OT: Any problems with eSATA and Windows 7?

CClub wrote on 11/3/2009, 2:13 PM

Is anyone else having problems with external eSATA hard drives working with Windows 7? I finally finished loading everything up with Windows 7, started working on a project that I had on 2 external eSATA hard drives, and they aren't recognized by Windows 7. I can hear them start working, then nothing. I was able to use their USB 2 cables, but USB 2 isn't nearly as fast as eSATA.

I'm wondering if this is a problem with the manufacturer/drivers. I have a Seagate eSATA drive that's working fine; the other ones are Acomdata.

Comments

drmathprog wrote on 11/3/2009, 3:52 PM

Same here; they worked with XP; they don't with Win 7.

ddm wrote on 11/3/2009, 4:09 PM

I have had this issue with Vista and W7, and XP for that matter, I find the foolproof way to have my sata drives is to do a system restart with the drives attached and on, otherwise, it's hit and miss. This is more of a problem with my older sata enclosures, the two new macally enclosures seem to always work. Not sure what that's about. Also, I've had W7 take a while to recognize the drive, if I forget about it for a while all of a sudden it gets seen. Again, that's with my older enclosures.

A. Grandt wrote on 11/3/2009, 6:38 PM

Sounds like my experience as well, they ahve to be attached at startup to be recognized. Hot-plugging eSATA seems to be a hit and miss affair. Usually miss.

CClub wrote on 11/4/2009, 4:48 AM

Geez... not being able to hot-plug hardware... what does that date back to... Windows 95, Windows 98? That's crazy.

farss wrote on 11/4/2009, 6:58 AM

Not all the SATA controller chips on mobos support hot swapping.
I *think* support for hot swap on SATA was added around WinXP SP3 but it cannot work if your chipset doesn't support it.

Bob.

A. Grandt wrote on 11/4/2009, 7:48 AM

Hmmm, so most mobo manufacturers took the cheap way out, and just exposed a regular SATA port as if it was eSATA. That sounds a lot like what I'm seeing on my board, and IMHO it is bordering on false or misleading advertising to call it eSATA then.