Can you install a IDE controller card without a reformat/reintall?

[Macro2]

And be relatively sure it will work OK/ I really don't want to have to reformat.

 

[tornadobox]

yeah, all you gotta do is plug it into your mobo and install the drivers once windows asks for them. Then you'll be good to go.

 

[Joemonkey]

yeah, i believe the card will show up in your device manager as "mass storage device" with yellow exclamation point by it. just install the drivers and you should be good to go.

 

[NelsonMuntz]

Do all the things these guys mentioned, but before you try to plug your booting hard drive into it.

 

[bacillus]

if you're going to use your present hdd, suggest you leave your hdd on the m/board ide controller for the moment & install the card with nothing attached. windows will find it & ask for drivers. after you've installed the card & drivers, shut down & connect your hdd to the controller card.

 

[Macro2]

I'm just going to put the IDE Zip drive on it. I don't want to have to go for a full reinstall, that's all...

Thanks

 

[Mday]

depends if you're running w2k or not. sometimes 2k has a bitch about things...

 

[Mday]

damn double @#(%*@#)(%*)#(

 

[Macro2]

just 98se

 

[bacillus]

<< I'm just going to put the IDE Zip drive on it. I don't want to have to go for a full reinstall, that's all... >>


well then just do what I've suggested &amp; attach your zip after you've installed the drivers. it's really just like installing a normal pci card!

 

[MichaelD]

Bacillus and NelsonMuntz beat me to it. Do EXACTLY what they suggested. Don't attach any drive (HD/Zip/Unzip/etc) to that card until the drivers are installed AND you see in Hardware Manager that it's up and running w/no conflicts. Good luck.

 

[VBboy]

ABSOLUTELY.

Once you power down the PC and unplug the HD, you can move it to another computer, or store it on the shelf. It's just like a CD-ROM drive with a disk inserted

You will however need to configure the card if it has its own BIOS so that it recognizes the drive's parameters (Heads, Sectors, LBA/etc)

 

[Whitedog]

If I couldn't... I'd be throwing that card away