2 Port PCI Express SATA 6 Gbps eSATA Controller Card - Dual Port PCIe x1 SATA III Adapter with Configurable Internal/External Connectivity

Questions & Answers

Why are my drives not detected during Windows installation, and how do I make them available?
If the storage drives are not visible during Windows installation, you may need to load the RAID or storage controller driver before the installer can detect the drives. Explanation: During Windows Setup, storage drives connected to certain RAID or storage controllers may not appear automatically because the required controller driver is not included with the Windows installation media. If you reach the "Where do you want to install Windows?" screen and no drives are listed: Select Load Driver. Connect a USB flash drive or insert media containing the storage controller or RAID driver. Browse to the driver location and load the driver that matches the operating system being installed. Once the driver is loaded, Windows Setup should detect the connected storage drives and make them available for installation. Without the appropriate controller driver, Windows Setup may not be able to detect drives connected through RAID or specialized storage controllers.

How do I install my hard drive controller in Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, or Windows 11? (.exe method)
To install your hard drive controller in Windows, download the latest driver package from StarTech.com, extract the files, run Setup.exe as an administrator, and restart the computer if prompted. Explanation: Before installing the hard drive controller, ensure that Windows is fully updated with the latest service packs, security updates, and feature updates available for your operating system. To install the driver: Download the latest driver package from the StarTech.com Drivers & Downloads page. Extract the contents of the downloaded ZIP file. Open the extracted folder. Right-click Setup.exe and select Run as administrator . Follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver. Restart the computer if prompted. After Windows restarts, the operating system will complete the driver installation and the hard drive controller will be ready to use. Note: If Run as administrator is not available, ensure that you are launching Setup.exe from the extracted folder rather than directly from within the ZIP file.

How do I install my hard drive controller in Windows XP? (.exe method)
Before you install the device, make sure that your operating system is current (for example, the most recent service pack is installed). Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website at http://www.startech.com/Support . You can find the part number and product ID on the product’s packaging. Note: Windows usually saves the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, C:Documents and Settings your_name My DocumentsDownloads). After the download is complete, right-click the zip folder that you downloaded, click Extract All , and complete the instructions. In the list of extracted files, double-click the Setup.exe file. Complete the instructions to install the device drivers, and restart your computer when prompted to. Your computer will automatically complete the driver installation and your device should be ready to use.

How do I manually install my hard drive controller card driver in Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, or Windows 11?
If the standard Setup.exe installation method does not work, you can manually install the hard drive controller card driver through Device Manager by selecting the appropriate driver (.INF) file. Explanation: Before installing the hard drive controller card, ensure that Windows is fully updated with the latest service packs, security updates, and feature updates available for your operating system. To manually install the driver: Download the latest driver package from the StarTech.com Drivers & Downloads page. Extract the contents of the downloaded ZIP file. Open Device Manager by pressing Windows Key + R , typing devmgmt.msc , and pressing Enter . Locate PCI Device or the device with a yellow exclamation mark ( ! ) or question mark ( ? ). Right-click the device and select Update Driver . Select Browse my computer for drivers . Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer . If prompted, select Show All Devices , then click Next . Click Have Disk . Browse to the extracted Manual Driver folder, then open the folder for your operating system and system architecture (32-bit or 64-bit). Select the asahxp.inf file, then click OK and Next to install the driver. Notes: The Show All Devices screen may not appear on all versions of Windows. If it does not appear, continue to the next step. To determine whether Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit, review the system information in Windows Settings or System Properties. Once installation is complete, the hard drive controller card should appear correctly in Device Manager and be ready for use.

Is there a different or more advanced way to install my hard drive controller card in Windows XP?
Before you install the device, make sure that your operating system is current (for example, the most recent service pack is installed). Download the latest drivers from the StarTech.com website at http://www.startech.com/Support . The part number and product ID are on the product packaging. Note: Windows usually saves the files to the Downloads folder that is associated with your user account (for example, C:Documents and Settings your_name My DocumentsDownloads). After the download is complete, right-click the zip folder that you downloaded, click Extract All , and complete the instructions. Press the Windows key + R , type devmgmt.msc , and press Enter to open Device Manager . Right-click PCI Device , which will have “!” or “?” next to it to indicate a driver issue. Click Update Driver . On the Hardware Update Wizard screen, click Install from a list or specific location (Advanced) , and then click Next . Select the Don’t search, I will choose the driver to install option, and then click Next . On the Hardware Type screen, click Show All Devices , and then click Next . Note: The Hardware Type screen does not appear on all systems. If you do not see this screen, skip this step. On the Select the Device Driver you want to install for this hardware screen, select the Have Disk option. In the Install from Disk dialog box, click Browse . Browse to the Manual Driver folder, choose the folder for your operating system and open the 32-bit or the 64-bit folder, depending on your system type. Note: To view your system type, click Start , right-click Computer , and then click Properties . Click the asahxp file. Click OK , and then click Next .

