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Trouble loading OS on my Gateway

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firebirdude

Member
I just bought a laptop off Ebay that came with a Windows XP Media Center Edition Key. It also came with a system recovery disk. However, I want to load my own copy of Windows Media Center onto the laptop and just use the key the laptop came with. (To keep out all those nice helpful little "trial programs" and so it doesn't partition my HDD into two 20G pieces) I've already located all the needed drivers for the video chipset, Wireless LAN, etc. So thats no problem.

The issue is when I boot off the Windows Media Center disc, Windows installers begins normally but soon tells me that it cannot find any HDDs on my computer and I must quit install.

When I was downloading all my drivers, I found one that was called "SATA support driver" and the description said I MUST use this if installing a non-gateway supplied OS. Fine, but how the hell can I do that before I even get to install the OS? It doesn't give me a chance if I hit F6 either unless I have an external floppy drive.
 
Originally posted by: clandren
why not just use the add/remove feature to get rid of all the trial software? then you could run ccleaner or some other app to clear out the reg files
Click to expand...

Call it piece of mind. Call it knowing exactly what has been/is still on my computer. Call it whatever....... I may end up having to do that as a last resort. But can anyone answer the question?
 
When you start to load the OS you will see "press F6 to load..." (scsi , raid, etc) you need to press F6. Nothing will happen immediately. Eventually a screen will come up and it will prompt you to insert a floppy. You need the drivers for that sata controller on a floppy disk. Yes it has to be a floppy. Then you get the chance to select the driver ... and it will be able to see your hard drive.
 
Originally posted by: datwater
When you start to load the OS you will see "press F6 to load..." (scsi , raid, etc) you need to press F6. Nothing will happen immediately. Eventually a screen will come up and it will prompt you to insert a floppy. You need the drivers for that sata controller on a floppy disk. Yes it has to be a floppy. Then you get the chance to select the driver ... and it will be able to see your hard drive.
Click to expand...

I figured:| How the hell am I suppose to get a floppy on my laptop? I'm sure as hell not buying an external floppy drive just to load these driver's one time. I have an internal floppy drive on my desktop I dont use anymore..... any place to connect the floppy ide? 😀

And lastly, say I end up using the Gateway recovery disk... how come my HDD shows up as a removable device? And how can I get that icon to disappear but reappear when I do, infact, connect an external device?
 
i just thought of an idea, but it might take some effort. maybe you could slipstream the sata drivers into the os, so when you are installing it you wont get that prompt ?

 
Originally posted by: clandren
i just thought of an idea, but it might take some effort. maybe you could slipstream the sata drivers into the os, so when you are installing it you wont get that prompt ?
Click to expand...

Thats a good idea. But I believe the driver must be loaded before Windows can even begin to begin. Very very first. And it goes through a different series of actions to get to load the drivers vice loading windows. (F6, S or R or somethin, ENTER..) Like datwater said and I've always heard, SCSI and RAID drivers MUST come from a floppy. Please correct me if I'm wrong.!😀
 
i think theres a way. you might be better off asking here Text

i linked to the switchless installers forum but i'm not sure if thats how you would be able to do it. i know for some switchless installers you can set it to when and how the app installs, so maybe you could do the same with drivers. might be worth a shot asking those guys over there



found a little more info that might help Text

 
Originally posted by: firebirdude
Originally posted by: clandren
i just thought of an idea, but it might take some effort. maybe you could slipstream the sata drivers into the os, so when you are installing it you wont get that prompt ?
Click to expand...

Thats a good idea. But I believe the driver must be loaded before Windows can even begin to begin. Very very first. And it goes through a different series of actions to get to load the drivers vice loading windows. (F6, S or R or somethin, ENTER..) Like datwater said and I've always heard, SCSI and RAID drivers MUST come from a floppy. Please correct me if I'm wrong.!😀
Click to expand...


Well it has to be able to load SATA drivers from the installation media. Gateway did it on their branded installation disk, Dell also does it on theirs.

Try this link:

http://www.msfn.org/board/Unattended_install_SATA_drivers_Floppy_t13173.html

pcgeek11
 
Thanks for the link. Looks like exactly what I'm looking for. But it's a little over my head. I can follow it for a little while.... but I think I'd screw something up due to ignorance. I'd hate to spend hours and hours creating some thing and screw something up and not be able to fix it.

Ok, new biggest reason I don't want to use the gateway recovery disk..... it partitions the hard drive into two equal sections. There's no reason for that. If it keeps the OS files on one, fine. But that partition doesn't need to be 20+Gigs. Anyway to change this without reloaded?
 
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