Sata controller problem?

[cloud32187]

Hey guys,

I recently got a computer that fails to recognize any SATA devices at all (cdrom/hdd specifically). The hard drive spins up but is just not recognized in the BIOS.

Computer Info:
-HP Pavilion p6310y
-Motherboard: Pegatron M2N78-LA
-Hard drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache


Here's what I have tried so far:
1: Swapped out power supply for known good one
2: Swapped out hard drive for brand new one
3: Check, Checked and Triple Checked bios settings (sata controller is enabled, also tried IDE and AHCI settings)
4: Tried different jumper settings
5: Swapped out different sata data cables/sata power connectors

This leads me to believe its the sata controller on the motherboard. Everything else works fine, ps2 keyboard mouse ports are good, I can boot to a windows CD via usb-cdrom and i can boot from a USB stick to UBCD4/Hirens Boot CD but i still have no access to the hard drive. Whats everyone's take on my little predicament?

Im also having a little trouble finding a replacement motherboard. its gotta be an am2+ socket, 4 ddr2 memory slots and a micro atx board.

If it turns out that the consensus is that its the motherboard sata controller i could get a pci-e internal sata controller and be good right? The customer just wants it working asap for the cheapest price, and that came to mind as a possibility.

Thanks in advance

 

[Cambridge PC Support]

have a little look here: http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Hardware/m8530f-desktop-PC-with-a-m2n78-la-mother-board-doesn-t-see-my/td-p/181716

looks like its a common thing with that mobo

 

[AvidTech]

Have you tried to reinstall windows. I had an older pc that wouldn't recognize the hard drive on a certain controller, but after a reinstall all was fine.

 

[Styxbound]

This isn't helpful I know but I just spent more than an entire day with a machine which wouldn't see ANY hard drive, not sata not pata. You could even replace a working cd rom with a hard drive and it wouldn't see the hd. Kept playing with the bios until it finally started seeing it. Don't have a clue why it wouldn't see it other than something to do with the bios.

 

[BigMac]

I just had a computer come in about a week ago with the exact same problem with the same motherboard. Mine is a HP p6320f so obviously it's a motherboard issue. Initially I thought it was a hard drive issue because it would boot half way then just hang up. I did a full diagnostic on the hard drive and it failed with "too many errors". I then hooked the HD up to another computer and ran the same diagnostic and it passed. I also ran the HP diagnostics several times and every once in a while it would fail saying it couldn't find the hard drive & optical drive.

Did you resolve the problem with a new SATA controller? I am always hesitant in doing fixes like this because the problem is usually more widespread and other problems will arise later.

 

[computersnmore]

Sata Controller problem

If you haven't tried this yet, try resetting bios to default. I had this problem once and it ended up being some thing hung in Bios. Long shot I know but worth one shot.

 

[732914TECH]

i have a p6130y here with the same issue, motherboard has a known issue, its junk.

 

[TLE]

Have you tried to reinstall windows. I had an older pc that wouldn't recognize the hard drive on a certain controller, but after a reinstall all was fine.

If it's not recognised in the BIOS, how can you reinstall Windows.?

 

[BigMac]

i have a p6130y here with the same issue, motherboard has a known issue, its junk.

This is what I figured. Should have guessed this when it came in the door with a HP logo on it. Since it's a newer mobo I will just look for an aftermarket board with the same chipset.