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SATA Problems with new XP install

G

GEShields

Senior member
I just received a new 74GB Raptor from a forum member and am trying to do a fresh install of Win XP pro on it(non-SP1 and non-SP2)

I have read some of the other threads that state I need to install the SATA drivers via the F6 method. I did that and it loads the drivers. However, when I get to the point that it wants to install XP, it says there is not a valid drive on the computer. Help?

The HDD shows just fine on the POST screen....

Greg
 
Well if you hit F6 and I assume your loaded the drivers off a floppy and they loaded OK, and then it could not find the drive, I would have to assume that you loaded the wrong drivers on the floppy disk?

 
What motherboard is this?

To cut to the chase,

1) if your motherboard's chipset has "native" Serial ATA controllers,

2) and if your drive is plugged into a SATA jack that is, in fact, connected to the "native" SATA controllers (as opposed to a soldered-down third-party add-on SATA chip like a Silicon Image or Promise one),

3) and if your "native" Serial ATA controllers haven't been switched to RAID mode in the motherboard BIOS,

THEN you do not need drivers, on a floppy or otherwise. The motherboard makes the SATA drive work like a PATA drive for the purposes of Windows Setup. So if you haven't tried that already, check items 1, 2 and 3 and then go for it.

Make sure the SATA drive is the only HDD in the system during Setup. Unplug memory-card readers and USB drives, so drive letter C: doesn't get heisted by them. And remember that WinXP without Service Pack 2 is vulnerable to network worms, so at a minimum, enable its Internet Connection Firewall (see Start > Help > "firewall") before you let it have a network connection, to protect it until you can get it patched up.

I can think of some exceptions, so it'll be interesting to hear what motherboard you have.
 
She has an Asus P5WD2 Premium. I believe I loaded the Silicon image 3142 drivers or close to that number. I got them right off the Asus Site for that motherboard. I have the SATA enabled in the BIOS and the RAID disabled.
 
That motherboard has native SATA. Plug your SATA cable into the jack marked SATA1 on the motherboard, so it's on one of the "native" Serial ATA controllers (see page 2-31 of your owner's manual). Begin Windows XP Setup. Ignore the "press F6 key" thing and don't try to give it any drivers on a floppy, just let it ride. That should work (famous last words 😀).

If you're wondering why Asus has Silicon Image drivers listed, when you don't actually need them, those drivers are for the two SATA jacks that the Silicon Image RAID controller is hosting. One is an external SATA jack peeking out the back along with the USB ports and whatnot, the other is an internal SATA jack up near the CPU socket.
 
Unfortunately, I did try to install XP first without giving it the drivers and it said the same thing. I am starting to wonder if I don't have a bad SATA port or bad HDD....

Greg
 
If you go into the motherboard's BIOS, does it see the hard drive in the BIOS? edit: n/m, you answered that already 😱

Maybe try resetting the CMOS, if you made any changes from factory default. You could also try the SATA2 jack.
 
I tries SATA2, SATA3, and SATA4...i even tried a new power dongle.

However, I went through every setting in the BIOS and found under IDE Configuration that SATA was set to AHPI(sp?) and I set it back to Standard IDE....as I sit here typing, Windows XP is being loaded onto her computer...

Thanks for the help with troubleshooting guys!!

Greg
 
What I do is press the F6 and then never install any drivers. XP will go ahead and do an install even though you haven't loaded any drivers.
 
Originally posted by: GEShields
I tries SATA2, SATA3, and SATA4...i even tried a new power dongle.

However, I went through every setting in the BIOS and found under IDE Configuration that SATA was set to AHPI(sp?) and I set it back to Standard IDE....as I sit here typing, Windows XP is being loaded onto her computer...

Thanks for the help with troubleshooting guys!!

Greg
Click to expand...

AHCI offers NCQ & Hot Swap capabilities, but will require you to hit F6 to install drivers during the OS setup. As long as you have the drivers on a floppy, or slipstreamed into the OS, this should not be a problem.

Setting AHCI to disabled or IDE allows the OS to autodetect the controller during install.
 
Originally posted by: jjones
What I do is press the F6 and then never install any drivers. XP will go ahead and do an install even though you haven't loaded any drivers.
Click to expand...

2 questions
are you saying this works for this guy with XP SP0? (XP SP0 has no native SATA drivers on disc)
does it ask for SATA drivers after install?



 
SP2 didnt include any Sata drivers in itnative Sata ports are handled through the chipset as IDE drives.
Have a link for what Sata drivers are in Sp2?
 
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