens.

[snoopythedog]

This is what I have been doing anyway al the time but it can't find a better driver etc.

[outlaw2001it]

Hello,
I've downloaded the Driver, and looked at the Readme File. Try doing this...remove the card from the device manager, and install all the files from the driver that you downloaded to a floppy disk. Reboot Windows, and let it find the new hardware, and look for the Drivers.
1. During OS boot up, Windows XP will display the
'Found New Hardware Wizard'. Click 'Next'.

2. Select 'Search for a suitable driver for my device
(Recommended)' and Click 'Next'.

3. Under 'Optional search locations' insure that 'Floppy disk drives'
is checked.

4. Insert the diskette with the Silicon Image SiI 3112 SATARaid Driver
into A: and click 'Next'.

5. When the wizard indicates that it found a driver for the device click
'Next'.

6. If the 'Digital Signature Not Found' dialog appears, click 'Yes' to
continue installing the driver.

7. The wizard will now copy the required files to the system and start the
driver. After starting the driver the wizard will display a completion
dialog, click 'Finish' to exit the wizard.

Please let us know what happens. Hopefully this will work. Take, Care, and good Luck.

[snoopythedog]

Sounds like a good idea to me, I will try that when I get home from work and let you know!
thanks for the trouble you have gone to.

[snoopythedog]

Worked a treat.

I removed the card, restarted then installed again and got a totally different message that I didn't get before asking for the floppy disc etc.

So thanks to you I am up and running at last!!

thanks very much indeed for all your help mate.