Problems Installing WinXP+SP2 on SATA HD

It sounds like you need to change the BIOS settings on your HDD to include SATA as RAID (if you plan on a RAID volume) or AHCI (if no RAID), and legacy IDE. Save and exit BIOS. Boot to the slipstreamed disc and try installing XP.

Unrelated Question: If you slipstreamed SP2, why not SP3?

The XP disc I have is SP2 not 3.. I am not computer knowledgeable at all. I has just kinda taught myself bout them in my spare time through trial and error.. this is a home built PC built with piece of other things all put together in a nice neat box. Ha ha ha.

I have looked all through my BIOS setting and cannot find any thing.. everything I have done so far can be see in this thread ...



If you have any suggestions please please give your opinion.. I have no clue and am completely stuck at this point.

That thread contains all the info from the screens of my bios, computer specs, and everything.. I have been working with someone on that thread for a few days now without success.

Thanks in advance for anyone's time and patience.

[#3b00ff]Can you supply make/model of the computer motherboard? From that info, may be able to get documentation of your BIOS.[/#3b0ff]

- Asus mother board A7V600-X.... with .... VIA VT8237 Chipset
- Award Medallion Bios v.6.0, An Energy Star Ally
- ASUS A7V600-X ACPI BIOS Revision 1006
- VIA Technologies, Inc.VIA VT8237 Serial ATA RAID BIOS Setting Utility V2.31

I am will to answer any and all questions that could help to get this up and running

I have read the BIOS manual for your Mainboard.

The BIOS has no settings for the SATA drive interface.
It is doubful that this board can be booted from a SATA drive as the drive will not be available to Windows at boot time.
It appears Windows can discover the SATA drives and utilize such drives as additional storage only.

This is an older board. You'll need to boot IDE.

Well if I do this I only have a 6.4GB hard drive, and I want to use this computer for games, as much as it is an older MoBo it has the best CPU of all the ones I have lying around. I get all the spare part I have lying around from friends and just from computers people are giving away for free, or I find on the side of the road. Do you know if I would be able to boot Windows off of the 6.4GB IDE HDD and then install and play my games and save everything to the SATA drive. It just seems like this would be a huge hassle, but if it the only way I could do it then I understand. I could just use my external 1TB hard drive to do that though.

Does it not matter that I have..

- Serial ATA RAID BIOS Setting Utility V2.31

It recognizes the Sata Drive before it ever even starts loading windows off the IDE drive

Woa.. now this is a horse of a different color.. I'm going back to your BIOS manual again. I may have missed something there. (time drags on)....(more time drags on)....

Ah-ha... In the "Advanced" tab, "PCI Configuration" of your BIOS, look at the next-to last item in the section. Surprise! This must be set to Yes. ("Onboard ATA device First") The copy I'm looking at is not real clear.. Missed this the first time.

Now when you boot, be looking for the RAID controller again. Press the keys needed to invoke the resident program contained in that controller.

You may have choices of what the RAID will consist of. Set yours to JBOD.
If all ok... save and exit. computer re-boots, install Windows on your SATA drive.    

Okay I think the key(s) you make be talking about is the TAB key.. after my main ASUS BIOS screen (Blue screen that says ASUS then along bottom it says .....

"Press [TAB] to show POST Screen; press [ALT] + [F2] to enter EZ Flash Utility"

This is where I usually press [DEL] to enter my main BIOS..... I pressed [TAB]... I figured what the hell I have not tried POST Screen yet... This then took me to yet another screen, this I have seen before though. This screen is the 2rd screen I see under the normal boot process for the machine. (1st screen- Blue ASUS screen, previously mentioned above)..

"VIA Technologies, Inc. VIA VT8237 Serial ATA RAID BIOS Setting Utility V2.31
Copyright (C) VIA Technologies, Inc. ALL Right reserved.

Scan Devices, Please wait...
Press <TAB> Key into User Window!_" (So i did)

Normally I have but nothing happens, I have tried so so so many times. It usually just continues..

