I'm trying to install a Seagate Momemtus 500GB hard drive into an Alienware Cle

[alienated1]

   I'm trying to install a Seagate Momemtus 500GB hard drive into an Alienware Clevo D9k D900K Aurora Laptop m7700

Pheonix bios 1.00.05ad
KB bios 1.00.3
VIA RAID controller VT8237 ver 4.93

have an alienware bios update:
ftp://alienware.com/Mobile/7700/BIOS/

higher up on the tree, there's a raid controller update as well

I've heard that the raid update is in the bios update, and getting either one to update should work?

I'm trying to get a thumb drive to boot the bios file unsuccessfully

[immental1200]

The seagate drive is faulty?

What drive was in there b4 u tried adding the seagate ?

[alienated1]

alienated1   tried the disk init. via usb sata adapter - no go
12:37   Immental1200   so the drive didnt work on another pc?
12:37   alienated1   the hp utility in not compatible with win7
12:37   Immental1200   then its the drive
12:37   alienated1   the drive works fine, I can use it through the adapter just fine
12:37   Immental1200   oh
12:37   Immental1200   u said no go
12:37   Immental1200   i thought that meant faulty
12:38   Immental1200   reply to this on the forum as well so others know
12:38   alienated1   I intiated the drive over the adapter, cloned it, put it in the sata internal port, and laptop does not see it
12:38   alienated1   I format the drive to install windows clean on it, laptop does not see drive
12:39   alienated1   am trying to make a bootable usb thumb drive to replace a floppy disk system

[alienated1]

I am under the impression updated raid bio or system bios will solve the problem
am trying to make a usb thumb drive act like a bootable floppy or cd

[immental1200]

I am under the impression updated raid bio or system bios will solve the problem
am trying to make a usb thumb drive act like a bootable floppy or cd

http://www.intowindows.com/bootable-usb/

[patio]

I am under the impression updated raid bio or system bios will solve the problem
am trying to make a usb thumb drive act like a bootable floppy or cd

Not sure why you would Post quotes from chat but as i stated there it's not a BIOS issue and flashing it although you are convinced is the way to go may have you wind up with an expensive paperweight...

[alienated1]

I am certain that this is the way to not turn my $160 hard drive into an expensive external USB drive, and get rid of the occasional burp this machine causes with its hdrive bottleneck

I made a bootable cd, but it seized when verifying the memory blocks...

[patio]

 Then that machine has other issues...none related to a BIOS update...

[alienated1]

the error message on the bios update was that the memory did not match the table expected; wrong bios update

the bios update was not the right one

I need to find the right bios update for the motherboard or the raid controller; either will make this happen

[patio]

You got lucky flashing the BIOS the 1st time and not turning that laptop into a brick...
Cut your losses and do some diagnosis of what the real issue is...
A laptop has basically no need in MHO to run a RAID/controller/setup...

[alienated1]

if the bios update won't do it, then what?
I tried a 250GB seagate, does not work
a 500GB Western digital, does not work
60GB western digital, works

200GB limitation of old bios seems to be the popular concensus
upgrading the bios and or the raid seem to be the only solution that has worked for others, DELL also concurs that this is the only way
finding the bios update is an adventure, evidently
Dell wont give it up because I'm not the original owner of this laptop, and they'd rather treat me like a criminal than help out

[Salmon Trout]

A laptop has basically no need in MHO to run a RAID/controller/setup...

The M7700 features (up to) two internal Serial ATA hard drives, and can be configured with a RAID array, a very rare feature in a laptop.

[alienated1]

you are correct, sir
if I can get two hybrids running, I'll have a TB of very fast space for video editing

[Salmon Trout]

you are correct, sir
if I can get two hybrids running, I'll have a TB of very fast space for video editing

on a 5 or 6 year old laptop?

I understand why these things go for (much) less than $100 on ebay

[alienated1]

so, this is more like computer hopeless than anything else...

everyone is all judgmental on what I need, and treat the topic like it's taboo, no apparent actual help

I need a good bios update, not criticism