Bizarre problem with 320GB RE16 WD HD

[cheechy]

Ok please bear with me while I explain my current problem with the Western Digital drive I received on Wednesday of last week from Scan and advice me if there is something I can do here to remedy the problem?

Ok - I installed the drive into an Asus A7n8X deluxe, the Bios recognises the drive as does XP device manager BUT the disk management software does not. Therefore I cannot setup the drive in my Media PC based on the A7n8X motherboard. I already have a 250GB WD drive installed on this machine as boot and it works without issue - indeed its an RE drive and is the same 'type' as the new RE 320GB I purchased.

I've read around and found an option to jumper pins 5&6 to 'lock-in' SATA150 for this older motherboard. No luck - same situation (the jumper was really so that the bios would recognise the drive but then there was not a problem here anyway). I've removed the jumper, reinstalled the nForce drivers and SI 3112 drivers for the SATA controller - but computer says no!

I even tried it in my 939 based board PC - it picked it up and I was able to format it with no problems although at first it didnt pick it up and I had to install some drivers which I didnt have to for my other 3 WD SATA 1 & 2drives in the same machine.

Any Suggestions as to what I do here?

[cheechy]

Would a rep from Scan look into this for me please?

I have found out that a potential incompatibility problem lies behind this problem which is not advertised. It seems to be that the system can see the drive but that it cannot get the drive to actually operate.

Can you confirm that this is the case with the nf2 based Asus A78nx please?

[cheechy]

Sorry to be pushy on this but I cannot just use the returns system for this as testing will prove that this HD works - the problem is that it will not work in a system that in reality it should.

I need some feedback on what should be done here please or will I just return and state that it was unfit for purpose?

[Mark@SCAN]

Hi

Apologies for the delay in replying to your query.

Would it be possible for you download and run the WD drive fitness test utility available from the WD website. This can be run from either a bootable floppy or burnt as an ISO image to a bootable CD. This will test the drive for any problems. Also are you able to test the drive in another machine? it may be that the drive is simply incompatible with your motherboard as there have been reports of incompatabilites between several motherboards and HDD's most recently Maxtor and Nforce 3/4 boards which required firmware updates to the HDD's to resolve the problem.

Thanks

[cheechy]

Hi Mark thanks for the reply - yes I will download run the WD test utility as also suggested by to me today by someone on another forum - but yes I have tested the drive in another more modern SATA2 based controller and it works fine - I was able to format the drive using NTFS with no major issues.

I'll update the thread once I've run the utility.

[cheechy]

As I suspected the drive has come up clean in the same machine that Windows XP refuses to allow me to use with the WD diagnostic bootup software.

Can you suggest the next move here?

[cheechy]

Bump!

RMA?

[MD]

are you trying to install the O/s on it or are you trying to use it when you are in windows?

Can advise according to your answer

[cheechy]

Its being added as a second drive. Windows Device manager sees it fine but disk management does not.

I'd prefer to keep it if I can so any advice on how to get it to work would be most appreciated!

Cheers

[MD]

if you can see it in explorer have you right clicked on it and tried to select format? From My Computer for example?

[Jay]

but if windows disk manager does not see it then it will not have a drive letter.

This does not sound like a drive error to me. Make sure that its setup correct in the BIOS.

[cheechy]

Sorry guys but I've been all through this

The drive is fine and the MB is fine but the two just dont seem to like one another.

The BIOS sees the drive fine as I've done the WD diagnostic test as directed by Mark earlier in this thread and the drive came up and tested out fine.

A new Bios for the on-board SI3112 controller is a non-starter as ASUS stopped issuing new stuff for this board over 2 years ago.

Scan / Mark what do I do in this instance?

[cheechy]

Morning bump - scan can you advice the course of action please?

I have tried everything I could try without success - it appears I'll need an alternative brand or an IDE based hard drive in this machine.

[cheechy]

Ok guys - while I may seem to be impatient here, I've had one note around testing the drive out which I have done but I'm getting no further input from Scan on this.

Am I to presume then that I have to keep this drive? I appreciate you are busy just now but how long do I have to return this drive to receive a refund if applicable?

I've found a problem which is pretty obscure and is not my fault. I've been jumping through hoops trying to get this to work on products that on paper should work together but dont - both of which were purchased from you (the ASUS MB was bought back in '03)

[Mark@SCAN]

Hi

Can you please PM me with your invoice details. I think depending on how long you have had the drive the best thing to do would be to return the drive for a refund and place a new order for a different make. Sounds to be an incompatability problem.

Thanks

[cheechy]

Mark - thanks for following this up. My faith has been restored.