"Serial_Ch0: Fujitsu <<< my sata HD
Serial_Ch1: no device"

Then it actually happened!! I new screen! One I have not seen yet.. This must be IT!!!

"VIA Tech. VT8237 SATA RAID BIOS Ver 2.31" (the top of the screen says this now)

I know this is the screen you were speaking of.. I was so excited! But I have no idea how to do what you said I will need step by step details. I have never done SATA before I will be as specific as possible and describe the options and screen I have in the BIOS Utility..

Upper Left Side of SATA RAID BIOS
>Create Array
>Delete Array
>Create/Delete Spare
>Select Boot Array
>Serial Number View

Upper Right Side of SATA RAID BIOS
Create a RAID array with the hard disks attached to VIA RAID controller
F1: View Array/disk Status
down/up arrow: Move to next item
ENTER: Confirm the selection
ECS: Exit

The bottom half of the screen of the screens identifies the Serial Channels, their drive names, their array name, their mode, size (GB), and Status.. mine are as follows...

Serial_Ch0 Master ; No Drive
Serial_Ch1 Master ; Fujitsu ; (no array name)<< it does not say that its just blank under that title ; Sata for the mode ; 111. 79GB ; Status: HDD"

This is what I am loosing my mind my about now though.. I was gonna see if I was able to find what you where talking about when you said the thing about what RAID consisted of and to set mine to JBOD..

I try to press F1... nothing happens
I try to use the up/down arrows... nothing happens
I hit the ENTER key... nothing happens
I hit the ESC key.. it asks.. "Do you really want to exit the utility? (Y/N)"

I was gonna post what it said underneath all the headings in the upper left corner of this main SATA RAID BIOS utility screen but it seems I cannot select them.. I am unfamiliar with this screen, so maybe I am just stupid and doing something wrong. I am going to try and reboot the computer get to this new BIOS screen again and post back my findings.. If there are any other ideas before then they would be much appreciated

"Create Array"

Here is where you need to go. You will be creating a RAID, but not really.
There may be a choice you can make to add drives to the new RAID. Add your drive.
There may be a choice of the RAID type (0,5,10, or JBOD) Here, select JBOD.
Save & Exit.

If these items do not exist, let me know. I will get a copy of your RAID BIOS configuration capabilities and work from there.

Okay my problem at this point is I have no problem getting to this screen but I can not navigate it or do any thing.. The only key that is appearing to do anything is the ESC key to exit the utility, I have tried restarting the computer a few times and trying again also. If i hit caps look the light still light up on the keyboard and the same goes for the number lock as well, while I am on the SATA RAID BIOS screen, but I cannot use the arrows to move between selections, I cannot hit the ENTER key to confirm the selection, or even F1 to view the array/disk status.. any ideas??

I am completely baffled that only the ESC key is doing something since I needed to hit TAB to enter this BIOS screen originally

Did you try to use the cursor keys? If using num pad, switch to cursor control

Yes i was trying the cursor keys. When i get back home and in front of the unit again i will try the num pad instead.. I know it is a reverse of what you were saying but it cant hurt to try right? ha ha ha

I have to say everything that can be tried, even though I just know you have tried it, but if it isn't said, it's a crack in the wall. If it's USB kbd, try ps2... on and on.. you know. That on board RAID controller must be configured, or no go. If it's a kbd problem, that usually has a fix that can be handled without a blowtorch.

I'm not sure what is going on with this keyboard problem. I have tried two different ps2 keyboards, i do not have a usb keyboard or i would try it too.. think i may just have to give up

Never give up... Not until the fire dept. is ready to leave and says your computer is burnt toast.

You'll get a USB keyboard. Keep looking and asking around, even one to borrow for a test. Walmart sells a really thin, flimsy one for about $8.00. It's good enough to test with and then you'll have a middle of the night emergency backup keyboard.