Everything is hooked up but nothing is working. What should I do? (Windows)
When you troubleshoot issues with a hard drive controller card, there are some quick tests that you can complete to rule out potential problems. You can test to make sure that the following components are working correctly and are not the source of the issue: IDE, SATA, and eSATA cables Hard drives Hard drive controller card To test your setup components, try the following: Use the IDE, SATA, or eSATA cable, hard drive, and hard drive controller card in another setup to see if the problem is with the components or the setup. Use a different IDE, SATA, or eSATA cable, hard drive, and hard drive controller card in your setup to see if the problem persists. Ideally, you should test a component that you know works in another setup. When you test your cables, it is recommended that you do the following: Test each cable individually. Use short cables when you are testing. When you test the hard drive and hard drive controller card, it is recommended that you do the following: To open the Device Manager, press the Windows key + R , type devmgmt.msc , and press Enter . Check the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers (for IDE) section, or the Storage controllers (for SATA) section. Do one of the following: If you do not see the hard drive controller card in Device Manager, refer to the following FAQ: https://www.startech.com/en-us/faq/pci-pcie-cannot-boot-os-or-detect-windows . If the device is listed with an error, reinstall the drivers by completing the instructions on the website. If the hard drive is listed with unallocated space, the hard drive needs to be formatted. Right-click unallocated and click New Simple Volume . Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reformatting. Note: Formatting a hard drive erases all of the data on it. Make sure that you back up all of your data before you reformat the hard drive. To check Disk Management , press the Windows key + R , type diskmgmt.msc , and press Enter . Check to see if your hard drive is listed. If the hard drive is listed as healthy but does not have a drive letter, for example, C:, right-click healthy and click Change Drive Letter and Paths . Click Add , assign a drive letter, and click OK . Note: A formatted hard drive does not show up in Computer or My Computer until it has a drive letter assigned to it.

How do I confirm that Windows detects my expansion card?
To confirm that Windows detects your expansion card, complete the following: Press the Windows key+ R , type devmgmt.msc , and press Enter . In Device Manager , under the appropriate heading, confirm that your expansion card is listed and that there isn't an exclamation mark next to it. For example, a USB controller card would be under Universal Serial Bus controllers . Your expansion card is listed according to the name of the chipset. To determine the name of the chipset of your expansion card, navigate to www.StarTech.com and look on the Technical Specifications tab for your product.

I want to move the hard drive with my operating system installed to my StarTech.com hard drive controller. What do I do?
In order to use a hard drive plugged into a hard drive controller card as your operating system, you need to install the operating system onto the hard drive while it is plugged into the expansion card. To do this, complete the following: Note: Not all hard drive controller cards have drivers that allow you to install the operating system onto the hard drive. All of the hard drive controllers that display this FAQ include this capability. Before you begin, consult the documentation that came with the motherboard to make sure that the motherboard or BIOS supports booting from an expansion card. Back up any data on the hard drive. Make a copy of the drivers from the website onto a floppy disc, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive. The drivers that you download depends on the operating system that you want to install. Install the hard drive controller card onto your motherboard. Plug the hard drive into the controller card. Turn on your computer and open the operating system install wizard. Before you select the hard drive that you want to install the operating system onto, select the option to install third-party drivers. Point the driver installer to the floppy disc, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive. Install the drivers. Select the hard drive on the hard drive controller card as the location where you want to install the operating system. Complete the on-screen instructions to finish installing the operating system.

Is this SATA controller card compatible with Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) drives?
No, this SATA controller card is not compatible with SAS drives. Explanation: Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) drives require a controller that supports the SAS command set. SATA controllers only support the SATA command set and cannot process SAS commands. Although a SAS drive may be physically connected to a SATA controller using an adapter, the SATA controller cannot communicate with the SAS drive. As a result, SAS drive compatibility is not supported on this SATA controller card.

Is this device compatible with optical drives such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and Blu-ray drives?
Yes, this device is compatible with CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and Blu-ray drives that use the ATA Packet Interface (ATAPI) protocol. Explanation: This device supports the ATA Packet Interface (ATAPI), which is the required communication protocol for most optical drives, including CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and Blu-ray drives. Any optical drive that uses ATAPI will function with this device. Optical drives that do not use the ATAPI standard are not supported. Compatibility depends on the optical drive adhering to ATAPI specifications.

What is ATAPI?
Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface (ATAPI) is a protocol that allows a greater variety of devices to be connected to a computer than ATA (PATA / IDE and SATA) on its own would allow. ATAPI allows IDE and SATA controllers to support optical drives. ATA on its own doesn't allow for specific functions required by optical drives, such as a "media eject" command or a way for the controller to determine whether media is present in the optical drive. Optical drives include CD-ROM drives, DVD-ROM drives, and Blu-ray players.