Windows 10: If I plug in my D hard drive, I lose my network?!?!

Folks,

Here's the background:

Computer has an Asus M5A88-M motherboard, with an AMD FX-8350 cpu. It had been running Win7/64. It has two harddrives, an SSD Samsung 850 evo (C drive) and a WD Black spinner (D drive). In Win7 I was unable to get the SSD into AHCI mode. (The mobo has Sata ports 1-4 as either IDE or AHCI or RAID, and ports 5-6 as IDE. I have Bluray ODD in port 6.)

I decided to upgrade to Win 10. Prior to the upgrade, I disconnected the D drive, which shouldn't have anything on it but games and some personal docs and pics. I performed the upgrade with just C connected.

All was good.

I successfully changed my C drive to AHCI mode. Rebooted several times. All was still good.

By "all is good", I mean EVERYTHING seemed good, and the internet/networking worked.

This morning, I decided to plug in the D drive back into SATA port 2. Upon booting, there was a yellow exclamation symbol over the network connection near the task tray and I had no network at all. I used a usb stick to upload the latest Win10 Network driver for the mobo's Realtek 8111E network interface. The yellow error symbol remained.

I tried various troubleshooting techniques (safe boot with network, limited services, etc.) and nothing changed.

The network switch shows connectivity and the port on the rear of the computer shows a solid green light and flashing yellow light. That indicates Gigabit speed connection and data input/output. This is with the yellow exclamation symbol and no network functionality

I did notice that the network symbol seems good at first during bootup. Then, as the Win10 bootup music fades, the yellow icon appears.

If I disconnect the D drive from Sata 2, I regain full network functionality.

(D has been on Sata 2 (in IDE not the current AHCI) for about 3 years with no issues.)

- Is there a SATA/NIC interference issue?
- Is there some file on D which interferes with Win10's networking?
- Is it a problem because D had been IDE and is now being accessed as AHCI (through BIOS setting)?

Thanks,

Ken

:)

 

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Moved from:
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Additional information:

- I've just powered down, disconnected the D drive, booted and again all is good...

- Powered down again and connected D drive to Sata port 5 (an IDE drive). Booted up...and all is good.

The problem seems to be using D drive (which is PURELY a data drive as far as I know) in the AHCI mode. Looking at Disk Management, the D drive seems to be an MBR style.

Note that the D drive is totally accessible when it is in the Sata 2 port (AHCI port). There is nothing wrong with accessing or using D drive. The only symptom is total network dysfunctionality. (Sata port 5 allows networking and D drive access.)

I'd like to use it in one of the AHCI sata ports (1-4).

Still stumped...

Ken

 

Update...
- plugged the D drive into Sata port 3 (AHCI port). Networking worked.
- plugged the D drive into Sata port 2 (AHCI port, which originally seemed to be the cause of the issues). Networking worked.

WTH???

I guess it fixed itself. Marking this as solved. Do I gain points? *Wink