220-1101 Question 266
Single answerSATAA technician installs a new 2.5-inch SATA SSD in a desktop to replace an aging hard drive. After the installation, the BIOS detects the SSD, but the operating system setup program does not show any drive available for installation. The technician confirms the SATA data cable and SATA power cable are connected properly and the SSD appears in the BIOS storage list. Which action is the MOST likely to resolve the issue?
- A
Change the storage controller mode in BIOS from RAID/Intel RST to AHCI
- B
Replace the SATA data cable with an IDE ribbon cable adapter
- C
Set the SSD jumper to master so the installer can detect it
- D
Move the SSD to a USB enclosure and install the OS through USB boot
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This scenario reflects a common real-world SATA troubleshooting issue: the drive is physically connected correctly and detected by firmware, but the operating system installer cannot use it. When BIOS sees the drive, power and basic connectivity are usually working. The next likely issue is controller configuration. On many systems, especially those shipped with Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) or RAID mode enabled, the installer may not detect the SATA drive unless the proper storage driver is loaded. Switching the controller to AHCI is often the simplest resolution when RAID is not needed. This aligns with standard PC hardware best practices and common motherboard documentation, which distinguish AHCI and RAID controller modes for SATA devices. The incorrect options are based on legacy or unrelated concepts: PATA master/slave settings do not apply to SATA, and changing to an IDE ribbon solution is not appropriate for a SATA SSD.
- A. Correct.
Correct. If the SSD is visible in BIOS but not in the OS installer, a common cause is the storage controller being set to RAID/Intel RST mode without the appropriate driver loaded in setup. Changing the controller to AHCI often allows the installer to detect standard SATA drives immediately. AHCI is the normal mode used for SATA devices and supports features such as native command queuing and hot swapping when supported by the platform.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. SATA drives do not use IDE ribbon cables. Although some older systems supported PATA/IDE drives, a SATA SSD requires a SATA data connection or a proper controller that supports SATA. Using an IDE ribbon cable adapter would not be an appropriate or standard fix for a system that already detects the drive in BIOS.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Master/slave jumper settings are associated with older PATA/IDE devices, not standard SATA drives. SATA uses point-to-point connections, so there is no master/slave relationship on the cable. Choosing this option reflects a common misconception based on legacy drive configuration methods.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Installing through a USB enclosure does not address the underlying problem that the internal SATA controller mode may require a driver the installer does not have. In addition, many OS installation workflows are not intended for installing directly to a drive attached through a temporary USB enclosure and then moving it internally.