Help nead: SB75G2 & HDD SATA @ 100 !!!!! Why not 150?????

[PIRATA!]

Hi!
I have just realized that while booting up my SB75G2, in the white on black screens, just before the os boot, I can read that my two SATA-150 250Gb Maxtor MaxLine PlusII are recognized like two ATA 100!!!
This is what I read:


Ide Channel 2, Master Disk, LBA, ATA 100, 251Gb
Ide Channel 3, Master Disk, LBA, ATA 100, 251Gb


Why is this happening?? Here is my setup:

------
-> my cable settings:

2x 250Gb Maxtor MaxLine PlusII on SATA0 and SATA1
1x slim laptop DVD burner on IDE0 Master
1x slim laptop DVD reader on IDE0 Slave

-> bios selections:

[Integrated Peripherals]:

[OnChip IDE Device]:

-IDE HDD BLOCK MODE: ENABLED

- [On-Chip Primary PCI IDE]: ENABLED:
--IDE Primary Master PIO: AUTO
--IDE Primary Slave PIO: AUTO
--IDE Primary Master UDMA: DISABLED
--IDE Primary Slave UDMA: DISABLED

- [On-Chip Secondary PCI IDE]: DISABLED:
-- (everything is disabled)

*** On-Chip Serial ATA Setting ***
SATA Mode: IDE
[On-Chip Serail ATA]: Enhanched Mode
- Serial ATA Port0 Mode: SATA0 Master
- Serial ATA Port1 Mode: SATA1 Master
------

Is this happening because I have set up the Enhanched Mode in the SATA setting??
If YES, how am I supposed to use any SATA 150 hdds with some dvd burners??

Thank you very much.

[PIRATA!]

Help nead: SB75G2 & HDD SATA @ 100 !!!!! Why not 150??

[PIRATA!]

Plese help!

[Schwein]

I have no idea, but could it be that the SATA controller mode is set to IDE?

*** On-Chip Serial ATA Setting ***
SATA Mode: IDE
[On-Chip Serail ATA]: Enhanched Mode
- Serial ATA Port0 Mode: SATA0 Master
- Serial ATA Port1 Mode: SATA1 Master

[PIRATA!]

The two settings are IDE or RAID, so I don't think that it might mean that IDE is for non rai d @ ata100 and RAID is for raid mode @ ata150.
It would be stupid... or is it right like that?

[Schwein]

Honestly, I was just clutching at straws.

[PIRATA!]

Thank you anyway.

Anyone else with some ideas?

Thank you.

[hnyman]

quote:
*** On-Chip Serial ATA Setting ***
SATA Mode: IDE

That is your reason. It should be RAID or something.

I managed installing my HDD in 150 SATA mode after installing RAID drivers (with F6) to Windows XP during installation. My SB95Pv2 has IDE / RAID / ACHI choices with 925XE chipset. I set it to ACHI as I do not intend to use RAID. (ACHI is just SATA in native mode without RAID)

I initially installed Windows with IDE mode, and only then realized that the setting is permanent. I then managed to add RAID drivers to my existing Windows system by "re-installing" windows from CD-ROM and applying "F6" option during windows CD-ROM boot. Hardware settings were reseted, but personal settings and profile and software remained intact. No formatting was needed, so it was rather straightforward for me.


Ps. But I had to buy a floppy drive for F6 floppy. Right now it sits in my desktop drawer and can be applied if needed.

[ReneV]

As I recall it, I see the same thing on my SB81P without the F6-added drivers. When checking in the OS, however, the connections are reported as @ 150. Probably the OS uses the right drivers once it takes control and updates the connections accordingly. If this is correct, a possibility is that you (well: we) only run @ 100 during part of the boot, which isn't too bad a trade-off for not having to mess with low-level drivers.

Can anyone with technical knowledge confirm whether the above sounds plausible?

[Digikid]

not that it will matter.  According to benchmarks on various sites Hard Drive never pass the 100MBPS barrier anyways much.

[PIRATA!]

ReneV... with wich kind of software have you seen that your drive was @150??

Digikid... I have read what you say even on some old review sites.
I have made some HDTach benchmarking and I am about @ 119 MB/s.
All other resaults made with my harddrive and stored in the HDTach database are quite similar to my resault.
In the database there are two resaults, one made with an ATA drive like mine, and another one made with a SATA drive right like my drive.
The ATA drive is about 115 MB/s when the SATA is stored @ 112 MB/s.

These resaults make me think that my harddrives are not running like ATA100 but with complete bandwidth SATA150, but still not running @ 150 MB/s.

If someone can run SATA drives @ 150 please let me know due analize how its possible.

