How to enable a disk in BIOS?

If a new drive is not detected on your computer or the old one is no longer detected, there are several ways to enable the hard drive in the BIOS or enable the disk controller. Today we will tell you how to do this.

How to enable disk in BIOS

First you need to enter Bios. To do this, you need to press a certain key while the computer is booting, in most cases it is the “del” button, but there may be another key or a combination of them.

Immediately after turning on the computer, the message “Press DEL to enter SETUP” or similar usually appears at the bottom of the screen, at which point you need to press the required key.

In the window that opens, you need to find the “MAIN” or “Standard CMOS Features” tab, where a list of connected optical and hard drives is displayed and make sure that the disk is not detected. That is, it is not in the list of connected devices, or if this is the only disk, all items say “none”.

• If the drive is Sata, you can check whether the sata interface controller is enabled. In the "SATA configuration" tab, in the controller line, the "enable" item must be selected; if not, you need to select it. After this, you need to go to the previous tab and if there is still no device, select the required sata connector and select auto, after which the device should be detected.
• In the event that the disk disconnection was preceded by someone's intervention in the BIOS settings, i.e. it was disabled (read how to do it here:), you can return the BIOS settings to default by selecting "Load Defaults BIOS", or something similar depending on the BIOS version, for example: "Load Safe-Fail Defaults", etc.
• If this is a new disk and it is detected in the BIOS, but not detected in the operating system, perhaps it is not partitioned or has a file system not supported by your OS, then it needs to be formatted. Read how to do this correctly in this article - be careful, formatting will destroy all data on the hard drive.

If the above doesn't help you, especially if you have older hardware and multiple hard drives connected, the problem is most likely not in the BIOS. Try this:

1. Turn off the computer and check the position of the jumper on the hard drive; if this is the second hard drive, it should be in the “slave” position, if the first is “master”. Information about the position of the jumpers is usually located on the cover of the device.
2. If you have an old ide disk and it is not detected even in the “slave” position, you can try removing the jumper.

All actions must be performed with the computer turned off and without power. After each change, of course, you need to go into the BIOS and check for the presence of the device.

You may encounter the message “Windows cannot be installed on this disk” at the stage of selecting an operating system installation partition if not supported download from the selected storage medium. The reason that caused this obstacle is stated in the installer's message.

Reasons There may be several such problems:

• worn out or damaged SATA cable;
• disabled hard drive controller in BIOS;
• malfunctions the storage medium itself;
• absence AHCI driver included in the Windows distribution;
• does not match the format BIOS - UEFI or Legacy - disk partition style - GPT and MBR, respectively.

Let's talk about the last two problems in more detail.

Problem with AHCI

The appearance at one time of the connection mode for the SATA storage media controller AHCI, which replaced the old IDE, entailed additional requirement to the composition of the Windows distribution kit - the presence of the corresponding drivers. AHCI driver support is announced in OS versions starting with Vista.

But Windows 7 does not always want to be installed on a computer with active mode SATA AHCI controller. There are two ways out here - change of distribution(AHCI drivers can be cut by packagers of pirated assemblies) and AHCI switching to old IDE mode. In the latter case, you need to enter the BIOS, find the section for setting the parameters of the SATA controller (sections may be called “Integrated Peripherals”, “Storage Configuration”, etc.) and change the preset AHCI to IDE.

Convert MBR to GPT

Windows will not install if the disk has wrong style sections:

• GPT, while the UEFI interface in the BIOS is disabled;
• MBR, while UEFI mode is active and Windows is installed from UEFI bootable media.

The last case is the most common: everyone who either replaced a new motherboard with BIOS UEFI support, or connected HDDs or SSDs with MBR partitioning for PC assembly. There may also be two options for getting out of the situation:

• refuse from the advantages of UEFI, disable this interface in the BIOS (switch to Legacy) and continue installing Windows on an MBR disk;
• convert it in GPT.

If there is no important data on the hard drive, transformation from MBR to GPT will be carried out automatically Windows installer. To do this, at the stage of choosing the OS installation location, you need to delete all existing partitions.

And as an installation location indicate whole unoccupied space.

