Booting into XP Problem

[BigfootsMonk]

This is a long story, I'll try to tell the story first and maybe it will make more sense.

I first started to add a new HDD into my computer. The computer used to have only 1 ATA 120g HDD. I received a new HDD as a gift. It was a SATA 80g. I decided to reformat my computer because it had a lot of problems. However, when I upgrade my computer with the new HDD, I decided to reformat then ON THE NEW HDD. Therefore, I would keep my files from the ATA HDD.

Now that I've copied all the files that I needed from the ATA HDD to the SATA one, I can clean up the ATA HDD. This is where the problem started. I went to restart, put my XP CD in. Then I delete the partition that my old ATA HDD had and created a new partition with nothing on it. I tried to restart, but then the motherboard won't start Windows on the SATA HDD.

Any ideas?

 

[mechBgon]

What I would do at this point is to copy the important files back to the 120GB drive, and then take the 120GB drive out of the system and get Windows set up on the new SATA drive while the old drive is not in the computer. If you are a GUI guy like me, then one way to do that is to reinstall Windows temporarily on the 120GB drive, pull a copy of all those files from the SATA drive, then remove the 120GB drive from the scene while you set up Windows.

If the motherboard won't boot from the new SATA drive after the first phase of WindowsXP Setup, or if it won't boot from the new SATA drive after you do reinstall the 120GB ATA drive, then you have a motherboard-specific issue to iron out. Maybe my SATA page can help with the core concepts involved. If you want to tell what mobo you have, then that would help too.

Also, if your WinXP is not pre-patched with SP2 then it will be an easy target for worm attacks if you don't have firewall protection from the get-go, so maybe check out some ways to prevent that from happening. Good luck

 

[BigfootsMonk]

Thanks for your reply

Here are my specs:

Athlon 2000+
MSI K7N2 Delta 2 *this answers your motherboard question
SB Audigy 2 Platinum
ATI Radeon 9500pro
Seagate 80g SATA
Hitachi 120g ATA
3 sticks of 256, 2 Geil and 1 Samsung

XP Pro with SP2 *this answers your SP2 question

Also, a while earlier I had a post here asking if I need to install my Raid drivers even though Windows was working correctly when I did not knew I had to when I installed XP Pro SP2 onto the SATA HDD. I hope that is not the cause of this problem. In that post I came to the conclusion that since XP was working fine and everything was fine it seemed like my HDD didn't need the SATA Drivers that I was asked to install by pressing F6 before windows installation.

 

[mechBgon]

Because your southbridge's SATA ports seem like IDE to Windows (when the controller is in "normal" non-RAID mode), there's no need to give it the extra drivers, you're good there And since you have SP2 already on the disc, that will provide firewall protection and also plugs a lot of known vulnerabilities too. So keep at it

 

[BigfootsMonk]

On your website, you mentioned setting the boot priority to SCSI. What would that do and would that help in my situation?

EDIT: Nevermind about that part above.

I just have an idea about the cause of this problem. Since this problem started when I deleted the partition on the ATA drive, and that the letters that used to represent the SATA drive was F. Do you think somehow that got changed and now it wouldn't boot?

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: BigfootsMonk
On your website, you mentioned setting the boot priority to SCSI. What would that do and would that help in my situation?

The effect would depend on what particular motherboard it is, and whether or not the SATA controller is on the PCI bus. For your particular board, your SATA controller is the "native" type and not a PCI device at all. I also happen to have the manual for your board... lessee here... Ok, in Advanced BIOS Features you see the first-second-third boot device list, and also a sub-menu called Hard Disk Boot Priority where you can re-assert the SATA drive as the intended boot drive if it gets kicked down the list by the 120GB drive.

Between that sub-menu and the first-second-third list, you should be able to force it to boot from the SATA drive.

 

[BigfootsMonk]

Yeah I'ved tried the sub menu and put the SATA HDD above the ATA one. No luck the SATA wouldn't boot. I've now reformatted and copying the files. Excuse my language but man what a biatch I got myself into. Now I think about it this would have come sooner or later because I was planning on erasing the ATA HDD for a LONG time.

P.S. I still think the cause of the problem was the renaming of the drive letters. See my above post I edited it.

 

[mechBgon]

I thought perhaps the actual boot files were placed on the 120GB ATA drive, even though the Windows installation itself landed on the SATA drive. Taking away the 120GB completely before installing Windows makes sure that doesn't have any chance of occurring.

If your motherboard has a really strong fetish for regular ATA drives, and won't boot from SATA, then you know what I'd do? I'd say the heck with it and let it run Windows off the 120GB drive if that's what it really wants, or else get a second SATA drive to take the place of your 120GB drive. Or a different motherboard that is more cooperative? Upgrade?

 

[BigfootsMonk]

lol this motherboard was an upgrade/replacement for my faulty Epox 8RDA+. But yeah for now I think I'm just going to use this format on the ATA and forget the hasle. The SATA drive isn't that much faster if it is at all anyways.

 

[BigfootsMonk]

Just one last question. Since now that I have my format on the C partition and the SATA is appearing as D instead of F. If I want to wipe the SATA drive so that I have more space to store stuff what should I do.

 

[mechBgon]

To wipe the SATA drive, right-click My Computer, choose Manage, and go down to Disk Management. Right-click the white bar that represents the drive's partition(s) and delete them (after rescuing any data), then make one big partition instead. Or make partitions in the vacant space if there is some.