MSI KM4M-V Motherboard - SATA HDD

[malgpz900]

Problem I have is I have just bought a Hitachi Deskstar 500GB SATA drive, and was hoping to install it onto MSI KM4M-V M/B. M/B has 2 SATA connections and VAI SATA RAID bios setting utility ver 4.5 installed, but the Bios does not find the SATA drive, untilty saying No Drive detected. I have looked on various sites, and there was a suggestion that shorting the jumpers on the front of the drive would bring the spec down to SATA1. I have tried with and without shorting these jumpers, but the bios utility does not pick the drive up. I have tried installing WinXP directly onto drive, trying to install a 3rd parting SCSI/RAID driver during the setup, but when XP tries to install it says that no drive is installed.

I have been throught the Bios and the OnChip SATA is enabled, SCSI is not showing on any of the options.

I think I have just bought too high a spec. SATA HDD for the motherboard?

Has anyone any other ideas?

Cheers in anticipation.

Malcolm.

[zepper]

I went thru the same when I tried to add a Hitachi 7k160 drive (SATA 2- 300) to my Via based, Sock-A system which was already running a 7k80 (SATA-150) just fine.

As a preface, which exact model/series is your drive as it looks like some series like my new drive (7k1000 series) has no mention of being able to drop back to SATA 150 in its specs. So you may be SOL... They don't have the old 4-pin Molex power connector either.

If yours falls under the bold stuff above, you may be able to find a PCI SATA 2 card which will work with your current mobo or you could use it in an external enclosure via USB or FW interfaces. To install XP or earlier on the drive directly you may have to install the SATA driver for your controller (F6) during install. I also have fired off an email to Hitachi to check on the drop back to 150 as I'm not interested in digging thru the tech manual for the 7k1000 series...

Unfortunately the MSI KM4M-V has the old Via integrated drive controller (in the VT8237 chip) which does not properly autodetect and shift down the drive's interface speed. The Hitachi SATA 2 drives are the only ones I'm aware of that lack a jumper for setting the interface speed back to 150, so your controller has to fully support the SATA spec. But you can install it first into a SATA 2 machine and use Hitachi's Feature Tool (free download - get the Drive Fitness Test files too while you're there) to set the speed back - then it should be detected on your machine. I ended up getting a Rosewill RC-210 SATA card that has the Silicon Image chip which supports the SATA autodetect and signals the shift properly - besides it has a true eSATA connector for high speed backup drives. Of course, you won't be getting the SATA 2 speed out of your drive. There may be a SATA 2 card out there for PCI, but I doubt you'd get much more from it.

I'm now up to a mobo that supports SATA 2 - I also have four Hitachi drives now (just ordered a 7k1000, 250GB unit) and they all work fine on it (well, not sure about the 7k1000 unit as I haven't gotten up the energy to hook it up and test it), but I did DL and burn the latest FeatureTool and DFT .ISO files to discs, so I'm ready when I do get the energy... The only drawback I've found is that one software-based interface speed sense and set (Hit. SATA 2 drives only). Otherwise, they are fast and quiet and sturdy - I must have had the 7k80 at least 4 years - no errors on any of them not caused by Windwoes or PEBKAC...

The HitachiGST.com site should have info on this issue as well - should definitely be in the FAQs. Was only supposed to be a problem for early SATA 150 controllers.

.bh.

[zepper]

Oops - Dupe. Sorry.

.bh.

[malgpz900]

I went thru the same when I tried to add a Hitachi 7k160 drive (SATA 2- 300) to my Via based, Sock-A system which was already running a 7k80 (SATA-150) just fine.

Unfortunately the MSI KM4M-V has the old Via integrated drive controller (in the VT8237 chip) which does not properly autodetect and shift down the drive's interface speed. The Hitachi SATA 2 drives are the only ones I'm aware of that lack a jumper for setting the interface speed back to 150, so your controller has to fully support the SATA spec. But you can install it first into a SATA 2 machine and use Hitachi's Feature Tool (free download - get the Drive Fitness Test files too while you're there) to set the speed back - then it should be detected on your machine. I ended up getting a Rosewill RC-210 SATA card that has the Silicon Image chip which supports the SATA autodetect and signals the shift properly - besides it has a true eSATA connector for high speed backup drives. Of course, you won't be getting the SATA 2 speed out of your drive. There may be a SATA 2 card out there for PCI, but I doubt you'd get much more from it.

