Installing an OS...

[Jospeh]

So I bought this laptop with no OS and the basic 250GB hard drive.
https://secure.pctorque.com/system-configuration.aspx?SystemsID=38
I already had XP and might as well just use that. Except the XP installation doesn't detect the hard drive. How do I get it to detect the hard drive? I have a 2GB USB Flash drive to use and that's about it.

[criccio]

This is an interesting problem that I have come across with other people's laptops and never did solve. Subscribed to see how this pans out.


FYI, looked into just installing Windows 7?

[Jospeh]

Will that fit on a 2GB flash drive?

[criccio]

Ahh, sorry, missed that part. You will need at least a 4GB drive. Luckily they are dirt cheap.

If you get one, you can follow my guide here: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1381323

[dbwillis]

In the bios you have to change the sata mode from AHCI to IDE mode for XP to see the drive, or provide the chipset/AHCI drivers via floppy

Vista/Win7 most likely will see the HDD

[DeaconFrost]

You will need to find a way to get the SATA controller drivers included into your XP disc, or available on a floppy disk. This "issue" has been around since SATA drives were first introduced (actually earlier, given the RAID0 fad).

Here are your three solutions:

1. You can download the chipset's SATA controller drivers and have them on a floppy disk.
2. You can use nLite to slipstream in those drivers to your XP CD.
3. You can get Vista or Windows 7 and be done with this "problem".

EDIT: I forgot about the AHCI setting. Check that first, to see if it is currently set to AHCI. If so, set it to IDE and try again. If your laptop uses an Intel chipset, this will most likely resolve the issue.

[MrF]

Except the XP installation doesn't detect the hard drive.
What exactly happened?
Does the BIOS see the hard drive?
If yes, is the hard drive on the boot device list in the BIOS?

I have a 2GB USB Flash drive to use and that's about it.

What exactly do you mean by that??
Are you saying you do not have an XP CD?
Or, are you saying the laptop does not have an optical drive?

[Jospeh]

In the bios you have to change the sata mode from AHCI to IDE mode for XP to see the drive, or provide the chipset/AHCI drivers via floppy

Vista/Win7 most likely will see the HDD

Hum...Playing with the BIOS settings right now and I'll see how it goes.

EDIT: Woohoo got it. I had to disable Intel Turbo Memory for it work.


I meant that I have a 2GB flash drive right now for moving files and installing the OS. Other than that I have the XP install disk. I can see the hard drive in the BIOS.