also with out looking in bios aswell , doesnt scsi/raid mean I have a sata connector allready ? Thanks in advance for any kind replies .
It would be helpful to know your motherboard maker and model, and your BIOS version. Otherwise only a general answer is possible. You could try right clicking My Computer, then selecting Properties, then Hardware, then Device Manager, and looking to see if IDE or SATA storage controllers are listed.
I have exactly the same problem. I just purchased a Seagate 400G SATA/300 for my Sony VAIO RS420 without realizing the connections were different from my prior Seagates... -and Sony refuses to talk or email since it isn't a Sony-Supplied-HD - I have heard the mb (P4SD-VX) is proprietary to Sony... my specs via Belarc: -->OS: Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (build 2600) -[hoping to install a Linux and maybe even Vista RC, eventually] -->System Model: Sony Corporation PCV-RS420(UC) 28003931 System Serial Number: * Asset Tag: P06700000000181CBF03F235803A(?) Chassis Serial Number: * Enclosure Type: Desktop -->Processor: 2.80 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4 8 kilobyte primary memory cache 512 kilobyte secondary memory cache -->Main Circuit Board: Board: ASUSTek Computer Inc. P4SD-VX Bus Clock: 200 megahertz BIOS: American Megatrends Inc. 2002 09/19/2003 -->Drives: -[various USB and Optical] ST3200822A [Hard drive] (200.05 GB) -- drive 0, s/n 4LJ0QCZA, rev 3.01, SMART Status: Healthy ST3200822A [Hard drive] (200.05 GB) -- drive 1, s/n 3LJ1XVAR, rev 3.01, SMART Status: Healthy --I don't know if attachments are legal here but I could zip-up the entire Belarc report if it would help... --Device-Manager doesn't tell me anything useful... basically calls my current HDs "Ultra" ATA's and has nothing pertinent in DM-Help -->thanks for any advice. (I also have 2g's of new PC3200 mem to install and a Lightscribe multi-burner, but I don't want to open the case until everything is ready to go - Last time I did that a ribbon cable failed because I apparently jostled it too many times. Arrgh).
Ultra ATA is the latest variant of IDE, the previous standard for connecting hard drives before SATA came along. Ultra ATA is not SATA. The Asus P4SD-VX motherboard was made specially for Sony, to fit in Vaio desktop computers.
I think mine has sata cause I looked up my mb and it said 2x sata my mb is p5vdc-x . Thanks again for all the replies .
http://uk.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=206&model=1126&modelmenu=1 yes, that board has 2 SATA ports.