Topic: PC won't boot with cd burner plugged into pci sata card

[kcmule]

I've got two on-board SATA plugs and one PCI card for extra SATA plugs
since I have more than two devices that use SATA.

I'm now using both on-board plugs for two hard drives and wanted to use
the PCI card for my Plextor (PX-880SA) burner.

When the plextor in plugged into the PCI card the PC does not boot.  With
a hard drive plugged in to the PCI card it works fine, so I know the card is
good.

Any thoughts on why the PC will not boot when the Plextor is plugged into
the PCI card?  Seems a bit odd to me.

[mattmiller]

Did you check the BIOS for a setting that is making the PCI card (or anything plugged into it) the first boot device?  It seems that installing the card made the computer think that your intention was to boot from a hard drive attached to it.  This must be reversible in the BIOS.

[kcmule]

First thing I cheked was the BIOS settings.  Don't see anything
there specific to the card.

Let me give you the quick run down of what I am seeing.  I have
two hard drives (1 WD and 1 Segate) and 1 Plextor optical drive.
All devices are SATA

When both hard drives are plugged into the SATA on the board
and the Plextor is plugged into the PCI card this is what I am
seeing in the BIOS.

Primary IDE Master = Not Detected
Primary IDE Slave = Not Detected

Secondday IDE Master = Not Detected
Secondary IDE Salve = Not Detected

3rd IDE Master = Western Digital
4th IDE Master = Segate

I have zero IDE devices so it's logical that the IDE Master/Slaves
are not detected.  The 3rd and 4th IDE Master's are the SATA plugs
on board.

Boot Device Priority
Floppy
Western Digital
(note no mention of the Plextor here)

Hard Disks
Western Digital (<- This is my boot drive)
Segate

There is no mention, anywhere, in the BIOS of the Plextor.

When I have the Western Digital and the Plextor plugged into
the board and the Segate on the PCI card this is what I am
seeing in the BIOS.

Primary IDE Master = Not Detected
Primary IDE Slave = Not Detected

Secondday IDE Master = Not Detected
Secondary IDE Salve = Not Detected

3rd IDE Master = Western Digital
4th IDE Master = Plextor

Boot Device Priority
Floppy
Western Digital
Plextor

Hard Disks
Western Digital
Segate

So only when the Plextor is on board is it available to select for
any option in the BIOS

[kcmule]

Updated the device (Plextor) firmware from 1.03 to 1.12 and
it didn't help with the issue.  Just thought I'd mention it.

[flipp]

Are there updated drivers on the card manufacturer's website?

[BJ]

does the computer post (make the beep sound) when the plextor is on the pci card?  does it by any chance make MORE than normal beeps in this configuration?

if it isn't even posting, I dont know that I would continue to try to go this route, they may be a battle not worth fighting.

if it does post, check your boot order options and make sure your seagate(i think this was your boot drive??) is listed first.
you don't have raid setup on the pci card do you?  this should be jbod for using the plextor.

[kcmule]

OK all fixed up after some trial and error.  The deal was a driver and BIOS on the card.

I switched to a driver for non-RAID devices (cd-rom in this case) per the following.
http://www.siliconimage.com/support/searchresults.aspx?pid=63&cat=3&os=4

After Windows rebooted there was an issue with it via the device manager.  So
I tried to flash the BIOS per the following.
http://www.siliconimage.com/support/searchresults.aspx?pid=29&cat=15&ctid=2&os=0&

Flashing the BIOS failed because Windows didn't see the device as functinal
via the device manager .  So, I rolled the driver back to the previous RAID
version, since windows didn't take issue with it.  Rebooted.  I then flashed
the BIOS using the Base BIOS (per the above link).  Flashing worked this time.
I then switched to the non-RAID driver.  Rebooted.  All devices now function
as I prefer to have them plugged in.

Problem solved.  Thanks Gents.