You need to complete the Windows reinstallation process, return to the old system and install this program. Or boot up with LiveDisk with AOMEI Partition Assistant included, if you already have access to the old Windows impossible. Program developer - AOMEI company - provides the ability to create emergency bootable media with your products on board. To create such media, you need to use another product of the company - AOMEI PE Builder. Also, AOMEI Partition Assistant, among other software for system engineers, is included in LiveDisk AdminPE.

To convert disk from MBR to GPT, follow the steps as in the screenshots below.

After converting the section style again launch Windows installation.

Convert GPT to MBR

If the question is the opposite - for example, the motherboard do not support BIOS UEFI, but the assembly of components included an HDD or SSD with GPT partitioning, nothing left other than convert it in the MBR. This can be done in the same ways as described above for the reverse process:

• by removal all partitions using the Windows installer, if there is no need for the data stored on the disk;
• by using programs AOMEI Partition Assistant.

To convert a disk from GPT to MBR, follow the same steps as in previous section article, with the only difference that this time we launch, accordingly, the reverse operation.

During installation of the operating system, at the stage of formatting disks and creating partitions, the user may encounter the error “Windows cannot be installed on this disk. Your computer hardware may not support booting from this disk. Make sure that the controller for this drive is enabled in the computer's BIOS menu."

Why does this error occur and how to fix it?

Ways to solve the problem

Often, an error where it is impossible to create a partition for installing a new operating system occurs on old PCs with Windows 7. However, other operating systems, from XP to Windows 10, are also not immune to this problem.

The following factors may be the cause of this error:

• Incorrect SATA operating parameters settings;
• Equipment specifics (availability of additional SSD and SCSI cards).

Method number 1. Through BIOS settings

To fix this error, you should boot into the BIOS and set the hard drive operating mode to IDE. To do this we do the following:

• Reboot the PC and press “F8” several times to get into the BIOS.
• We find the “Advanced” or “Integrated Peripherals” section and select the “SATA Mode” or “SATA Raid”, “SATA Configuration” item in it (the path to the settings depends on the motherboard model). We change the operating mode from AHCI or another to IDE.

• Press “F10” and restart the PC. We repeat the system installation.

If your PC has a new BIOS firmware, then instead of IDE mode you should enable EFI boot. To do this we do the following:

• We boot into BOIS-UEFI and go to the “Boot” section. Find the item “UEFI/Legacy Boot” and set it to “Enabled”.

• Save the changes and restart the PC.

It is worth noting that with this change it is possible that a new error will appear that is associated with MBR or GTP partitions.

If you have an additional cached SSD or other drive installed on your PC or laptop, this may be causing the problem. To fix the problem, perform the following steps:

• Determine the model and version of the device. We go to the developer’s website and download the drivers, which are sealed in an archive and not posted as a separate exe file.
• Unpack the files onto the flash drive.
• We start the Windows installation. At the volume selection stage, click on the “Download drivers” button.

• A new window will open. Click the “Browse” button and specify the path to the drivers. Click “Ok” and “Next”.

• We try again to select a volume to install the system.

Method No. 3. If the error is related to the GPT or MBR format

If during installation of Windows 7, 8 or 10 you receive the error “Windows cannot be installed on this drive. The selected disk has a GPT partition style,” you should change the GPT format to MBR. To do this, perform the following steps.

• We save all data from drive C, since it will be formatted. It also wouldn't hurt to save information from local drive D.
• Open a command prompt with administrator rights and enter the following commands in order:

1. diskpart;
2. list disk;
3. select disk No. (indicate the number of the disk on which you will install Windows and which one is causing problems);
4. clean (the entire disk will be cleaned);
5. convert mbr (format changed);
6. exit.

After formatting the partition, you should restart the PC and try installing the OS again.

You can also perform the same steps in a simpler way. In the BIOS, in the “Boot” section, in the “UEFI / Legasy Boot” item, set Enabled, and in “Secure Boot” - Disabled. After this, we delete all partitions and create new ones. The format will be automatically changed.

How to remove the "Make sure that the controller for this disk is enabled in the computer's bios menu" window during Windows installation

During Windows installation, "Make sure that the controller for this disk is enabled in the computer's bios menu"

Sometimes it happens that during Windows installation, at the stage when you need to select the hard disk partition on which Windows will be installed, the error “Make sure that the controller of this disk is included in the computer’s bios menu” appears. Naturally, the installation does not proceed further.

