Windows 8 Windows 8 won't allow me to add a second hard drive

[peterjones]

I try to add a second internal SATA 6 hard drive to my computer. On restart, Windows 8 gives a message "Preparing for Repair" and after few seconds it restarts computer and again the same message and continues to restart.

This SATA was already working smoothly with Windows 7 and Windows 8 RP.

When I detach the HDD Windows 8 starts as usual.

I loaded Gparted Live and it showed all the hard drives as healthy and working. Then I loaded Ubuntu Live (latest). I could copy and move files from and to the hard drives. There is something wrong collaborative between Windows 8, UEFI, and hardware (BIOS) not ready for the market that I can't sort it out. I hooked SATA cables to many different scenarios, with no result, yet. Should be obliged for any advice.

Windows 8 Enterprise

 

[kemical]

Hi,

Try changing the boot order to boot from CD/DVD, booting from your install disk and then when you reach the install page choose repair instead.

 

[davehc]

As Kemical says.It looks like you may have the wrong HD boot order. Try changing those around in the bios.

 

[peterjones]

I did a clean install with both SATAs connected. After the screen that says, "Restarts in 10 seconds" (that is, when Windows has installed in to HDD) when Windows restarted the same message came out as "Preparing Automatic Repair" again and again until I disconnected the second drive. Then Windows completed its installation and started to work normally.

This is array of my 8 internal SATA's:

Intel® X79 Serial ATA 6.0 Gb/s connectors
(7-pin SATA6G_1/2 [gray]) SATA6G_1 connected to WD5000AZRX (Western Digital SATA6 500GB) partitioned as NTFS Containing files and folders.

Intel® X79 Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s connectors
(7-pin SATA3G_3–6 [blue]) SATA3G_1 connected to WD5000AADS (Western Digital SATA3 500GB) partitioned by Windows 8 defaults Containing operating system and installed applications.
Marvell® Serial ATA 6.0 Gb/s connectors
(7-pin SATA6G_E1/E2 [gray])

I insert screens of Boot and SATA's

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[kemical]

Hi Peter,

in your original post you mention the new drive was already working under windows 7 and windows 8 RP:

This SATA was already working smoothly with Windows 7 and Windows 8 RP.

If this was the case why was it removed?

 

[Saltgrass]

If you are running a UEFI system, you need to boot to the boot manager for that OS that you should see in the Bios, or with a boot device menu.

It might help if you attach a disk management picture of your situation using the snipping tool and attach using the paperclip.

But UEFI and MBR systems can be set up to dual boot in a similar manner, but in UEFI, you do not boot to the drive, but the boot manager. Did you install Ubuntu as UEFI? Are both Win 8 and 7 installed as UEFI?

 

[peterjones]

Sirs,
I didn't install Ubuntu. I used one separate Drive only for Windows 8 to be formatted by the defaults of Windows 8. I used Ubuntu Live CD to be able to check if the second SATA 6 and also the motherboard both are healthy and access to get data from that drive. I also checked against any dropping on the drive that could prevent Windows 8 to be loaded. That helped to narrow down the fault to UEFI. My Windows 7 was not ignited as UEFI and was on a partition not on an entire drive.

@Kemical

For different reasons I separate my second drive during installation. My experience includes either I myself or the installing operating system might damage data on the second drive. This is what I am doing during years. And each year I might re-install Windows and other operating systems many times.

 

[Saltgrass]

You seem to show, and it can be confusing for us so correct me if I am wrong, but you have 2 WD 500G hard drives.

The SATA III is on P1 (first Intel port) and the SATA II is on P3.

Windows 7 is on the SATA III drive and installed with MBR configuration. Which means you have to boot to that drive.

Windows 8 is on the SATA II drive and is installed as UEFI, which means you boot to the Windows Boot manager.

From your attachments, it looks like the first boot option is the Windows Boot manager, so it should boot you into Windows 8.

If you were installing and rebooted, to which drive or even Windows 8 install are you getting the repair request. You say you disconnected the Windows 7 drive during the Install of Windows 8. When you did that, did the install proceed without problems, and were you ever able to boot into Windows 8.

Basically, I would like to deal just with the Windows 8 drive for now...

Edit: I am assuming when you say repair, you do not mean a chkdsk is being requested.....

Edit: One more question, does the Windows 7 drive (MBR) have any extended or logical partitions?

 

[peterjones]

SATA6G_1 connected to WD5000AADS (Western Digital SATA3 500GB) partitioned by Windows 8 defaults Containing operating system and installed applications. (As SATA6 host is backward compatible with SATA3 drive )

SATA6G_2 connected to WD5000AZRX (Western Digital SATA6 500GB) partitioned as NTFS Containing files and folders.

Windows worked normally when alone but didn't allow connection of second SATA6.

SATA 6 has three NTFS created partitions: 1st is logical 2nd is logical, 3rd is extended.

I shut down the computer and connected both drives and booted from Windows 8 media. Opened a command prompt for repair.

Windows 8 was on C:

1st logical was on D:

3rd extended was on E:

2nd logical was on F:

On G: there was bootmgr and other similar files.

I have not installed any Windows 7 or other operating systems. Drive 0 fully belongs to Windows 8, Drive 1 is storage for files, documents, pictures and so on.

Please look at the screen:

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Now I wonder if it is safe to hot plug the second drive while Windows 8 is running. Motherboard BIOS supports hot plug to be enabled.

 

[Saltgrass]

Windows 8, when installed using the UEFI configuration, will not boot with another drive connected to the system that has an Extended/Logical partition.

This even includes external drives, which is not your situation, but just for information.

 

[peterjones]

Excellent; it seems correct to me. I'll move contents of that using Ubuntu Live CD to other two partitions. I'll delete that and test it and write the result here. Thanks.

 

[peterjones]

Most obliged, Sir. It is working now.

I insert screen

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Best Regards

PJ

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