HELP please w/ WinXP Pro install problem - SATA

[ghoti]

I sure could use some help, please!

First time DIY -- ASUS SK8V; FX53; 2 x 74GB Raptors

I've booted off the Windows CD, and have loaded Promise 378 ATA Drivers (using floppy I created using the MB CD). Then, WinXP says it cannot continue setup because it cannot find HD. I've tried both the old-fashioned four-pin power connectors on the HD's, as well as the SATA power connectors (NOT at the same time) -- my Antec True 430 has both. The SATA data cables are pluged into the HD's and into SATA 1 and SATA 2 on the MB. No luck! I'm ready to pull out what little hair I've still got!

Suggestions, please?

Thanks much.

😕

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: ghoti
I sure could use some help, please!

First time DIY -- ASUS SK8V; FX53; 2 x 74GB Raptors

I've booted off the Windows CD, and have loaded Promise 378 ATA Drivers (using floppy I created using the MB CD). Then, WinXP says it cannot continue setup because it cannot find HD. I've tried both the old-fashioned four-pin power connectors on the HD's, as well as the SATA power connectors (NOT at the same time) -- my Antec True 430 has both. The SATA data cables are pluged into the HD's and into SATA 1 and SATA 2 on the MB. No luck! I'm ready to pull out what little hair I've still got!

Suggestions, please?

Thanks much.

😕

You're on the right general approach, but there's one trick here... your hard drive is plugged into the VIA chipset's own SATA controller, not the Promise. And that's a good idea. You just need to make the VIA driver floppy and you should be all set. To make the VIA SATA driver floppy instead of the Promise SATA driver floppy, search the SK8V's CD for Makedisk.exe and use the Makedisk.exe utility that is located in a VIA folder, not a Promise folder. There may be one additional step, which is to enable OnChip SATA BOOTROM in the motherboard's BIOS so the VIA SATA controller becomes a bootable controller. Good luck ghoti 🙂

 

[ghoti]

Thanks again Mech!

Someone had told me I should be using the Promise SATA connections on the MB, rather than the VIA -- guess I might try using the OTHER connectors on the MB and then these Promise drivers would work?

Which pair of SATA connectors do you think are better for me to use? I know one pair uses the South Bridge SATA capability, while the other pair uses another, separate chip. BTW, I don't plan to RAID these drives.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: ghoti
Thanks again Mech!

Someone had told me I should be using the Promise SATA connections on the MB, rather than the VIA -- guess I might try using the OTHER connectors on the MB and then these Promise drivers would work?

Which pair of SATA connectors do you think are better for me to use? I know one pair uses the South Bridge SATA capability, while the other pair uses another, separate chip. BTW, I don't plan to RAID these drives.

Thanks for the advice.

You could switch to the Promise controller, and you can also opt for it to use either RAID mode or "normal" mode in your BIOS as well. The reason I think the Promise controller is not as good is partly that it's a PCI-based controller. The PCI bus has a peak throughput of 132MB/sec in theory. Well, the VIA SATA controller is up on the 533MB/sec V-Link to the northbridge. That means a higher peak burst rate from the hard drives, and it also means your PCI bus is freed up for stuff that actually needs it, such as an add-in video-capture card, SCSI card, sound card, network card or soldered-down PCI network chip, PCI coffeemaker-controller card (yes ok, I'm making that one up), or whatever 😀

So that's my reasoning. 🙂