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How To Install and Troubleshoot Serial ATA (SATA) Hard
Drives

Serial ATA interface disk drives are designed for easy installation. It
is not necessary to set any jumpers, terminators, or other settings on
this drive for proper operation. The jumper block adjacent to the SATA
interface connector on SATA 150MB/s drives is for factory use only.
The jumper block adjacent to the SATA interface connector on SATA 300MB/s
drives can be used to force the drive into SATA 150MB/s mode for use with
older SATA controllers that only work with SATA 150MB/s drives.

With a Serial ATA interface, each disk drive has its own cable that
connects directly to a Serial ATA host adapter or a Serial ATA port on
your motherboard. Unlike Parallel ATA, there is no master-slave
relationship between drives that use a Serial ATA interface.

You can use a Serial ATA drive in the same system with Parallel ATA
drives as long as both interfaces are supported on the motherboard or with
a host adapter. This makes it easy to add Serial ATA compatibility to your
existing system without removing existing Parallel ATA disk drives.

Installation
in a Windows System

Installation
in a Macintosh System

Installation in a Windows
System
Note: For a slideshow of the Serial ATA
installation process, please visit our Serial
ATA Installation Basics page.

What You Need

A Phillips screwdriver and four 6-32 UNC drive mounting screws.

A Serial ATA interface cable (sold separately). Maximum length is 39
inches (1 meter).

A Serial ATA-compatible power cable or adapter (sold separately).

A version of Windows with FAT32 or NTFS file system.

A system with a motherboard that has a Serial ATA connector on it,
or a Serial ATA host adapter and available PCI slot in which to install
the adapter.

Refer to your computer system documentation to see if your system
supports Serial ATA on the motherboard and to locate the Serial ATA
connector. If your system does not have a Serial ATA connector on the
motherboard, you must purchase a Serial ATA host adapter that is
compatible with your computer and operating system and install it with the
appropriate device driver according to the host adapter manufacturer's
installation instructions.

Note: See our list of companies that sell Serial ATA components
including host adapters, cables, and power adapters.

Handling Precautions

Disk drives are fragile. Do not drop or jar the drive. Handle the
drive only by the edges or frame. Keep the drive in the protective
anti-static container until you are ready to install it to minimize
handling damage.

Drive electronics are extremely sensitive to static electricity.
While installing the drive, wear a wrist strap and cable connected to
ground.

Turn off the power to the host system during installation.

Do not disassemble the drive. Doing so voids the warranty.

Do not apply pressure or attach labels to the circuit board or to
the top of the drive.

Attaching Cables and Mounting the Drive

Attach one end of the drive interface cable to the Serial ATA
interface connector on your computer's motherboard or Serial ATA host
adapter (see your computer manual for connector locations). Host adapter
configuration is shown below.
Note: Serial ATA connectors are keyed
to ensure correct orientation.

Attach the interface and power cables to the drive.

Secure the drive using four 6-32 UNC mounting screws in either the
side-mounting or bottom-mounting holes. Insert the screws no more than
0.20 inches (5.08 mm) into the bottom-mounting holes and no more than
0.14 inches (3.55 mm) into the side-mounting holes.
Note: Do not
overtighten the screws or use metric screws. This may damage
the
drive.

Configuring the BIOS

Close your computer case and restart your computer. Your computer may
automatically detect your new drive. If your computer does not
automatically detect your new drive, follow the steps below.

Restart your computer. While the computer restarts, run the system
setup program (sometimes called BIOS or CMOS setup). This is usually
done by pressing a special key, such as DELETE, ESC, or F1 during the
startup process.

Within the system setup program, instruct the system to auto detect
your new drive.

Save the settings and exit the setup program. When your computer
restarts, it should recognize your new drive. If your system still
doesn't recognize your new drive, see the troubleshooting section on the
back of this sheet.
Note: Serial ATA is a new interface type. Some
older systems may see the drive and classify it as a SCSI device if you
are using a Serial ATA host adapter. This is normal even though this is
not a SCSI disc drive. Many systems’ BIOS will not identify a Serial ATA
drive connected to a PCI SATA host adapter.  This is because a PCI
SATA Host Adapter has its own BIOS which is used to identify hard drives
connected to it which is separate from the BIOS of the computer.
To determine whether or not the SATA Host Adapter is detecting the
Serial ATA hard drive, please consult the documentation provided by the
Serial ATA Host Adapter’s manufacturer. This does not affect drive
performance or capacity.

Microsoft Operating System Installation Instructions

For detailed information about installing a Microsoft operating system
on your new Seagate® drive, refer to the Microsoft Knowledgebase Article
references below. To locate an article, go to http://support.microsoft.com/ and enter the article
number in any search box on the Microsoft web site.

Operating System

Microsoft Knowledgebase Article Numbers

Windows XP and 2000

313348
See also: 175761

Windows Me/98/95

255867
See also: 166172

Troubleshooting

If your drive is not working properly, please visit the SATA
Hard Drive Troubleshooter.

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