[digitalnomad]

dude, you need to select two of the four file from your floppy when you are booting to a windows install. for example you need to select the two listed drivers for xp from the four listed on the sata boot disk. when you have selected both files and moved on to build a windows install - it will see your drives correctly and any arrays you may have set up.

[ReneV]

quote:
Originally posted by: PIRATA!
ReneV... with wich kind of software have you seen that your drive was @150??

I use EVEREST Home Edition from lavalys. I just re-checked and, indeed, in Computer -> Summary my HDDs are listed as running S-ATA/150. And, just to confirm, I have NOT done the F6 driver install or anything similar. That said, I haven't done anything to verify/measure what speeds the drives are able communicate at, either.

[PIRATA!]

digitalnomad... I don't use my drives in RAID mode but just IDE. Do you mean that I nead to install and configure my ide controller with the Shuttle provided RAID drivers even if I don0t use a raid system??
If so, can't I just update my ide drivers with the raid ones just now with my current Windows installation without reinstalling it?
If so, wich drivers must I use? The one downloaded from the Shuttle or Intel suppor web site??

ReneV... is EVEREST Home Edition from lavalys a good diagnostic software? Why do you prefere this? I am curious about it because I never knew about the existence of this software.
Do you know the difference between the Home Edition and the Professional one??

Thank you all.

[ReneV]

quote:
Originally posted by: PIRATA!
ReneV... is EVEREST Home Edition from lavalys a good diagnostic software? Why do you prefere this? I am curious about it because I never knew about the existence of this software.
Do you know the difference between the Home Edition and the Professional one??

I have no detailed knowledge of EVEREST, having only recently come across it.

I got curious and fired up SiSoft Sandra last night, only to find that, according to it, the HDDs are all run in UDMA-5 mode (which would mean ATA/100, I guess). Digging a bit further, this is also what the drivers tell me when looking at their properties pages.

[PIRATA!]

I have made some SiSoft information watching and I have found that I am in UDMA-5 (ATA100) and that have some Warnings about the Acoustic Management and the Transfere Mode.

Here is a screenshot about SiSoftSanda and its ATA diagnostic resaults with faq:

CLICK HERE!

In particular I have a Warning W3103 and W3104 in SiSoftSandra that I don't know how to get rid of.
Please take a look at it and let me know what do you think.

Thank you.

[PIRATA!]

Please, any other help?
Please look at my screenshot.

Thank you all.

[hnyman]

quote:
Originally posted by: PIRATA!
Please, any other help?
Please look at my screenshot.

Your link does not work: "the connection was refused"
So, no comments on your screenshot.


I installed my single drive with F6 driver installation and I believe the drive is at native SATA mode, i.e. not actually an ATA drive, but a SCSI drive from system perspective.

Intel Application Acclerator reports:

Serial ATA Information
Intel Serial ATA Controller: Intel(R) 82801FR SATA AHCI Controller
Driver Version: 4.7.0.6815
Hard Drive 0
Status: Normal
Device Port: 0
Current Serial ATA Transfer Mode: Generation 1
Native Command Queuing Support: Yes
Size: 189.9 GB

Previously mentioned Everest 1.51HE does not show anything under ATA or SMART. Instead, the drive is only shown under ASPI. In Summary no additional info (e.g. speed info) is given. On SMART info it is said that "Unkown".

SiSoft Sandra shows the drive at UDMA-6 and reports the same "3103 acousting management enabled" for me.

I believe that I saw somewhere something about incomtabiity of SMART and Intel RAID drivers. So it might be that the info shown in any of these programs is not quite reliable.

[PIRATA!]

The link works good for me. Here is the direct link to the pic: http://img80.exs.cx/img80/4113/udma5warnings2og.jpg

About the Intel Application Acclerator setup, I have not installed it because it says that I don't have the chipset for it.
Is the RAID driver you say, the Intel Application Accelerato driver pachage? If YES, I tried already to install it, but with no success.

About the drivers available from the Shuttle download center, you have in your SB95P V2 download page only one downloads about RAID driver.
In my SB75G2 download page I have two of them.

Wich one should I chose? The first one that is similar to your kind of driver files or the second solution?? The first one has a much more recent release date.
Will I be able to update them on an already installed WindowsXP system? Even if NO, wich would it be the device in Device Manager that should refere to these drivers? The scsi controller under "SCSI and RAID controller" is the one??

Please help.
Thank you.

[hnyman]

quote:
Originally posted by: PIRATA!

About the Intel Application Acclerator setup, I have not installed it because it says that I don't have the chipset for it.
Is the RAID driver you say, the Intel Application Accelerato driver pachage? If YES, I tried already to install it, but with no success.

