HP dv6736nr - No SATA?

New to the forum.

First notebook, Home Premium

New to SATA technology.

It has a 250 GB SATA hard drive: http://www.fujitsu.com/us/services/computing/storage/hdd/mobile/mhy2250bh-sata.html

I don't see anything about SATA in the BIOS or in the Device Manager.

Shouldn't there be some type of SATA controller in Device Manager and something about SATA in the BIOS?

 

The BIOS in all HP computers is limited down to the very basics. Yes you might have more control of SATA options in BIOS in a desktop computer, but not in the laptop. There won't be any information or configuration settings for a SATA HDD on your laptop.

So why do you want to know about this? Just interested in the technology? Sata comes in 2 different flavors, SATA 1.5 (150) and SATA 3.0 (300). All HP laptops only support SATA 1.5. Sata 3.0 will work with a SATA 1.5 and vice versa. If you use a SATA 1.5 on a SATA 3.0, it will still be the SATA 1.5 speed, if you use a SATA 3.0 on a SATA 1.5 interface it will run at the SATA 1.5 speed. SATA 1.5 speed is 1.5Gbit/s and SATA 3.0 is 3Gbit/s.

SATA is more stable in my opinion than IDE and it's a heck of a lot faster than IDE. I don't even think that companies sell computers with IDE HDD's anymore. Every desktop, for the most part, has one IDE interface and that's for the CD-ROM drive. Now they do make SATA CD-ROM drives, but I haven't seen them too much.

If there's anything else you wanna know a bout SATA let me know.

 

Thank you for that imformation, certainly things that I didn't know.

I would like to verify that the laptop is running the SATA HD as SATA?

Shouldn't there be a SATA controller in the Device Manager?

I also just noticed in System Information- Components- Storage- Disks, that the HD is listed as ".... ATA Device".

 

You don't have to worry about whether or not it is running SATA. Sata is simply the interface used, there aren't any settings for it, except in BIOS when it isn't restricted. You don't need to verify that it is running the SATA HD as SATA, because that's all it can run it as. It's the type of interface, just like PATA (IDE), nothing more, nothing less.

 

Thank you for your reply.

I'm not real good at blind faith and would like to understand how it is running as SATA. Another reason that I would like to know is because XP Pro installed without using F6 to install a SATA driver. This means that somehow a SATA controller/driver is present or something is causing XP Pro to see the SATA drive as PATA?

I just don't understand these things yet.

 

Is XP actually saying that the drive is a PATA? For the most part when you install XP on a HP laptop that came with Vista you have to add the drivers into the XP install disk (known as slipstreaming). In the end, SATA is simply an interface that allows Hard Drives to communicate with the motherboard.

If you really want to learn more about the technology and how it works, go pick up an A+ book or google the technologies. Another good way is just to keep reading posts on this forum, I've learned a ton of new information from being an active member on this site.

 

A SATA drive will never be seen as PATA. XP will not recognize a SATA drive without SATA drivers.

 

Well I sure would like to know what is going on then because I installed XP Pro on the dv6736nr laptop and didn't use the F6 function nor to my knowledge has a SATA driver been slipstreamed into the install CD.

XP Pro on dv6736nr

 

Hard Drives are under Disk Drives, not IDE controllers.

 

Premium on dv6736nr


Ultimate on dv6736nr

 

XP Pro on dv6736nr

 

It depends on the chipset being used. There are some chipsets which deal with this quite well while others dont and require the use of the F6 driver. My nvidia 430 series didnt require installation of any SATA drivers during XP installation but can be installed later on using the nforce chipset drivers. Most of the current Intel chipsets require SATA drivers.

No, not necessarily. The options seen in the BIOS are controlled by th OEM. Since installation of XP doesnt provide the use of emulation, there is no option in the BIOS for SATA.

Have you installed the chipset drivers yet or are you just using the stock XP/Vista drivers? try installing them and then check the device manager. Plus, in any case you have a SATA hard drive, so you should be using a SATA connector. Another way is to look at the drive itself, it should be pretty obvious if it is a SATA or a PATA HDD.

 

Thank you miner for your reply.

What you are saying seems to make since, I just didn't know why and I'm sure the HD is SATA.

Chipset drivers have been installed on Ultimate and on XP. I assume that Premium (from the recover partition) would have them installed.

Do I need to install SATA drivers or are you saying that they are included in the chipset drivers. Could you explain this to me please?

 

The chipset controls the SATA functionality. Windows Vista shouldnt have any problems with Sata since it natively supports. For Windows XP I would suggest installing the chipset drivers since the it includes the SATA drivers(the SATA controller is integrated into the chipset). You should have the nforce 630M chipset(plus the 7150M graphics card). HP should have the driver on their support site. Now, you might not find the right drivers for XP considering HP does not offer XP with these systems anymore. You might have to find the drivers from other manufacturers who use the same chipset or modify the XP drivers from nvidia's website for it to install.

 

Thanks miner

Chipset driver has been installed on XP, that was the very first install after installing XP.

 

Not sure about your model, but on my DV6000t I have the option to turn off Native SATA support. With that off I can install XP without a slipstreamed disk. With it on, then I have to. Maybe yours is turned off?

 

Nothing available in the BIOS.

 

Hey Guys, I have a HP Pavillion DV6000 Laptop..
Please could anyone help me find the SATA Controller ?