Can't install Win XP in my SATA2 HD in a Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe. Help!

[Gaucho1080]

Greetings!




(Obs: this board supports only SATA 1 (150mb/s) HDs - nVidia 4Ultra chipset)

--> bought a brand new WD Black 500Gb (WD5001AALS); plugged it on the SATA1 connector of this board; booted via WinXP install CD-ROM; hit F6 to load 3rd party drivers; when prompted by the installar, I inserted the 1'44 diskette on the floppy driver and it installed the Sis drivers; then I proceed to the format section where I created a primary partition of 30Gb only (to install the OS) and left the rest unformatted. The installer proceeded and copied all files to the HD, then it asked me to reboot.

I did it but when it boots from HD, the screen just shows a bunch of weird white lines on the top of it, all screwed up (like you draw a line on the paper and try to erase it). This blotted/burry white grid occupies only 1/10 of the screen, on the top of it. Rest of screen is black. Ctrl+Alt+Del works and I'm able to reboot the system but I just can't pass by this...

--> Motherboard bios is the latest (1013), Silicon SATA/RAID Bios is latest (4.2.83), .sys and .inf drivers are the standard we can find around the internet (even from ASUS website). I've also tried jumping the HD in pins 7-8 and 5-6 (trying to get that Advanced Format thing going on and trying to limit it to 1.5Gb/s - SATA1 standards as per the HD info: http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2534&p_created=&p_cats=185&p...). Nothing helped.

--> Windows used is SP2.

--> If I plug this HD in an existing Windows SP2 system (installed in a 40Gb IDE HD), it's recognized normally, I can operate it normally, create/delete partitions, etc

Any ideas?


Help!!!!

 

[Gaucho1080]

I give up, it's not possible to install WinXP on this HD in a A7N8X-E Deluxe.

I tried every single tip I found in internet, from low lever formatting to editting the mobo BIOS, inserting the very last BIOS for the SI controller and it did not work. Always the same thing: that blurry thing on the top of the screen...

I hope noone else tries this combination (WD 500Gb Black series + A7N8X-E Deluxe = WinXP).

Regards,

Gaucho

 

[COLGeek]

What GPU (video card) are you using? Also, do you have access to XP SP3? If not, you might want to slipstrem your own (Google it or look elsewhere on Tom's).

Have you tried to load XP without going the F6 route? Last, what mode is your SATA configured in BIOS for (IDE, AHCI, or RAID)? I suggest just vanilla IDE.

 

[Gaucho1080]

What GPU (video card) are you using? Also, do you have access to XP SP3? If not, you might want to slipstrem your own (Google it or look elsewhere on Tom's).

Have you tried to load XP without going the F6 route? Last, what mode is your SATA configured in BIOS for (IDE, AHCI, or RAID)? I suggest just vanilla IDE.

I use a GeForce 4Mx, but this is not the issue. No, no access to XP Sp3, but it won't matter since I'm able to pass by the initial steps of WinXp SP2 installation (read my first post - problem starts when it needs to boot from SATA).

Yes, using F6, otherwise it's not possible to install on this drive, it needs the 3rd party drivers.

There's no AHCI on this BIOS, only IDE or SATA/RAID/SCSI (it does not matter which option you choose, it won't boot).

It's not possible to boot this SATA HD when you select IDE as first device to boot in BIOS.


[]'s

 

[badge]

Try creating a floppy disk as described in this thread. I have the board for many years and can load XP on a SATA drive using the floppy SATA driver disk I created as described here.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/274645-30-asus-a7n8x-deluxe-raid-driver-problem#t1896663

 

[Gaucho1080]

Try creating a floppy disk as described in this thread. I have the board for many years and can load XP on a SATA drive using the floppy SATA driver disk I created as described here.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/274645-30-asus-a7n8x-deluxe-raid-driver-problem#t1896663

Hello Badge,


thanks for the tip, but this is basic knowledge for anyone trying to install WinXP in a SATA HD (sorry, no offense to you, but I already did it - see my previous replies).

Like I said above, WinXP installer loads the drivers (using the F6 option) correctly, find the HD, I'm able to partition and format the HD as I wish, the installer then copy the files and reboots (first reboot of the WinXP install). Then it won't boot anymore.

I tried even installing WinXP in another machine (Another motherboard) on this same SATA HD. It install fines, then I unplugged it and plugged on the A7N8X-E Deluxe and turned it on. No luck, same blurry screen....

So, like I said, there's no way to make this happen


Gaucho

 

[COLGeek]

Does the BIOS let you set the SATA mode? Most modern mobos (I realize yours is a bit older) allow you to establish the mode that the system will use for SATA devices. I am not talking about boot sequence or changing the IDE settings, rather I am focusing on the SATA config. You system may not support anything other than IDE mode.

Can you boot into safe mode? Does the mobo have an integrated GPU? If you have an integrated GPU, remove the GeForce and try to boot again.

 

[Gaucho1080]

Does the BIOS let you set the SATA mode? Most modern mobos (I realize yours is a bit older) allow you to establish the mode that the system will use for SATA devices. I am not talking about boot sequence or changing the IDE settings, rather I am focusing on the SATA config. You system may not support anything other than IDE mode.

