SATA Hard Drive Not Appearing when Running Image for Windows under BartPE

Important Note: BartPE is obsolete. The BartPE environment is based on Windows XP and may not build or function correctly on current/newer systems. Additionally, the Bart PE Builder program and documentation is no longer available from its original source. Using TBWinRE or TBWinPE is recommended.

Problem:

When running Image for Windows under BartPE, a hard drive fails to appear.

Cause:

SATA drivers are not present in the PE environment.

Solution:

The preferred method to address this issue involves adding SATA drivers to the BartPE disc.  To add drivers to the BartPE disc, please refer to the BartPE documentation or help files.

If you cannot (or do not wish to) add the necessary SATA drivers to the BartPE disc, there are a couple alternatives.  One is to use Image for DOS, Image for Linux, TBWinRE, or TBWinPE to back up and/or restore, rather than using Image for Windows in BartPE.  (Image for DOS and Image for Linux are each fully compatible with image backups that have been created by Image for Windows, so long as the major product versions are the same--both V2, for example.)

Another alternative is to temporarily switch the system into PATA compatibility mode (IDE Mode) while BartPE is being used.  The exact means of accomplishing this varies by system, but look in the BIOS for a way to enable SATA Combination Mode, Combined, Non-Combined, Compatibility Mode, or IDE Mode.  If using one of the combine options make sure the SATA drive is connected to a supported SATA port (some ports may be disabled for some settings). Otherwise, if the BIOS includes an option titled SATA Native Interface, disable that option.

Be sure to undo the BIOS changes once you are done using BartPE or you may have difficulty or errors booting into Windows.