Thank you.

If you read my earlier message in this same thread, dated 03/29/2005 07:23 PM, you can see that I managed to add the SATA drivers to existing windows system, without reformatting or any other major hassle. I installed RAID drivers, but not for actual RAID configuration, but just for enablibg SATA-150 and NCQ.

I had to "repair reinstall" Windows on top of my original system for being able to install the drivers. This installation method is offered in the second selection after booting the Windows CD-ROM. It keeps your programs and user profiles, but clears windows components and hardware infromation.

1) First it asks, if you want repair existing system with Recovery Console or install new. DO NOT GO TO "recovery console". Choose "install new".
2) Then accept license agreement (not much choice there)
3) Select repair install of current system (or something like that).

Helping links:
http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/RecoveringXP.htm#repair
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsx...0of%20Existing%20Setup:


You need two things,
1) the floppy with the actual drivers (for F6 action during boot from Windows CD-ROM)
2) the IAA software, which is more or less the user monitoring interface for later use, and can be installed only after you have been able to install the drivers.

You need to press F6 early enough when Windows shortly shows the option just after booting the CD-ROM. Then you can can install the correct driver from the floppy, and leave the floppy to the drive until Windows installation has finished.

Please look for closer info on Intel pages:
http://support.intel.com/support/chipsets/imst/

Here is link to driver on Intel pages:
http://downloadfinder.intel.co...ter.asp?ProductID=1809

There you find both the floppy creation utility and the actual IAA software.

!!!
!!! Remember to change in your BIOS the SATA mode from IDE to either ACHI or RAID according to your needs before trying to install F6 drivers. !!!
!!!

Of course, something might go wrong and you could lose all data, so be careful ;-)

[PIRATA!]

quote:
Originally posted by: hnyman

quote:
Originally posted by: PIRATA!

About the Intel Application Acclerator setup, I have not installed it because it says that I don't have the chipset for it.
Is the RAID driver you say, the Intel Application Accelerato driver pachage? If YES, I tried already to install it, but with no success.

Thank you.

If you read my earlier message in this same thread, dated 03/29/2005 07:23 PM, you can see that I managed to add the SATA drivers to existing windows system, without reformatting or any other major hassle. I installed RAID drivers, but not for actual RAID configuration, but just for enablibg SATA-150 and NCQ.

I had to "repair reinstall" Windows on top of my original system for being able to install the drivers. This installation method is offered in the second selection after booting the Windows CD-ROM. It keeps your programs and user profiles, but clears windows components and hardware infromation.

1) First it asks, if you want repair existing system with Recovery Console or install new. DO NOT GO TO "recovery console". Choose "install new".
2) Then accept license agreement (not much choice there)
3) Select repair install of current system (or something like that).

Helping links:
http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/RecoveringXP.htm#repair
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsx...0of%20Existing%20Setup:


You need two things,
1) the floppy with the actual drivers (for F6 action during boot from Windows CD-ROM)
2) the IAA software, which is more or less the user monitoring interface for later use, and can be installed only after you have been able to install the drivers.

You need to press F6 early enough when Windows shortly shows the option just after booting the CD-ROM. Then you can can install the correct driver from the floppy, and leave the floppy to the drive until Windows installation has finished.

Please look for closer info on Intel pages:
http://support.intel.com/support/chipsets/imst/

Here is link to driver on Intel pages:
http://downloadfinder.intel.co...ter.asp?ProductID=1809

There you find both the floppy creation utility and the actual IAA software.

!!!
!!! Remember to change in your BIOS the SATA mode from IDE to either ACHI or RAID according to your needs before trying to install F6 drivers. !!!
!!!

Of course, something might go wrong and you could lose all data, so be careful ;-)

Thank you very much for your help, but I have to give you a bad news.
Before reading this your last post, I have tried to update my drivers in Windows with no success. In other words I was able to install only another kind of Intel driver (that is for ICH6R Intel 82801FR), and I thought that it was mine (that should be ICH5R Intel 82801ER), shoosing the Have Disk oprion and forcing it, resulting in a Windows boot fail after restarting (loads for a coupple of seconds the WIndowsXP Professional logo with blue worm under, then it restarts the computer).
After this I choosed the Last Known Good Settings from the F8 screen, and I was able to start Windows again before updating the drivers.

At this time I tried to make exacly like you tell me now, but after the repair operation, my Windows was unable to boot again like before.
I have done like you write, but without changing the IDE to RAID in bios before reparing. I thought this was not important and that I would would be able to do it later. Might this be the problem??

