Need Help with finding SATA driver

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
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I have an IDE drive that I have most of my stuff on, but I cannot see the Sata drive that is plugged in. I am quite sure that it is a problem with my drivers because I just installed XP yesterday.
In short where can I get the drivers for this?
I already checked DFI's website and all they have is a zip file with random files that I have no idea what to do with.
 

g8wayrebel

Senior member
Nov 15, 2004
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You have to input the drivers at the first install screen when installing windows.
Download and burn them to disk before you reinstall and then redo your machine.
I believe you have to press S then F6(will say specifically when screen comes up) on the options menu when installing to input the drivers.
In any case, the install for them is pre-windows and will come up as an option as you begin the install.
Look for your specific SATA controller per your MoBo manual.
 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
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Since I just got everything up and running is there any other way. It would be a real pain to have to reinstall windows just for this.
I know for NF2 boards you just had to run a .exe file. Isn't there something like that.
 

Continuity28

Golden Member
Jul 2, 2005
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The correct and most recent drivers for you are nVidia nForce drivers. Are you using 32-bit or 64-bit XP? Here are the drivers for both.

Windows XP 32-bit / Windows 2000

http://www.nvidia.com/object/nforce_nf4_win2k_6.86.html

Windows XP 64-bit / Server 2003 64-bit

http://www.nvidia.com/object/n..._nf4_winxp64_6.86.html

When it installs, the only option you don't want to select is Audio. For Audio, go here:

http://www.realtek.com.tw/down...TypeID=3&GetDown=false

EDIT: It doesn't appear that DFI model has an extra SATA controller, but just in case the above isn't enough... Send another message so I can link you to drivers for the second controller.
 

stevty2889

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2003
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Originally posted by: d3lt4
Since I just got everything up and running is there any other way. It would be a real pain to have to reinstall windows just for this.
I know for NF2 boards you just had to run a .exe file. Isn't there something like that.

Do you have windows installed on the IDE drive, and the SATA drive is just a second drive? If thats the case, it's not drivers you are missing, you need to activate, partition, and format the drive in Disk Management. You don't need SATA drivers for that motherboard unless you are using raid. I am using that board with my X2.
 

Continuity28

Golden Member
Jul 2, 2005
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Originally posted by: stevty2889
Originally posted by: d3lt4
Since I just got everything up and running is there any other way. It would be a real pain to have to reinstall windows just for this.
I know for NF2 boards you just had to run a .exe file. Isn't there something like that.

Do you have windows installed on the IDE drive, and the SATA drive is just a second drive? If thats the case, it's not drivers you are missing, you need to activate, partition, and format the drive in Disk Management. You don't need SATA drivers for that motherboard unless you are using raid. I am using that board with my X2.

This is true, but it's best to have the latest drivers anyways. :p

Does that board have a Silicon Image 3114 chip? If so, he would definately need that driver, since Windows XP doesn't have that one by default. It appears that extra controller isn't present on his, so he should be able to see his SATA drives.

He might have it set up for RAID with something else in the BIOS, which would require drivers.
 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
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I have XP installed on my IDE drive and my SATA is just a second drive. When I load into windows, there is an icon to safely remove hardware, and it has my SATA drive listed, but I can't see it in my computer. I can safely remove it, but I can't use it.

I don't have the silicon image 31114 chip. There is just a "large" emptiness where it should go if I had it.
Sorry for the newb question, but how do I get to disk management?

Thanks for all the helpfulness so far, hopefully this will be resolved soon.

Edit: I'm running 32 bit XP.
 

Continuity28

Golden Member
Jul 2, 2005
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Originally posted by: d3lt4
I have XP installed on my IDE drive and my SATA is just a second drive. When I load into windows, there is an icon to safely remove hardware, and it has my SATA drive listed, but I can't see it in my computer. I can safely remove it, but I can't use it.

I don't have the silicon image 31114 chip. There is just a "large" emptiness where it should go if I had it.
Sorry for the newb question, but how do I get to disk management?

Thanks for all the helpfulness so far, hopefully this will be resolved soon.

Your problem is definately that you didn't partition/format the disk yet.

Install the drivers I listed about anyways, since it will improve performance and stability.

Once that's done, go to your Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management.

From there, find the unallocated SATA hard drive that has no letter yet, and create an NTFS partition on it, it will also be formatted. After that, it will be ready for use.
 

stevty2889

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2003
7,036
8
81
Originally posted by: d3lt4
I have XP installed on my IDE drive and my SATA is just a second drive. When I load into windows, there is an icon to safely remove hardware, and it has my SATA drive listed, but I can't see it in my computer. I can safely remove it, but I can't use it.

I don't have the silicon image 31114 chip. There is just a "large" emptiness where it should go if I had it.
Sorry for the newb question, but how do I get to disk management?

Thanks for all the helpfulness so far, hopefully this will be resolved soon.

Edit: I'm running 32 bit XP.

Go to control panel, administrative tools, computer management, disk management. Find you SATA drive in there, activate, partition and format it..
 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
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thanks for the help. I see the drive in disk management. It says that the drive is unallocated, but enabled. If I partition it does that mean I will lose all that is on it?
I was running ubuntu and I put stuff on there that I would like to keep.
Thanks again for all the help so far.
 

Continuity28

Golden Member
Jul 2, 2005
1,653
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76
Originally posted by: d3lt4
thanks for the help. I see the drive in disk management. It says that the drive is unallocated, but enabled. If I partition it does that mean I will lose all that is on it?
I was running ubuntu and I put stuff on there that I would like to keep.
Thanks again for all the help so far.

Yes, it will erase it.

Before you do that, you should use this program to extract any data you want to save.

Windows XP doesn't read ext2/ext3 (Linux filesystem), that's what this program will do.
 

d3lt4

Senior member
Jan 5, 2006
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76
The program that you gave me a link to couldn't read any of it. So I checked other pages and google and found a free hard drive recovery software called TESTDISK. It found all the files on the disk and my computer can now read them all.
Thanks for all the help as it is working great now.