Can't change SATA mode

[sorcerer]

Sometimes, booting to a manufacturer's HDD diagnostic program returns the message "No hard drive found" or similar and often, changing the SATA mode from AHCI to IDE will solve the problem and I can run the tests. However, I've just got an Acer desktop machine in where the SATA mode option in BIOS is greyed out and I can't change it from AHCI.

Of course, I can just take the drive out and slave it to one of my machines to test it, but I'm just curious as to why this is happening? Anyone know of a workaround?

Thanks

 

[Artiste1]

Hi,

If it is a business PC, the bios could be password protected.

Which would have greyed out settings. If it is get the password or take out the cmos battery.

Take a note of all settings, before you take out the cmos battery.

 

[sorcerer]

Thanks for that Artiste1, but the BIOS itself isn't password protected. I can enter the BIOS and change dozens of settings but not the SATA mode, which I find strange - I've never come across that particular setting being greyed out before.

 

[PBComputer]

Maybe try flashing the bios?

 

[SilverLeaf]

Sometimes, booting to a manufacturer's HDD diagnostic program returns the message "No hard drive found" or similar and often, changing the SATA mode from AHCI to IDE will solve the problem and I can run the tests. However, I've just got an Acer desktop machine in where the SATA mode option in BIOS is greyed out and I can't change it from AHCI.

Of course, I can just take the drive out and slave it to one of my machines to test it, but I'm just curious as to why this is happening? Anyone know of a workaround?

Thanks

Maybe I've just been lucky, but I've never had a drive manufacturers diag utility fail to find the drive (assuming the drive is healthy enough to be recognized by the bios). Which utility are you using? Does the bios see the drive?

 

[Rob_NNCC]

Not all BIOSes let you put the drive in legacy mode.

 

[sorcerer]

Maybe I've just been lucky, but I've never had a drive manufacturers diag utility fail to find the drive (assuming the drive is healthy enough to be recognized by the bios). Which utility are you using? Does the bios see the drive?

WD Data Lifeguard, and yes, BIOS does see the drive. Booting from an Acronis True Image disc didn't see the drive either, so I took it out of the machine to both image and test it in the end.

 

[sorcerer]

Not all BIOSes let you put the drive in legacy mode.

Ah right, I didn't realize that - thanks Rob.