SATA support HP Pavilion a1250n - quick question

[spacedefector]

Hi, I know this topic has been beaten to death but I just need some clarification.

Background: 3 weeks ago the on-board graphics went out on this desktop and we initially gave up on it and began peicing it out. Having obtained a free pci-e graphics card, we changed direction and put the thing back together with the new graphics card and power supply.

Problem: With everything back together, including same Sata 250GB WD HD, Windows XP Pro installer does not recognize any HD.

Checked Bios - no listing for drive there either.

Bios is Phoenix Award seen here - http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=bph07110&tmp_track_link=ot_recdoc/c00063254/en_u...:3&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us

Tested drive - mounts on another computer.

Tested with a different WD 500GB drive - no change.

Even tried jumpers on pins 5 & 6 - no change.

MOBO appears to mimic the IDE compliant mode. Pressing F6 doesn't bring up any prompts (not sure if that only applies if XP is installed.

Was working 3 weeks ago, now...i'm stumped.

MOBO is the AmethystM-GL6E.

Computer specs can be found here: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&docname=c00485646

Do we need to slipstream the Bios update? listed here:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=228&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=1148467&lang=en

Don't have HP recovery discs - would those be an easier option?

Or are we missing something altogether?

Appreciate any help provided.

thanks in advance.

[Big_Dave]

You probably need to "slipstream" in the correct SATA drivers with your XP-PRO.  I had to do this for my PC.  You might as well add SP2 while you are at it. When doing the install with your new installation disk, you'll get prompted to insert the SP2 disk, just reinsert your new install disk.  I used nLite for the slipstreaming process.

[pnagan]

Did you resolve your problem? If so how? I seem to have the exact same problem as you have described on the same model of the HP desktop.

thanks.

[spacedefector · Accepted solution]

Not exactly. I came to the conclusion thru some haphazard troubleshooting that the SATA ports are probably fried on the board.

After connecting an IDE HD, and installing XP, I connected a known working CD/DVD drive to the SATA ports and tested it. The drive would open and close, but neither XP, the Bios, or Ultimate Boot CD could detect it.

From my experience, it's not too hard to get a CD drive recognized, whether you have exact drivers installed or not. We tested both SATA ports on the board - no dice.

I guess the on-board graphics weren't the only things that died on the MOBO. We still have it running from the IDE ports but it's slower and seems to have some trouble waking from sleep.

MOBO is definitely on the way out.

I found some new boards for sale on ebay and a couple other places but the cost was too prohibitive. 

All in all, it was much easier testing with a CD drive, than trying to slipstream the bios and locating some elusive SATA drivers that would work.

good luck.