I'm now up to a mobo that supports SATA 2 - I also have four Hitachi drives now (just ordered a 7k1000, 250GB unit) and they all work fine on it (well, not sure about the 7k1000 unit as I haven't gotten up the energy to hook it up and test it), but I did DL and burn the latest FeatureTool and DFT .ISO files to discs, so I'm ready when I do get the energy... The only drawback I've found is that one software-based interface speed sense and set (Hit. SATA 2 drives only). Otherwise, they are fast and quiet and sturdy - I must have had the 7k80 at least 4 years - no errors on any of them not caused by Windwoes or PEBKAC...

The HitachiGST.com site should have info on this issue as well - should definitely be in the FAQs. Was only supposed to be a problem for early SATA 150 controllers.

.bh.

Cheers Zepper,
That explains everything! I downloaded the latest feature tool to try and get the speed down, but abviously it won't pick up the HD when the bios is not picking it up. Have to go to my brothers and install this HD and back the speed with Feature tool.

Many thanks,

Malcolm.

[zepper]

Hey Mal,

Welcome to the TIMO forums - sorry I missed that first time around. And you're welcome.

Be sure to reread my first post as I've added a lot to it.

.bh.

[malgpz900]

As a preface, which exact model/series is your drive as it looks like some series like my new drive (7k1000 series) has no mention of being able to drop back to SATA 150 in its specs. So you may be SOL... They don't have the old 4-pin Molex power connector either.
.bh.

The model is HDP725050GLA360 which I think is P7K500 series: -

This is the link to the data sheet.

Deskstar P7K500

I can't see where it would say whether it can be dropped back to the SATA 150 spec.

Could be an e-mail to Hitachi.

Cheers,

Malcolm.

[Cmptr-Gy-Dv]

I have never seen a sata 3.0 that was not able to be set to 1.5 if you see a set of jumper pins next to the power and data cable than it can be set back

[malgpz900]

I have never seen a sata 3.0 that was not able to be set to 1.5 if you see a set of jumper pins next to the power and data cable than it can be set back

Looking on manufacturers websites for the alternative 500 GB SATA 2 HDD that where available in the shop. Both Seagate Barracuda and Western Digital specifically mention in the spec that their drives are backwardly compatible with SATA 1 via jumpers on the drive.

Got spec for HD of Hitachi site, together with User Guide for Feature Tool, and as zepper previously suggested the only way you can change the data transfer speed is to install the HD on a SATA 2 machine, then using Feature Tool adjust the maximum date transfer speed.

Cheers,

Malcolm.

[zepper]

Dang, I was cooking up some sausage and grits - got interested in reading and replying to this thread again and overcooked the grits - didn't lose much of them...

Malgpz,

Usually it gives an interface speed spec of 300/150 if it can be set back, but the Feature Tool does offer to set my 7k1000.B back to 150, so i guess it may be possible - but as soon as you finish setting to 150 with FT, you have to power down and remove the drive. If you leave it in, it will set back to 300 automatically on boot.

I found it for your drive - look in the OEM specification guide- P7K500_OEM_Specs -it's down near the bottom of pg.3 of this manual (pg. 13 of the .PDF file).

And I think you meant to credit me instead of cmpter_gy with the Feature Tool info in one of your later posts.

cmpr_gy

As I wrote above, the Hitachi SATA II drives have no fall-back jumper. It is done automatically by the SATA interface or manually with Hitachi's Feature Tool utility. There is a list of compatible controllers, mobos and chipsets on the Hitachi site, but it's not referenced on the P7k500 page while it is linked from the 7k1000.B page.

Here is the controller compatibility guide for the 7k1000.b: Compat_Guide


That's another problem I have with Hitachi - miserable docs. I can find no explanation or 'diagram with label' of the two jumper pins on the rear of my drive (just to the right of the SATA connectors). It may be the size limiter, but I'd sure like to know. IAC, it takes a non-standard, small jumper. I have some but not everyone would.

.bh.



