Member Avatar for jaziz

Hi

When I boot up my PC i get the following error

Drive 0 not found: Serial ATA, SATA-0
Strike the F1 key to continue, F2 to run the setup utility

I really need to fix my PC
My PC is a Dell 5150C

Thanks

All help would be greatly appreciated

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by alex1245

Dani AI

Generated

Good news: that message is from the BIOS, not Windows, so you are troubleshooting hardware detection before the OS loads, just as suspected. On a Dimension 5150C the motherboard has a single SATA connector labeled SATA1. When Setup shows "Onboard SATA Hard Drive (not present)" it means the BIOS is not seeing a drive on that one port, not merely a boot-order issue. (downloads.dell.com)

Try this, in order:

  • Power off, unplug, and hold the power button for 5 seconds to discharge. Open the case, then reseat both the small 7‑pin SATA data plug and the wider 15‑pin SATA power plug at the drive and at the motherboard’s SATA1 header. If you have a spare SATA cable, swap it in; a locking‑latch style cable is less likely to work loose. (downloads.dell.com)
  • Press F2 at the Dell logo and confirm the SATA interface is enabled and your hard drive is listed; then make sure the "Onboard SATA Hard Drive" is in the boot sequence. Save and exit. (downloads.dell.com)
  • If the drive still reads "not present," press F12 at the Dell logo and run Diagnostics. If Diagnostics cannot see the drive or reports HDD errors, the disk or cable has failed. Replace the cable first; if no change, the drive is likely dead and should be tested in another PC or with a USB‑to‑SATA adapter for data rescue. (downloads.dell.com)
  • If the BIOS time keeps resetting or settings do not stick, replace the coin‑cell (CR2032) battery and recheck detection. (downloads.dell.com)

Notes on earlier replies: and are right to focus on reseating and replacing the SATA cable. Do not follow the advice to disable SATA in BIOS (); on this model the system drive is SATA, so turning SATA off only hides the error and prevents any boot. Also, unlike some other Dimensions, the 5150C board exposes just one SATA port (SATA1), so there is no alternate blue/black port to move the cable to, contrary to . (downloads.dell.com)

Recommended Answers

All 13 Replies

Member Avatar for blackcorner

You need to be more explicit. That error shows when the BIOS is booting or when the operating system is taking control?
What is your OS (Windows, Linux, Mac OS)???

Member Avatar for jaziz

sorry, im not very good with computers

It occurs just after the DELL screen comes up. Before the login.

The computer is running Windows

Member Avatar for blackcorner

I think that perhaps it has something to do directly with your hardware. The best thing you can do is ask for support directly to Dell, so you can take advantage of their guarantee system and all.

Member Avatar for jaziz

I would call for phone support but im afraid my guarantee has run out and they wont help me as im not under guarantee

Member Avatar for Rik_

Open it up and make sure the power and data cables are firmly fitted between your hard drive and motherboard/power supply.
You may want to buy and try a new sata cable, they aren't too expensive.

Member Avatar for jaziz

how do i know which are the power and data cables?

Member Avatar for Rik_

Because they plug into the hard drive.

Member Avatar for jaziz

sorry, i Just opened it up and yes, the plugs are fitted firmly but the error still comes up

Member Avatar for jaziz

After going into Setup Utility, i notice that on the boot seuqence, it says...
Onboard or USB Floppy Drive (not present)
Onboard SATA Hard Drive (not present)

This isnt normal I guess?

Member Avatar for Rik_

SATA is your hard drive. You probably have either a faulty SATA cable or a faulty hard drive. It would be worth buying a new SATA cable as they do sometimes break down.

Member Avatar for caperjack

sorry, i Just opened it up and yes, the plugs are fitted firmly but the error still comes up

remove and plug them back in ,sometime helps

Member Avatar for Shashi Kiran

Go to BIOS, SATA will be turned on. Turn it off. Then your computer will not give this error message.

Member Avatar for alex1245

I have just had the same problem on the same computer, if this thread is still open, there are two inputs opposite where the RAM slots are, and one is coloured blue and the other black, the cable coming out of one of them should go into the blue, and it should be blue as it is coming from the hard drive, and if you were to put another in that is what the black would be for. Hope this heples

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