Windows XP install with IDE/SATA DVD and SATA HDD

[lambdaboyx]

I am planning out my next build, and I am planning on having a dvd burner IDE and an SATA hard disk. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think a floppy disk is necessary to install windows correct? Will I be able to update my bios and such as well without a floppy disk drive?

But if I decide to get a floppy disk, would it be possible then to get an SATA dvd burner instead of one using the standard IDE cable? How would I do that install then?

 

[Roguestar]

I had my latest install with an IDE drive, an IDE DVD Burner and an SATA HD. If you have an XP SP2 install disc then you can install using SATA DVD drives and onto a hard drive. You can also slipstream (http://www.winsupersite.com/sh...xp_sp2_slipstream.asp) your SATA drivers onto a regular XP install CD.

Most of the time motherboard manufacturers have BIOS-flashing utilities from within windows. I don't have a floppy drive plugged in to my PC so I just used that. If you get a floppy drive you don't have to get an IDE DVD burner - floppy drives don't use up IDE channels, they run on a different connector. SATA DVD burners will work fine at install time if, as I said, you have a service pack 2 XP install disc.

 

[lambdaboyx]

Thanks for the heads up on SP2. I did not know that SP2 had native support for SATA DVD/HDD drives.

 

[lambdaboyx]

How can you tell if your XP cd has SP2 incorporated into it?