Weird ... HP desktop not POSTing when SATA device is connected.

[thecomputerguy]

I got a computer that I would have already given up on... but I recently put a new HD in and reformatted/reinstalled because they didn't want to spend the money on a new computer because finances were tight at the time.

Anyways, this computer sits at the HP logo whenever anything is plugged into one of the SATA ports.

At first I thought it was a PSU because when a provided power to the CD or HD it would just sit stuck so I swapped in my test PSU and still experienced the same issues. The computer will POST as long as nothing is plugged into a SATA port.

Things I've tried:

New PSU
Loaded Defaults
Removed CMOS Battery
Reset CMOS
Tried a test DVD Drive (still locks up at HP logo)
Tried a test HD (still locks up at HP logo)
Swapped RAM around various ports in various configurations
Disconnected all power and let it discharge for 10-15 minutes
New SATA cable
Tried all SATA ports (4 total)
Unplugged everything from computer except Power & Monitor
I tried hooking up their HD to a USB adapter and booting to that and it attempts to boot but fails ... probably due to a driver issue
Can't update BIOS because it's a Windows based BIOS update (or maybe I have to get creative?)

The computer isn't that important and I've already wasted a bunch of time troubleshooting so popping in a new drive via USB just to install Windows just to update the BIOS just to hope it possibly works seems like more time wasted.

Again the computer will POST as long as nothing is in any of the SATA ports...

Just about ready to call it a bad SATA controller unless anyone has any other ideas.

 

[Bizybone]

You could update the BIOS by booting into a PE enviorment and have the files loaded on a USB stick, possibly.

 

[Markverhyden]

Which model? How big was the old HD and the new HD? Have you tried a separate SATA card?

 

[gadgetfixup]

What happens if you disable the SATA controller in CMOS? Does it still hang with a device plugged in? Can you get into CMOS while a device is plugged in to see if it is being detected?

 

[HFultzjr]

How does it act in a "live" linux distro, such as PartedMagic, etc.

 

[thecomputerguy]

You could update the BIOS by booting into a PE enviorment and have the files loaded on a USB stick, possibly.

I have a Windows 7 PE USB stick and the update won't load ... all kinds of errors, missing DLL's etc.

 

[thecomputerguy]

Which model? How big was the old HD and the new HD? Have you tried a separate SATA card?

HP P6310F

I don't stock a separate SATA card and the HD size doesn't matter because it wont post with even just a DVD drive in.

 

[thecomputerguy]

How does it act in a "live" linux distro, such as PartedMagic, etc.

Live works fine as long as there are no devices plugged into the SATA with power otherwise it will not post.

 

[phaZed]

It's a bad motherboard/IO controller - Get at least 1 of these a month or more.

 

[thecomputerguy]

It's a bad motherboard/IO controller - Get at least 1 of these a month or more.

Yep I'm just prepping him a refurb, over this thing.

 

[HFultzjr]

Live works fine as long as there are no devices plugged into the SATA with power otherwise it will not post.

I would also be going with a bad motherboard.

 

[NETWizz]

If it is only one (1) drive doing it, then it is a bad drive, but if any SATA drive you connect causes the same symptom then you have a bad motherboard.