Can you boot into safe mode? Does the mobo have an integrated GPU? If you have an integrated GPU, remove the GeForce and try to boot again.

1) Yes, BIOS allow me to set/boot from SATA
2) Yes, SI has a 'special config sectio' (just after the normal system boot) where you can config your SATA drives (by pressing either F4 or Ctrl+S. I see my HD normally there, set as the primary one)
3) No, I can't boot into safe mode because it does not boot at all from SATA
4) No, modo does not have an integrated GPU

[]'s

 

[COLGeek]

Understood on your 4 answers. Go to this website and download (and install) the current base and sataraid drivers. Make sure you get the 32-bit versions.

These are directly from the controller vendor and appear to be quite a bit newer than those you got from Asus. Worth a shot.

http://www.siliconimage.com/support/searchresults.aspx?pid=29&cat=3

 

[Gaucho1080]

Understood on your 4 answers. Go to this website and download (and install) the current base and sataraid drivers. Make sure you get the 32-bit versions.

These are directly from the controller vendor and appear to be quite a bit newer than those you got from Asus. Worth a shot.

http://www.siliconimage.com/support/searchresults.aspx?pid=29&cat=3

Already did that also

I tried the BASE and SATARAID drivers (the latest - 1.0.62.0 - which match the latest BIOS from SI also - the 4.2.84)

Actually I'm unable to apply these BIOSes directly on the mobo. Each one give an specific error, but I found modified BIOS for this mobo on the internet with this BIOS applied.

Still fail :-(

 

[COLGeek]

Sorry, but I am fresh out of ideas. It may be time to move off of XP or to get a new mobo. Or, use your 40GB HDD as the OS drive and the SATA drive as your data disk.

 

[suat]

I suggest you to change BIOS setting from SATA to IDE, set CD-ROM drive to first boot priority and save changes before you exit BIOS editor.

Now start from Windows XP CD, delete partitions and then recreate them. Full-Format NTFS, not quick.

I think you should be able to install the OS now. If you want SATA functionality, that is also possible after OS install. You install SATA drivers from within Windows and make a Registry setting change and while restarting, you get into BIOS and change from IDE to SATA. While booting into Windows, you will need another restart for SATA drivers to install properly.

If you are able to reinstall Windows this way, I will find the MS documentation for registry setting for you.

Hope this helps.

 

[Gaucho1080]

I suggest you to change BIOS setting from SATA to IDE, set CD-ROM drive to first boot priority and save changes before you exit BIOS editor.

Now start from Windows XP CD, delete partitions and then recreate them. Full-Format NTFS, not quick.

I think you should be able to install the OS now. If you want SATA functionality, that is also possible after OS install. You install SATA drivers from within Windows and make a Registry setting change and while restarting, you get into BIOS and change from IDE to SATA. While booting into Windows, you will need another restart for SATA drivers to install properly.

If you are able to reinstall Windows this way, I will find the MS documentation for registry setting for you.

Hope this helps.

Tried all of this already... installed WinXP in another machine and plugged the HD on this mobo. Fail. Tried to clone a WinXP install. Fail.

Ah! Another important information: I installed Ubuntu 9.02 and Win2k3Server on this HD. SAME THING: it FAILS on the first boot (and on every boot).

The problem is not software-related, it's the HD x controller of this mobo.

[]'s

 

[razor_ro]

i'm having the same problem with the same MOBO... i did all the above as well, and i even went into repair mode, where it was suggesting to fix the boot file but it didnt have rights to do so because of my HD controller....

i had SATA drives working fine as long as i can remember, ... i removed the SATA drives and now I am left with just an IDE which is causing me the problems on this machine... seems like i have to use a SATA drive for this MOBO now

i was going to throw a copy of WIN XP on this and give it away, ... i am debating just throwing it in the garbage now! lol

 

[Rainey]

Get a WD utlility boot disk and use that to boot and create a partition and format using the WD boot disk. Then install XP too that partition. It may be the Hard drive is too big for your BOIS and needs a software LBA to work correctly in protected mode (Windows). The WD utils should detect this and make it work.

Like the others have said, SATA support with XP came out later and is not on the early XP disks, many patches were required for some New HDD hardware to work correctly (Not just drivers). You should have a XP SP2 install disk at least and like stated by others you can slipstream SP3 into your XP install disk.

 

[WGFinley]

i'm having the same problem with the same MOBO... i did all the above as well, and i even went into repair mode, where it was suggesting to fix the boot file but it didnt have rights to do so because of my HD controller....

i had SATA drives working fine as long as i can remember, ... i removed the SATA drives and now I am left with just an IDE which is causing me the problems on this machine... seems like i have to use a SATA drive for this MOBO now

i was going to throw a copy of WIN XP on this and give it away, ... i am debating just throwing it in the garbage now! lol

Have had this same pain all day as well. My kiddo constantly whines about wanting an XP box so I pulled this one out of storage. Mine too had SATA RAID that worked without a hitch previously. I think what a lot of guys don't understand is that Windows WILL install, it's when it goes to reboot that it refuses. I tried Ubuntu and Fedora as well, same exact problem.

I think this HD controller dies after a while and loses its ability to write boot records correctly or something. After pulling hair all day decided it's off to eBay I go for a cheap corporate refurb.