Legit Reviews

hi, i hope you guys can help me with my (little?) problem.

my D975XBX2 runs really fine for me

but theres the one problem with the marvell sata controller witch makes me crazy

bios version is 2333 (found the link here in the forum, with 25xx i can't set the cpu clock to 3,2ghz for whatever reason x_X, haevn't tried the new 26xx bios yet, pc is primestable (tested 6 hrs) memtest doesn't bring up errors too)

so, there we go:

i have 6 sata harddisk drives in my computer, 4 @ the intel controller (black sata ports, inc boot drive) and 2 @ a promise sata 133tx2 pci controller (and a cd-rom + a dvd burner @ the intel ide controller)

whenever i try to attach the 2 sata drives (which are @ the promise controller atm) to the marvell controller (blue ports) my pc doesn't boot up windows (xp pro, sp2). it doesn't boot up from cd/dvd/floppy too.

the drives are recognized correctly at the bios, i can set the "boot-drive-order" everything seems fine.

after the "controller" screens "detecting drive bla bla" nothing happens.

all drives were found and after that i see a dosbox with a blinking "_" and that's all. x_X (i don't have a raid if this helps?)

i can't boot up in safe mode, nothing happens.

when i deactivate the marvell controller in bios -> windows boots

my emergency solution with the promise controller works fine, but i would like to install my wintv card in the pci slot where the promise controller is.
(other pci slot = x-fi soundcard, because i don't like onboard sound ;) )

any hints i am missing ? (boot ini incorrect? win reinstall required ? controller sucks ? new bios ? i'am too stupid ? )

thanks in advance

soulreaver wrote:
any hints i am missing ? (boot ini incorrect? win reinstall required ? controller sucks ? new bios ? i'am too stupid ? )

thanks in advance

Welcome to the club !!!

I would try enabling the controller with no drives attached to the Marvel and install the Marvel drivers either off of the floppy or the download using device manager, then when Windows recognizes the controller attach the drives. You may have gone this route before though...

hmm, when i enable the controller with _no_ drives attached -> windows boots.

i've installed the controller with the drivers from the disc but...

when i attach 1 drive to the controller, the problem still appears ._.

no drive (enabled controller + driver installed) -> win boots fine
1 or more drives (enabled controller + driver installed) -> dosbox

it's a win problem ? (boot.ini maybe?) (but wait a sec, when i attach 1 drive to the controller, it wont boot from the boot cd)

i'm confused :/

Have you tried this test:

1. Take boot SATA from black Intel Sata 0 and plug it into first blue, Marvell SATA connector.

2. Plug your other 2 SATA drives from the promise card into the other blue SATA connectors.

3. Adjust BIOS to put OS drive on Marvell first in list.

Boot.

it works

my storage drives are at the intel controller now and the boot disc is at the marvell.

strange, that it doesn't work at the intel controller when the storage drives are at the marvel but... whatever.

i'm happy

many thanks.