Installing WIN XP in a SATA drive - HELP NEEDED!

[TheMASK]

i have never bought a SATA drive, in fact just saw a SATA drive for the first time yesterday.

i have been using Partition Magic 5.0 to partition and format new IDE Hard disks. Wud this work on a SATA drive? do i need to do anything out of the ordinary while installing windows on a SATA drive?

I am still confused whether to get a Seagate 120GB SATA drive or a Seagate 160GB IDE drive with 8MB cache.

tnx in advance for all your help.

<b><font color=red>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</b></font color=red><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by TheMask on 10/24/03 00:36 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[RobD]

Greetings Mask, why aren't you in the Other? Tut tut....

Anyway, your question. I'd go with the SATA if you can. Cracking drives. As far as Windows goes, I set one up at work the other day, no problems at all. Didn't have to do anything different to normal. That was a Seagate too.

All the Seagate's have an 8mb cache on them. However, the do not come with the requisite cables, so you'll need an SATA cable and a power cable converter. Good luck with your choices anyway.

<font color=blue>"You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig" - Rodney Marsh</font color=blue>

 

[TheMASK]

Hi Rob...
i had been busy lately. Anyways thanks for the assurance. i needed that. Seagate SATA drive it is then...

And am back in the Other now

<b><font color=red>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</b></font color=red><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by TheMask on 10/18/03 02:50 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[RobD]

No problem!

<font color=blue>"You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig" - Rodney Marsh</font color=blue>

 

[TheMASK]

Hi Rob,
I have a small problem installing XP into my SATA drive. I formatted the SATA drive (a Seagate 120GB 8mb-cache SATA drive) using Partition Magic 5.0. I have 2 partitions, Primary Partition (NTFS) 15GB, and the rest as the Extended partition (only one partition (NTFS) of 97GB).

the drive is recognised in BIOS, but when i boot from the Win XP Pro CD, the set-up doesn't recognise the SATA drive. However, when i boot from my IDE drive, the SATA drive shows up. I wanted to use the SATA drive as my primary drive and IDE drive as a backup drive. (i keep carrying around my HDD to my friend's place very often.)

I have installed the RAID driver, though i dont intend to use it. i would be glad if you could let me know how to go about installing XP Pro in the SATA drive. tnx a ton mate!

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[TheMASK]

Here's my problem...

I have a A7N8x Dlx Rev 2.0 board. I needed more capacity than my 80GB PATA Hitachi drive so i have bought 2 SATA (Seagate 120GB/8MB-cache) drives (the price difference between SATA and PATA drives was marginal.) I dont need any enhanced performance of RAID setup. all i need is space. I want to install OS in either of the SATA drives. i need the PATA drive to be my back-up drive (I will be carrying the PATA drive with me most of the time.)

I have seen in some 865/875 mobos where you set you boot-disk proiority in BIOS to either IDE or SATA or both. I dont find this option in my BIOS.

I've installed RAID driver and now the BIOS, after the initial screen, asks me if i want to set-up RAID and shows the two SATA drives (Primary Master and Secondary Master). THe problem is whenever i try to install OS, WIN XP Pro, into the SATA drive, the setup does not detect the SATA drive at all.

how do I install WIN XP/WIN 98 in to either of the SATA drive? Tnx in advance!

<b><font color=red>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</b></font color=red><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by TheMask on 10/24/03 00:29 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[jihiggs]

i would assume you could use the driver disk that came with it to install the raid controler. there is a point in the installation that says press (some button) if you need to install any 3rd party controler drivers.

wpdclan.com cs game server - 69.12.5.119:27015

 

[RobD]

It's an F key isn't it? F3 or F8 I think. Pretty damn early into the setup routine.

<font color=blue>"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered" - George Best</font color=blue>

 

[TheMASK]

oh well... i figured it out. I downloaded Seagate Disc Wizard Starter Edition and with that i partitioned both my SATA drives. Now when i boot with a Win 98 boot floppy, both the discs are detected. But Win XP Pro setup (from CD) still doesn't recognise either of my SATA drives.

Win XP setup does ask you to press the "F6" key at the start up of the setup but that is to install the RAID/SCSI controllers. Since i am not particularly interested in RAID, i have not installed it.

Anyways, i plan to install Win 98 thru the boot floppy and then upgrade it to Win XP Pro. tnx for ur help!

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[TheMASK]

F6 key, to install SCSI/RAID controllers

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[jihiggs]

dude, its not just for raid and scsi, you should be able to install the sata controler that way. its not a very accurate instruction, it should say press f6 to install any 3rd party controlers.

wpdclan.com cs game server - 69.12.5.119:27015

 

[TheMASK]

is it? i never knew that...damn Windows

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[TheMASK]

tnx for the help man!

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[jihiggs]

so it worked?

wpdclan.com cs game server - 69.12.5.119:27015

 

[TheMASK]

Nope. it did not work. I could install Win ME though. Whenever i try to install Win XP (fresh install and Upgrade over Win ME), after the setup copies files and restarts, it gives me a BSOD. but i have not given up yet.

The SATA controller that came on the mobo software CD has SATA RAID controller setup on two floppy disks. But when i try to install that (pressing the F6 routine) from the floppy during the setup, WIN XP says it did not find any controller data on the floppy.

Anyways, i'll check at the Microsoft site for info.

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[jon_west_uk]

I had the same problem with my SATA drive. Make sure you have the correct Serial Controller driver files on the disk. After you have pressed the relavent f key as the other mentioned and you are asked to provide a disk i always found that on the first couple of attempts XP did not find the file. However after a couple of trys it worked fine.

I also found that when installing XP onto a Sata drive it is best to disconnect other drives from the motherboard especially if they are IDE drives as XP gets confused.

Someone please unwire me...the gadgets are taking over!