SATA connectors on mb for 2006 mac HD sleds

[GMink]

I want to add SATA DVD drives to my 2006 Mac Pro. Really want a BD for my windows install. But the extra SATA ports are not recognized in windows. So I thought maybe the SATA connectors on the HD sleds plugged into the MB with standard SATA connectors but I can't find were they plug into the mb without taking out the cooling fan assembly again.

So I thought someone may already know the answer. Are the SATA connectors on the mb that connect to the 4 HD sleds standard SATA or are they some funky apple connector?? and if they are some other type of connector does anyone have the pinout?

I'd like to switch out 2 of the HD sled SATA to the extra connectors on the mb that are not recognized in windows and then use them instead for the SATA DVD drives.

I hope that all makes sense? lol

George

 

[GMink]

I found a picture of the logic board and looking it over it's apparent that the connectors for the 4 HD sleds are not standard SATA on the mb.

The only SATA connectors are the 2 ODD SATA

 

[rtrt]

a

 

[Cindori]

it makes sense, but easier to install the additional sata port drivers no?

there's a big thread for it somewhere here.... dig it up

 

[Darth.Titan]

I found a picture of the logic board and looking it over it's apparent that the connectors for the 4 HD sleds are not standard SATA on the mb.

The only SATA connectors are the 2 ODD SATA

Wrong. The drive sleds on 2006 Mac Pros (not sure why you keep saying mb?) plug into standard SATA ports. That's why I've been able to buy any SATA drive I like and plug it in. They can certainly be used for a Blu-Ray drive.

But like Cindori said, it's not that difficult to install the proper drivers for the ODD SATA ports and use those instead. The first post in this thread on Insanely Mac describes the process pretty well as long as you're not opposed to running a shell script. I did it and my Blu-Ray drive is perfectly functional (and bootable) in OS X and Windows.

 

[Cindori]

Wrong. The drive sleds on 2006 Mac Pros (not sure why you keep saying mb?) plug into standard SATA ports. That's why I've been able to buy any SATA drive I like and plug it in. They can certainly be used for a Blu-Ray drive.

I think he means MotherBoard. The drive connectors in the sled areas does indeed lead to a motherboard connection that is not sata, making the only sata connectors on the motherboard the two ODD.

here is a pic:

 

[GMink]

it makes sense, but easier to install the additional sata port drivers no?

there's a big thread for it somewhere here.... dig it up

Are you saying that the ODD SATA controller can be recognized in windows???? that would be very cool news!

 

[Cindori]

yup here you go:


http://tinyurl.com/y88osam

 

[GMink]

yup here you go:


http://tinyurl.com/y88osam

Google IS my friend! lol

Sorry I've been asleep for the past 3 years

 

[Nadav35]

Windows via ODD_SATA Ports

Hello, I noticed your thread here. Cindori is wrong.. yes, while you can get windows 7 or vista to recognize the AHCI drivers needed to utilize the two sata ports on the 2006-2008 mac pros, you still CANNOT boot from them. The only thing you can do is once you are in windows, you can then use them. But don't expect to boot using a windows installer disk to install windows.. HOWEVER.. HOWEVER...

The ODD_SATA ports work fine in both directions for MAC OS X and anything MAC related.. Apple engineers knew how to cripple this, as they did not want us to use the ODD ports for windows at all. They are only to be used internally under MAC OS X.

Again, Cindori is correct is the fact that once the AHCI drivers are installed, you may proceed to use the Blu-ray, ssd, or any sata drive connected to those ports, ONCE IN WINDOWS. But, don't expect to use the windows install media to boot from it.

Are you saying that the ODD SATA controller can be recognized in windows???? that would be very cool news!

 

[slughead]

I'm booted off a HD connected to the ODD port. Windows probably wouldn't boot, but OS X does.