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June 30th, 2017 12:00
HDD is not recognized by Windows
(The following problem SEEMS to be isolated to a specific HDD so that is why I have selected this forum... but I understand that this problem could possibly reside elsewhere)
PROBLEM: My Dell Constellation ES.2 HDD cannot be recognized by Windows when mounted in my internal HOT-SWAP cage.
I have a Dell XPS 8900 Desktop with the as-delivered Windows 7. I installed an internal HOT-SWAP cage in order to quickly and temporarily use eight different HDDs. Seven of these HDDs work fine but the Dell ES.2 will not (fully) show up in Windows. Strangely, I can access that same HDD via an external USB docking-station. Why would this specific HDD act like this?
SOME DETAILS: I recently upgraded to BIOS 2.1.8 --- but am uncertain if my problem began then. Regardless, my BIOS will recognize ALL of my HDDs, including the Dell ES.2. BTW - the BIOS is set for BOOT-LEGACY (no UEFI) and SATA-AHCI.
ALL of my HDDs (including the ES.2) are recognized by the Intel Rapid Storage Technology app of Windows. But the ES.2 is not listed under COMPUTER, DEVICE MANAGER, or DISK MANAGER. (but --- once again --- the ES.2 can be accessed with my USB docking-station)
The problematic HDD is a 3TB Dell Constellation ES.2 (ST330000650NS) with DOM 04/2012. BUT --- other HDDs work fine --- including the following...
Hitachi 1TB
Toshiba 2TB
Seagate 500GB
Maxtor 500GB
WD 500GB (#1)
WD 500GB (#2)
WD 2TB
FWIW - My main system disk is the original as-delivered Seagate 1TB. And also added a Hitachi 4TB inside the tower several months ago. (but I doubt if that has any bearing on my problem)
ejn63
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July 1st, 2017 11:00
If this is an XPS 8900, it's designed for SATA drives - the Constellation comes in both SAS and SATA versions. Which one are you trying to use? The system will work wtih SATA but not the SAS version. While the interface is physically the same, it's not electrically. It's true you can generally use SATA drives on a SAS controller -- but it's equally true you CANNOT use SAS drives on a SATA controller.
If you want to run that drive, you're going to need to install a PCIe SAS controller in the system.
Mel001
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July 1st, 2017 13:00
Well... that is certainly interesting. I had never been concerned about SAS drives before... and I cannot recall WHERE or HOW i obtained that ES.2 HDD. (duh...) Upon seeing your response I assumed that my problems WERE likely due to the SAS interface that you mentioned.
BUT --- I then tried to find more information about the ES.2 model --- and saw a lot of confusion about this unit. A lot of folks think that it has an SAS interface. BUT --- the Seagate documentation tends to indicate that an SS suffix is used to identify SAS units. Since this particular ES.2 has an NS suffix, then it should(?) be a SATA unit. Hmm... the printed label on this HDD indicates SATA. (I am genuinely confused!)
Yesterday I attempted to use SeaTools to analyze that drive. Upon activation, the SeaTools would crash my system with a blue-screen. (GROAN!) I have now spent too much time on this and am too frustrated to continue. I will simply restrict my HDD swap-rotation to the handful of other HDDs that I possess.
REGARDLESS --- thank you for your response. I have certainly increased my knowledge of SAS HDDs.
ejn63
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87.5K Posts
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July 1st, 2017 13:00
SS are SAS, NS SATA as you note. My guess would be the drive is bad.
Mel001
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July 3rd, 2017 16:00
WOW! - this problem seems to be resolved. I used my Win7 Pro DEVICE MANAGER and changed the IDE ATA/ATAPI driver to the STANDARD one. The two other available drivers were dated 2015 and 2017 but they do not seem to fully allow HOT-SWAPPING. (NOTE - this file for the STANDARD driver already resided on my system but I had to click on BROWSE MY COMPUTER... and then LET ME PICK... in order to begin installation)
I can now insert the ES.2 HDD and those partitions will be available --- like the other HDDs that I have been using.
Hmmm... I also installed the free HOTSWAP! app. That allows easier management of swapping activities. That app seems useful but probably had no benefits for the basic ES.2 problem.