Error text

In this article you will learn what this means and how to fix the problem with the hard drive controller.

Why does this error appear?

There are several options for the message “Make sure that the controller of this disk is enabled in the computer’s bios menu.”

One of the most likely is that the hard drive operating mode is incorrectly set in the BIOS. There are two main modes - Achi and IDE, which we wrote about in the article.

Sometimes on new motherboards the UEFI/BIOS boot mode option contributes to the appearance of this error.

Less often, but another situation also occurs. This is damage to the boot record of the hard drive and in this case it will need to be restored.

How to fix “Make sure that the controller of this disk is enabled in the computer’s bios menu”?

There are as many options for eliminating this problem as there are reasons.

First you need the operating mode of the hard drive. If it is IDE (Compatible)(Native Mode), then enable AHCI, and if it is AHCI, then switch to IDE (Compatible)(Native Mode).

Switching the hard drive operating mode - option 1

Switching the hard drive operating mode - option 6

Switching the hard drive operating mode - option 5

Switching the hard drive operating mode - option 4

Switching the hard drive operating mode - option 3

Switching the hard drive operating mode - option 2

If this does not help, then you should check the UEFI/BIOS boot mode option. If there is one, then you should set it to “legacy” or “Legacy First”.

Switch boot mode to Legacy

After all changes in the BIOS, do not forget to save them with the F10 button.

The last option is to try checking and restoring the boot record of your hard drive.

To do this, press “shift” + “F10” when the error “Make sure that the controller of this disk is enabled in the computer’s bios menu” appears. This will launch the console.

Recovering the boot record via the console

• bootrec /fixmbr;
• bootrec/fixboot;
• bootrec /RebuildBcd.

Computers are complex devices that rely on many different elements to operate. One of them is a SATA controller. What is this device? How to work with it? How to take care of its performance? Here is an incomplete list of questions that will be considered as part of our article.

It is a technology by which storage devices such as hard drives and optical cables can communicate over a high-speed cable with the motherboard. It is optimal to use the connector with the lowest number. SATA0 or SATA1 are considered ideal. It is possible to use other ports.

When working with hard drives, you must initially use SATA0. It is installed on system media. Each subsequent one must have a number one more and so on. If you have multiple hard drives and use RAID mode to increase storage space, one wire is connected to the connector, and then everything else is connected to the controller.

Operating modes

Controllers determine how the hard drive will communicate with the motherboard. There can be three principles of interaction:

1. Operating mode of the SATA IDE controller. The simplest option. With it, the hard drive functions as IDE or PATA. In this case, it has limited potential and is also not very fast. But this mode is very valuable if it is necessary to ensure compatibility of interaction with equipment that is already outdated. It can also be used in cases where the computer has only one hard drive and there is no need to use various drive functions.
2. Operating mode of the SATA AHCI controller. In this case, the use of advanced drive functions becomes possible. An example is Native Command Queuing and hot swapping. Also a significant advantage is the high speed of interaction (when compared with the previous option).
3. RAID controller operating mode. With this setup, multiple separate hard drives can be used to create a single storage array. It is characterized by redundancy of information, as well as higher performance. The first is achieved by creating a backup copy of the hard drive, and the second by striping the disk space. When this mode works, AHCI also functions together with it.

Notes

Initially, you need to set the operating mode in which the SATA controller for a laptop or computer will function correctly, and only then deal with the operating system. After all, if you do this later, the OS may not work correctly, even to the point of failure. So, this may happen due to the disk driver being disabled or the wrong BIOS setting being used.

Causes of malfunctions

Let's say your PC stops working with its hard drive. This malfunction may have several reasons:

1. Cables are loose.
2. The hard drive has failed.
3. The SATA controller does not work or is very slow.

In the first option, you need to check the tightness of the cable. In the second case, the device most likely needs to be replaced. And in the third - set the correct settings. Administrator rights are required for such changes. If they are, then you can begin to solve the problem.

How to enable the SATA controller in the computer BIOS?

