HELP with SATA2 and Hitachi FTOOL

[maverik-sg1]

How the F*CK does this work??

I read on certain sites that SATA2 has to be enabled using Ftool, these babies are brand new and I am trying to set them up.

It's doing me head in, is it so fecking slow or has it frozen completely - I can't download the ISO for the CDROM so am working from a floppy.

Someone please save me from this hell!!

Or do the newer drives have auto SATA2?

Mav

 

[Phil Stanbridge]

I was under the impression the latest drives have it built in - but then could it be a bios thang too?

 

[maverik-sg1]

Do you need SATA2 cables or are the standard ones sufficient?

God I feel all newbie

 

[sacha35]

Hi there M8 you need to download Feature Tool (v2.01) and extract it to a floopy drive boot the system with floopy in drive and then enable sata2 useing the feature tool software.

Link for download. http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm

 

[Firelord]

Have you got USB keyboard and mouse? I had similar problems on 2 machines and it was down to that on one system and I had to use a floppy on the other

 

[Mr Dizzy]

i have some of these drives and theres all sorts of goodies to turn on. just run Feature Tool from a floppy or a bootable CD

 

[maverik-sg1]

How do I know if SATA2 is enabled?

Also, if it is not enabled - will I lose my data by enabling it (back-up DVD's at the ready just in case).

Mav

 

[Mr Dizzy]

no u dont lose any data u can enable it disable it as much as u like.....lol

i run that HD Tag to see whaty sort of speeds they r doing one is a raptor raid 150 and the other is the Hitachi Sata 2

 

[maverik-sg1]

Both tests look like they are Raptor results mate, also sent PM request for the ISO image file of FTOOL.

My result for single disk is 133MB/S for hitachi and single Raptor 150GB is 136MB/S - does that seem right?

 

[Firelord]

How do I know if SATA2 is enabled?

Device Manager -> IDE Controllers -> SATA Controller properties -> primary channel

Tells you int here

 

[maverik-sg1]

It says SATA 1-1.5G so I guess it's not enabled, got the ISO image from Mr Dizzy, gonna see if I can set it up using that instead.

Mav

 

[sacha35]

Just use the link mav downlad to floopy and enable sata2, then make sure you have things all set to the max.

sacha

 

[maverik-sg1]

Okay - for those hard of hearing:

I CANT SEE THE OPTION IN FECKING FTOOL THAT SAYS SPECIFICALLY ENABLE SATA2!!

WHEN I CLICK ON SATA (LAST OPTION IN FEATURES) I THINK IT FREEZES - coz nothing happens for ages - WHEN I CLICK ON DMA IT SAY UNABLE TO CHANGE FFS.

DO I NEED SATA2 cables? IS the HDTACH speed oof 133m/s and 75GB dropping down to 50ish right for SATA2?

BTW I AM USING FTOOL 2.01

Someone help me out of htis living hell................... pppppppppppllllllllleaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssse

 

[maverik-sg1]

Well I am not 100% sure what I did.

Changed SATA channels on NF4 controller to 2&3 for the drives and unplugged other SATA leads from the board (they were not connected at the other end) and all of a sudden it all ran like a charm??

Go figure.

Anyways thanks for your helps guys - a random issue me thinks, just goes to show you cant cut corners.

The transfer graph in HDTACH looks the same, but burst speed is not up to 233MB/S The Raptor has 20MB/S more speed across the band (moving linear with the graph produced for the Hitachi) but burst is only 138MB/s.

Looking forward to RAIDing two 150's for one last 939 bench blast (gonna do some single RAPTOR action first tho)

Mav

 

[sacha35]

when the featuer tool is all loaded and you can see your hitachi drive click on this first then click on featuers then sata settings then click upto 3GB and then click enable you should see two dots in place when this has been done one in 3GB and one in enable, then click OK i think there is anouther screen then that you have to click and then reboot, it sounds as if the problem is that you have not clicked on your hitachi drive first and it is seeing anouther drive in the listings and it is trying to enable that drive.

sacha

 

[sacha35]

no probs M8 you have now got the power of the Hitachi drives [look out everone mav's coming for you]

 

[maverik-sg1]

when the featuer tool is all loaded and you can see your hitachi drive click on this first then click on featuers then sata settings then click upto 3GB and then click enable you should see two dots in place when this has been done one in 3GB and one in enable, then click OK i think there is anouther screen then that you have to click and then reboot, it sounds as if the problem is that you have not clicked on your hitachi drive first and it is seeing anouther drive in the listings and it is trying to enable that drive.

sacha

It weren't that simple Sacha (unfortunately) I cliocked on everything, changed keyboard, mouse, pulled out peripherals etc.....

I am guessing you cant have any other disks attached whilst the changes are being made and cables for disconnected drives have to be disconnected from the board also.

The joy

 

[sacha35]

Yep i gess your right, i did not have any problems with mine, but as wee all know M/B can be funny things somtimes just the smalest of things can give big problems wheres anouther M/B of the same make will be fine,glad it all sorted now though.

 

[Animal]

Erm.. if its an nforce 4 mobo u need to install the sw drivers to enable the mobo to sata II.

 

[sacha35]

The NF4 on mav's dfi is sata1/sata2 compatible, but mav is all sorted now.