PS: I have an email into Hit. tech suppt. - no answer yet. I'm going to send another re. the jumper pins. .bh.

[malgpz900]

Dang, I was cooking up some sausage and grits - got interested in reading and replying to this thread again and overcooked the grits - didn't lose much of them...

Whoops sorry!!!!!!

And I think you meant to credit me instead of cmpter_gy with the Feature Tool info in one of your later posts.

Yes sorry, got a bit confused!!! Old age/SATA drive installations.


.

[zepper]

malgpz,

Thanks for editing. I have one other suggestion: If you set your BIOS to handle the drives as IDE (non-RAID, etc.) you shouldn't need to load the SATA driver during XP install. I don't use RAID and I always set my BIOS to handle the drives as simply as possibe and never have had to F6 the SATA driver. I used SCSI in the past and it was a common practice with those.

I also recommend installing in Win XP one driver that is common for SCSI drives, Adaptec's ASPI layer. Here is some info on it: Radified: ASPI layer drivers updated with Force ASPI [ForceASPI v1.7]

And here is the link to the drivers:
Adaptec - Adaptec Driver: Windows ASPI drivers version v4.71.2 Download Detail

The ASPI pack comes with a utility called ASPICHK that will check to see if an ASPI layer is already installed and what version. I guess later versions of Win already have the equivalent. As Radified says, the ASPI layer does help with some burner issues, etc. and seldom causes problems. If you use Nero software for burning, they offer their own ASPI layer, but IDK if it works any better than Adaptec's - use whichever you prefer.

.bh.

[malgpz900]

Update.

I took the drive to my brother whose PC M/B is running SATA2. His Bios picked my HD up, so ran Hitachi's Feature-Tool software to change the Date Transfer Rate settings, but their software could not find the HD .

Went through into XP and system found HD so he had bought the HD off me.

Problem solved.

Cheers for all of the advise.

Malcolm.

[zepper]

Isn't that silly? How was the BIOS set to handle the drive? But all's well that ends well...

.bh.

[Cmptr-Gy-Dv]

Update.

I took the drive to my brother whose PC M/B is running SATA2. His Bios picked my HD up, so ran Hitachi's Feature-Tool software to change the Date Transfer Rate settings, but their software could not find the HD .

Went through into XP and system found HD so he had bought the HD off me.

Problem solved.

Cheers for all of the advise.

Malcolm.

well thats just great now what are we suppose to do, you come long and bail out on us like that, you go get that drive back so we can help you find the problem,

[zepper]

No fair taking our bone away... ;-) Well, I guess there's always a chance that mine can take up where his left off, but not much of one as mine has passed all tests as it should.

.bh.

[malgpz900]

well thats just great now what are we suppose to do, you come long and bail out on us like that, you go get that drive back so we can help you find the problem,

Don't worry the saga is continuing. Response from Hitachi support:-


Dear Mr. Malcolm Dixon,

Thank you for contacting our Hitachi Technical Support Center.

Yes, you can use our Feature Tool and to slow the speed down from SATA II
( 3.0 GB/S ) to SATA I ( 1.5 GB/S ).

Your motherboard can see only SATA I hard drives, so the new drive with
SATA II is not recognized.

Should you have questions, please contact us again.

Best regards,
Yana Vlasenko

Hitachi Technical Support Center

I have replied to their e-mail saying Feature tool does not pick up the HD. See what comes back.


Malcolm.

[zepper]

Geez,

I hope the reply I get is more useful than that...

.bh.

Here's what I got for my first question:

Hi Bill,

Thank you for contacting Hitachi Global Storage Technologies.

Actually all SATA models with 3.0 transfer speed are backward compatible.
If this drive is not recognized by the systems it could be related on the
systems (motherboard )limitation and if this would be the case, we have a
Feature tool which can downgrade the transfer speed from 3.0 to 1.5 gb/s.
You only need to hook up the drive in SATA II compliant motherboard and
perform it.

Regards,
Eric R.
_______________________________
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies
US toll-free: 888.426.5214
Fax: 408.717.9007

Part of the answer to my other email:

Allow me to answer your question about the 2 pins at the front.
The 2 pins at the front has no used for the end user. It is only used by
our product design and development team.

Regards,
Eric R.