After this I made another repair without using the F6 option and no floppy because I thought that in this other way Windows setup would repair WIndows with generic Intel drivers, like if I was making a new fresh installation on Windows without the F6 option.
The resault is another Windows boot fail again.

I tried then to start the computer with another old harddisk with another Windows installation, and I connected the other WIndows disk like Slave. I deleted the iastor.dll (or .sys -- don't remember now) file that should be the one related to this controller, but stil does not work. I have to say that now the WindowsXP Professional logo with blue worm under now it stays some seconds more, but after it still reboot.

I am afraid that the drivers I downloaded might be corrupted or wrong because if I try to update from WIndows, the only one I can see choosable is the driver for the ICH6R Intel 82801FR. This could probably mean that from the F6 option the driver for my system is not right.
I don't know what to say about it and I have even checked the chipset name opening the XPC and reading directly from it (Intel 82801ER).

You talk then about the Intel sites and the Intel® Matrix Storage Technology. I read about Intel® 915 and 925 Express chipset-based platforms, but I see that those drivers are for some controlers, in wich list there is mine (Intel® 82801ER I/O controller hub (ICH5R) - RAID only).
Is this driver for me too that I have Intel 875P motherboard chipset?? Even if its marked as RAID only???
If so, please tell me the meaning of these files and if I have to use them instead of the files provided from Shuttle.
In particular I see that the IAA is downloadable in two versions: English and International English. WIch is the right one for plain english? Is the second for international languages?


Before this I have to restore my Windows installation back. Knowing that I am able to work on my C:\ partition form another Windows installation, and knowing what I have done and what I have not done, please help me find a solution.
I JUST CAN'T LOSE MY SETTINGS!!!

You have an SB95Pv2 that uses my same RAID driver package. Can you tell me form the Device Manager wich are the files related to this controller so to serch them in the WINDOWS folder of my main Windows harddisk system and try to move them or delete them to see if Windows finishes its loading booti succesfully??

PLEASE HELP ME!!
I'll wait your reply before doing nothing.
Thank you very very much.

[hnyman]

quote:
Originally posted by: PIRATA!

Thank you very much for your help, but I have to give you a bad news.
...
I have done like you write, but without changing the IDE to RAID in bios before reparing. I thought this was not important and that I would would be able to do it later. Might this be the problem??
...

...
You talk then about the Intel sites and the Intel® Matrix Storage Technology. I read about Intel® 915 and 925 Express chipset-based platforms, but I see that those drivers are for some controlers, in wich list there is mine (Intel® 82801ER I/O controller hub (ICH5R) - RAID only).
Is this driver for me too that I have Intel 875P motherboard chipset?? Even if its marked as RAID only???
If so, please tell me the meaning of these files and if I have to use them instead of the files provided from Shuttle.
...

...
You have an SB95Pv2 that uses my same RAID driver package. Can you tell me form the Device Manager wich are the files related to this controller so to serch them in the WINDOWS folder of my main Windows harddisk system and try to move them or delete them to see if Windows finishes its loading booti succesfully??
...

Intel drivers do not work in ATA-emulation mode, so you should change to RAID ACHI mode before trying to install those drivers with F6. (change BIOS just when you are booting CD-ROM for new Windows installation).

So, I can use the drive in ATA-mode if setting BIOS to ATA and disabling iastor.sys service, or in SATA/ACHI-mode if setting BIOS to ACHI and enabling iastor-service.
(I haven't actually tried to use it now without iaStor, as everything works for me.)

The Intel driver site seems to give several versions of drivers and at least the Matrix storage site gives you version 4.7.0 for newest chipsets (dated Jan2005) and them the older version 4.5.0 (August 2004) where the description already says "915/925/865/875 chipset-based PCs with ICH6R/ICH5R". So I guess that should be right for you, but am no Intel expert. There are lots of documentation links in those mentioned Intel sites. Read them all first, including driver release notes.

You can also go to Intel 875P chipset page, where all drivers specific to you are shown:
http://support.intel.com/suppo...psets/sb/CS-009242.htm
(The page also includes a direct link in table to older version of IAA Raid edition.)

The windows Service is called "iaStor", which you can disable from Windows Recovery console.
In registry is is found here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStor

In Device Manager the drivers for ICH6R ACHI controller is iastor.sys.

[PIRATA!]

quote:
Originally posted by: hnyman

quote:
Originally posted by: PIRATA!

Thank you very much for your help, but I have to give you a bad news.
...
I have done like you write, but without changing the IDE to RAID in bios before reparing. I thought this was not important and that I would would be able to do it later. Might this be the problem??
...

