intstalling XP on SATA

[erikstotle]

Hi,

I just put a AMD 2500 and ASUS A7N8X-E system together (my first ) with a 80 gig Maxtor SATA HDD and Radeon 9200 and now I'm trying to install XP.

Here's what I've done:
Boot from cd-rom with XP disk in...formatted the Maxtor in RAID utility.....the install gets to a certain point and then stops and tells me I have no HDD to install on and check the connections.....I know the system recognizes the drive because its been formatted. What am I missing?

[lysergia]

When you boot to the windows xp cdrom you will see a option to install a 3rd party device press f6 you need to press that to install your sata drivers. I might be wrong but this is how I do it for a preinstallation of xp at work

[erikstotle]

Thanks for the reply Lysergia. I guess I gotta get a FDD because every time I do that it asks me tp insert a disk in drive A: The drivers are on my Mobo cd. How can I install them if it only takes a floppy?

[RuchG]

Try copying them over to a floppy disk. My mobo came with drivers on a CD and floppy for SATA stuff, so you might want to double check the contents.

Also a stong point of advice, you may get past this point after getting your drivers on a floppy, but you may when trying to install windows itself run across a phrase saying saying "cannot install *satadrivername.sys*" even tho u had JUST loaded those drivers. If you skip these files during the installation, it won't work properly. The only way to get around this is find another computer, and go to MS.com and make a WinXP floppy boot disk (it takes 6 floppy's) and load the XP installer from the floppy rather than the CD, when it prompts you for the CD then put it in. This is the only way I know it will decide to read the driver infomation off of the floppy disk.

[erikstotle]

Thanks RuchG. Unfortunately I don't have a floppy drive. I need to get my hands on one tommorrow.

Q: What would be the file extention for the SATA driver file? There are several files in the SATA folder on my mobo CD.

[RuchG]

As I recall there are about 5 or so with .sys and .dll extensions. There maybe some others in there too.

[erikstotle]

Thanks for the help peeps. That was the solution RuchG. Got a floppy drive and all is going according to plan!

[RuchG]

Nice, enjoy the new drive:cool:

[Stanley Pain]

Seems to be a thread or two like this every day :).

I think we need a sticky about Windows installs + SATA and/or Raid Arrays :).

Cheers,

Mr. Pain

[RuchG]

Yeah I agree, it took me forever to find out that that was how you install XP on an SATA drive. A quick sticky might help remedy many peoples problems hehe.

[erikstotle]

Its too bad search is turned off. I would have tried that before posting, but........Why is it turned off?


Anyway, my system is up and running like a cut cat.:lol: Love this ASUS A7N8X-E!!! ;)

[Stanley Pain]

Originally posted by erikstotle
Its too bad search is turned off. I would have tried that before posting, but........Why is it turned off?


Anyway, my system is up and running like a cut cat.:lol: Love this ASUS A7N8X-E!!! ;)

Good to hear it, glad your system is up and running :)


Cheers,

Mr. Pain