Ever heard of a file/media server? Basically what you do is build a second pc, doesnt have to be powerful at all. You set it up on your home network (wired to the router is best since its faster) and you can access all the files on that server from anywhere in the house if you have a wireless computer that can co♦nnect to it.

It is obvious your computer cannot handle the amount of hard drives you have installed and are trying to install.

A server is realy cheap to build compared to building a computer.I agree with AW_3_3.

This server can be accessed anywere in your home on a network.If setup correctly.

I hear you guys, but I'm not seeing a distinction. A 'server' will be a computer with all my hard drives in it....connected to my current PC.

But if the HDDs are 'too many' for this unit, why wouldn't they be for that unit?

And isn't what I just built essentially a server now? It's the main hard-wired unit on my network, with my wife's PC and my laptop sharing its router. All see and work with each other.

Idea,add that hard drive or anyone that seems to lock system to wifes PC as a slave and run CHKDSK.

Do this for any hard drive that seems to cause an issue.lets check they are running ok and not damaged.

Your PC specs say you have 7 hard drives added so far.

Sort of, yes. But a server is a dedicated storage unit, thats all its for is storing information. I can find a few motherboards that handle lots of storage well. Most modern Retail motherboards handle that fairly well.
EDIT> According to several people I talked to, all agree your motherboard just cannot cope with that many drives connected to it.

Doing a quick skim over the massive info overload in this thread. It's obvious your motherboard isn't able to cope with the HDs you're trying to add to it. It could be a defect, or it could just be HD id conflicts, either way, it's not able to handle that many.

Way I see it is, you can either compromise and remove some HDs, or get a new(er) motherboard. I would research different southbridges available on dif motherboards and see which is more suited for mass storage.

Best solution, get a fairly cheap, OEM, motherboard off newegg for like 40$, with an Intel or nVidia southbridge and an integrated video chipset so you don't need a vid card for it, get a Core2 CPU for 60$, or a quadcore for 170$, 2Gbs of RAM for 35$, a small case for 30$, an 80+ certified PSU 350W 35$, and you have yourself a cheap comp. Add in an OS, like Windows Home Server, and you're set.

I'm running an MSI board I got for 35$, runs 6 1Tb drive with the above

JB-

That 7 was the intended result. At the moment the setup is-

MB-
SATA 1- 500gb
SATA 2- 250GB (SWAP RACK, have another 500gb to use same rack when needed)
SATA 3- NONE
SATA 4- NONE

PCI CARD (IDE)-
Primary Master- 300gb
Primary Slave- 120gb
Secondary Master- 40gb
Secondary Slave- none

As said, I believe now that the #3 and #4 SATA ports use the same resources as the primary IDE slot on the PCI card, so that if I installed a 3rd SATA drive, I lose the two primary IDEs.

The swap rack is working fine on port #2, so the rack wasn't the issue before- it was the 3rd port interfering with the card. My guess is that this isn't something that can be worked around to allow more than my 2 SATAs AND 3 IDEs at the same tme...so two SATAs and four IDEs (or just four SATAs) is the limit (for now).

AW & DL-

Yea, as above, I cut it back to 5 hot at a time, with 1 of the 2 SATAs hot-swappable with a 3rd SATA I have. Close enough. I was just being greedy, 'wanting it all' for next-to-nothing spent.

The only remaining issue is that BIOS-burp-on-reboot after a swap, but that's a matter of just avoiding the cause on the rare event I need that swapped drive.

Thanks for all the ideas, peeps.