I mentioned this before. There are good reasons why you need AHCI enabled.

1. 64bit addressing
2. hot plug (not for internal drives but for eSATA)
3. NCQ
4. port multiplier for use of external eSATA RAID boxes

Having said that, if your Windows is already installed using IDE and you want to change to AHCI, be careful !

Here's a guide. You need to make sure that the AHCI driver is available.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

USB enclosure is different.. check around the interweb.. silicon image 3132 doesn't pass smart data along through the port multiplier(PM)..

It seems some said the 3132 can't support SMART information, have a look.
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/IDE/NewerTech6G...GeSataCard.html
Wonder if you're using this, should maybe a newer version of that card support?

If SMART is important for you, maybe you should switch to USB3 adapter/enclosure?

thx, rly appreciate it

well its not that important cause i put my disk into the hotway probox.. and i just want to get the ideal temperature..

for reference purpose only...

so far sil 3132 is one of those PCIE esata that i know supports PM funtion...

got to know abt 3132 functions from here

https://ata.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/SATA_hardware_features

hi got some question, my hd drive is almost full but when i check size on every folder in there it only used about 24gb..how to solve this problem?

Any screenshot that might be helpful?
How many space left? What's the drive that's full (assuming you have few partitions)?
Did you try Disk Cleanup? How about Defragmenting (for this I recommend "Defraggler", google it)?
Post your My Computer > Details view screenshot so we can have a look at your drive(s) and partition(s).

anybody have info on this? maybe out of topic a bit..

i wanna get another HDD. thought of the WD my passport studio.. i like the firewire interface.. but its need to be formatted to be use in windows..
but the auto backup function is quite annoying.

so, 1) will the encryption function still can be use after formatted?
2) between USB 3.0 and firewire which is better on Dell Studio XPS?

OR

any other HDD suggestion? i need it for my design data, photos and bussiness.. so i need a fast and secure HDD.. want the password interface..

Regards the encryption, it'll depends on the software was inside the HDD you bought, maybe you can move the software somewhere else before you format the HDD.
USB3 and Firewire, I have a Dell Studio 1555 and my laptop has E-SATA which among the best for external HDD. If you have USB3 then by all means use it, does your Dell Studio has Firewire as well? That would be very interesting to see one. But USB3 has 10x of USB2 which is already faster (by a little) than Firewire400, if Firewire800 is double the speed of predecessor then USB3 would crash it easily.

my dell has display port, HDMI, USB and e sata...

can u suugest me a good brand or specific model?

USB 3.0 will run like 2.0 in my laptop right?

If you only use on your laptop, no means (or rarely) on other PC then choose those enclosure or those external HDD with e-SATA, it does provide faster speed than USB2 on your laptop.
Here I can't really suggest any model, live in Kuching, Sarawak here and only has handful of model from Western Digital... not to say they're bad but I think there should be plenty out there that can provide better service or value for money.
For me, either brand is fine as long as it fits the budget and has the features that I want.

Any news on Spinpoint F4 ? Hopefully they release something new >1TB

currently only 320gb spinpoint f4 in market..

A firmware problems with some of the Samsung F4 and F3 HDDs, namely the HD204UI/JP HD155UI, with Firmware Version: 1AQ10001 as detailed in here:

Using smartctl with Samsung F4 EcoGreen drives may result in data loss
Samsung 2TB green drives defective firmware

Thus far, the comments on the forum seems to say the problem is solved by flashing a new firmware into it. I think a lot of people has gotten the HD204UI for the cheap price, and since this is for backup, data loss is definitely a nono. Does anyone encounter data loss problem?

Although I've been recommending people to get Samsung drives, it seems that it is best to avoid these drives for the time being, for the hassle of flashing a new firmware.

This post has been edited by kaiserreich: Jan 6 2011, 01:17 PM

Price of the popular HD103SJ is now RM174 at Viewnet. I find this surprising because previously it was RM169 for quite a while. Demand is high I guess?
At Jayacom it is still RM168 though.

What is the market price for Western Digital Harddisk?

500gb =

1 tb =

2 tb =

http://www.hardwarezone.com.my/priceguide/

I miss 5.25" Harddisks , since their extinction, 5.25" bay usage reduced dramatically.

Hi,where can I found the firmware version for my 204UI?I go through the label on the disk and seem unable to find the firmware details.
What HDD did you recommend now if I need a 1.5 or 2TB drive?

anyone mind giving some pros/cons/opinions please.

im thinking to buy a 1TB external hard drive 2.5" and i cant seem to decice which to go for.
from my searches i found out these few might be the ones:
Samsung s2
WD passport essential
seagate go flex.

thanks you! much appreciated

any user here used Samsung G3 2TB, wanna get 1 but i wanna hear the review form any user here....