First you need to go into the BIOS. There is no single standard - each machine uses a separate special key for this. To find out, you need to read the instructions on the screen that appear immediately after turning on the computer. Moreover, for a guaranteed result it must be pressed more than once.

After logging in successfully, you need to find the Integrated Peripherals item. If it is not there, then any one that is consonant in meaning will do. It contains all the parameters that relate to the internal capabilities of the motherboard. Now you need to find the Onboard SATA Controller. If it's not there, just look for any entry that says "SATA controller." This parameter can only be set to Disabled and Enabled (disabled and enabled, respectively). You need to make sure that it is activated.

To save changes, you can press F10 and the enter button. If you do not do this, the system itself will offer to perform these actions. After this, you should restart the computer and go into the BIOS again to make sure that the hard drive has been detected. You can understand this thanks to the Standard CMOS Features item. Now we know how to enable the SATA controller. Let's look at the modes.

AHCI connection

This is done using the same BIOS. To make changes, go to the control window. After that you need to look for IDE, AHCI or RAID. They must come with SATA. Also, on some devices, the word “MODE” is used additionally. We disable the mode that we do not need, and, on the contrary, enable the necessary one (this is also done by changing Disabled to Enabled and vice versa).

If, when you try to change the mode, a message is displayed stating that no disk is located, it means that the necessary drivers are missing. Therefore, you will need to log into the operating system and install them with administrator rights first. This can also be done using the OS installation disc. But still, the first option is less time-consuming. Also remember that changes you make to the basic I/O system must be saved for them to take effect. How to do this was discussed in the previous paragraph.

In general, here's how to switch the SATA controller to AHCI mode or another mode that is necessary. In this case, it is important to strictly follow the instructions so as not to touch anything unnecessary. Now let's take a look at two options that may come in handy when setting up your computer. Moreover, the main topic of the article has already been revealed, and we will now deepen our knowledge.

SATA Controller Mode

This option is used to specify the operating mode. We have already discussed this. Now let's pay attention to how and what works in this case. If you set the IDE mode, there will be no need to use additional drivers when working with equipment that uses this technology. RAID mode is compatible with all operating systems starting from Windows 2000. The only peculiarity is that outdated media for drivers will be required here (if the equipment is of the same year as the operating system). Otherwise, their role can be successfully performed by a Flash drive or CD. But it makes sense to talk about creation only if there are at least two hard drives. Their work will be positively influenced by the same brand and volume. And if the parties and firmware match, these are already ideal conditions for using this mode.

ANSI is a newer technology and is not compatible with older (relatively) systems. Due to the fact that this mode has a positive effect on the performance of the equipment, it is recommended to focus on it. Moreover, although RAID and ANSI can still be launched on representatives of operating systems and computers starting from the 2000 generation, they will not help with Windows 9x: there are simply no drivers that would combine the operation of software and hardware. Please note that changes must be made before the OS is installed. If you change the mode when the operating system is already installed, you can find a “blue screen of death” on your computer, which will display information about an error and the impossibility of correct operation. If you don’t want to see him and demolish the OS, then you should forcibly change the controller driver to one that will work with the new settings.

History of development

The first of the family of controllers is rightfully considered SATA 150. It is an interface that uses a serial data bus. It operates at a frequency of 1.5 GHz, thereby providing a throughput of 150 Megabytes per second. The standard has spread due to a number of advantages that previous developments did not have. Thus, the architectural advantages of the bus, the small size of connectors and cables, ease of use and overall reliability of the connection played a role. Also, when connecting two devices to one port, there are no conflicts or problems.

The second generation of SATA 300 provides operation at speeds of 300 Megabytes in one second. In theory, both options are compatible, but problems cannot be ruled out. But, in fairness, it is worth saying that even the most modern hard drives have not yet learned to operate faster than 130 Megabytes per second, so there is no particular point in chasing numbers in this case. So there is no difference when using controller types. All that matters is which one connects first.

Conclusion

The SATA controller is, of course, an important part of any computer. It is a device that allows us to access data that is valuable. Also worthy of special attention is the success the developers of this part were able to achieve in terms of performance. In addition, this suggests that there is significant reserve for increasing the capacity of hard drives without improving data transfer technology, which makes it unlikely that it will become obsolete and unnecessary in the next few decades.