...
You talk then about the Intel sites and the Intel® Matrix Storage Technology. I read about Intel® 915 and 925 Express chipset-based platforms, but I see that those drivers are for some controlers, in wich list there is mine (Intel® 82801ER I/O controller hub (ICH5R) - RAID only).
Is this driver for me too that I have Intel 875P motherboard chipset?? Even if its marked as RAID only???
If so, please tell me the meaning of these files and if I have to use them instead of the files provided from Shuttle.
...

...
You have an SB95Pv2 that uses my same RAID driver package. Can you tell me form the Device Manager wich are the files related to this controller so to serch them in the WINDOWS folder of my main Windows harddisk system and try to move them or delete them to see if Windows finishes its loading booti succesfully??
...

Intel drivers do not work in ATA-emulation mode, so you should change to RAID ACHI mode before trying to install those drivers with F6. (change BIOS just when you are booting CD-ROM for new Windows installation).

So, I can use the drive in ATA-mode if setting BIOS to ATA and disabling iastor.sys service, or in SATA/ACHI-mode if setting BIOS to ACHI and enabling iastor-service.
(I haven't actually tried to use it now without iaStor, as everything works for me.)

The Intel driver site seems to give several versions of drivers and at least the Matrix storage site gives you version 4.7.0 for newest chipsets (dated Jan2005) and them the older version 4.5.0 (August 2004) where the description already says "915/925/865/875 chipset-based PCs with ICH6R/ICH5R". So I guess that should be right for you, but am no Intel expert. There are lots of documentation links in those mentioned Intel sites. Read them all first, including driver release notes.

You can also go to Intel 875P chipset page, where all drivers specific to you are shown:
http://support.intel.com/suppo...psets/sb/CS-009242.htm
(The page also includes a direct link in table to older version of IAA Raid edition.)

The windows Service is called "iaStor", which you can disable from Windows Recovery console.
In registry is is found here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStor

In Device Manager the drivers for ICH6R ACHI controller is iastor.sys.

Thank you very much again. Please don't leave me now. Please follow this topic because I might need again your help. You are my only reference for now.

About the service you say to disable, do you mean that this Windows service gets in to the Service list updating the only drivers without installing ani software? In my case I have only updated my drivers.
After writing this post I'll restart and enter in Windows Recolery Console and tipe the LISTSVC to list all services. I hope to find the iaStore you say. If so, I'll try to disable id with the DISABLE command.

About the registry int, how can I remove it? Does the DISABLE function do all, even the registri int, or must I do also something else to remove the registry key?

About my controller, I only have the IDE and RAID option in bios, not any ACHI option. I think that this last one is only for ICH6R (correct me if I'm wrong).

I'll try with the Windows Recovery Consol, then I'll go for the use of the 4.7.0 IAA floppy.
I hope to solve this problem.
If you have some more ideas PLEASE POST ASAP because I'll be here for a while.

Thank you again!

[PIRATA!]

Ok! I have done it!
It was a really ward work but my Windows is alive again, but unfortunately is quite slow.

I have made the repair operation with the F6 option with the bios entry RAID just after having done some tests on the system files of my C:\ partition.
I have found that the problem was in the files default, sam, security, software, system (with no extension) located in C:\WINDOWS\system32\config
In praticular I think that the file system is the main responsable of the fact.

If I am right, these files are those that are backupped in System Restore. The only bad news is that I don't keep System Restore always ON.
It would be good if someone can tell me if backupping manually these 5 files would be enough for manual system restores.

About my problem, now I have a WIndows XP Pro SP1 installation with no updates, with a boot time veeeeeery long, but only in the Applaing settins screen just before desktop appears.

The really bad news is that  I still see ATA-5 mode in SiSoftSanda. WHY?!?!?!? All this mess for nothing?!?!?!?

Can someone help me on these things?
Thank you again.

[PIRATA!]

Another update:

I have finally updated Windows with SP2 and all critical updates.
Now the system is fast as before, but I have a real problem with my cd/dvd drives

I have two slim dvires both on Primary connection (Primare Master and Primary Slave).
Before this mess every thing with them was going goo.
I was able do see them in DeviceManager, My Computer and SiSoft Sandra.

Now I can see on the Primary Slave but without functioning (it asks me to insert disk while it already has one inside) and I have only ONE Maxtor in the Disk list in Device Manager.
If I try to check things out with the ATA/ATAPI Information module I get a system reboot.

From the beginning I though that the RAID controler might be incompatible with the HDE1 connector on the motherboard, but it reboots even unplugging the ATA cable of the cd/dvd drivers out from the motherboard!!

Can someone help me please??
I am even afraid to format and reinstall because I really don't know how to setup things in bios and on the motherboard with the IDE cables.

Please help.
Thank you.