Windows Setup with SATA HD and no floppy?

[Scott Smith]

I just bought a Dell Dimension 8400 with Windows XP Home and a 160GB SATA
hard drive (the system didn't come with a floppy drive).

The first thing I needed to do is migrate my old Windows XP Pro system onto
my new Dell 8400 (I need to upgrade the 8400 to XP Pro, because it came with
XP Home preinstalled).

I booted the new machine to my Windows XP Pro CD, and XP Setup doesn't
recognize the SATA controller, reporting that it can't find any hard drives.
Research shows that this is a common problem, and that there are drivers
(available from Dell) that Setup can use to recognize the SATA drive on my
system. I have the drivers (the EXE from Dell produces a floppy diskette),
but there is a problem: XP Setup only gives me the option to load the
drivers from diskette (A: drive). This system didn't come with a floppy
drive.

So, basically, I'm stuck. The XP Pro retail box doesn't list a floppy drive
or PATA hard drive as requirements, yet I can't figure out how to install
Windows XP Pro on this system. Does anyone know if there is some other means
of doing this, or am I just missing something obvious?

Thanks in advance.

-Scott

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Slipstreaming SATA/RAID Drivers
http://greenmachine.msfnhosting.com/READING/addraid.htm

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User
Microsoft Newsgroups

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I just bought a Dell Dimension 8400 with Windows XP Home and a 160GB SATA
| hard drive (the system didn't come with a floppy drive).
|
| The first thing I needed to do is migrate my old Windows XP Pro system onto
| my new Dell 8400 (I need to upgrade the 8400 to XP Pro, because it came with
| XP Home preinstalled).
|
| I booted the new machine to my Windows XP Pro CD, and XP Setup doesn't
| recognize the SATA controller, reporting that it can't find any hard drives.
| Research shows that this is a common problem, and that there are drivers
| (available from Dell) that Setup can use to recognize the SATA drive on my
| system. I have the drivers (the EXE from Dell produces a floppy diskette),
| but there is a problem: XP Setup only gives me the option to load the
| drivers from diskette (A: drive). This system didn't come with a floppy
| drive.
|
| So, basically, I'm stuck. The XP Pro retail box doesn't list a floppy drive
| or PATA hard drive as requirements, yet I can't figure out how to install
| Windows XP Pro on this system. Does anyone know if there is some other means
| of doing this, or am I just missing something obvious?
|
| Thanks in advance.
|
| -Scott

 

[Guest]

You may have another problem,unless pro is a full retail version,not the up-
grade,xp wont recognize the dell copy of xp,thus installing xp pro upgrade,if
it's that,wont work w/o a retail version of windows.If full pro,youre ok,as
far
as floppy goes,get a floppy drive,thier only 20.00 or so.There's one site
OSR,
whom by-passed the need for a floppy by means of some utility,i'll chk,the
column was 01 or 02 of this year i believe,or e-mail me and i'll get it or
the
info,OSR requires membership to access its site..

 

[Guest]

Well the first thing you cannot do is MIGRATE: technically speaking. I
believe that the easiest way to accomplish your desire and not to spend extra
money becasue you chaose not to get XP Pro with the Dell, is to UPGRADE the
Dell to XP Pro.

So using DELL's RESTORE CDs, reset the Dell to Factory Fresh State [as it
was originally shipped to you]. This should manage to get a working XP
system onto the SATA drive.

Use your Full Retail Version of XP Pro [and not another OEM edition becasue
it just will not work] and place the CD into the Dell after you have booted
up into XP Home. It will then perform an upgarde of the OEM XP Home to a
Full Retail Version of XP Pro. Be mindful that you will be obliged to remove
XP Pro from your other PC.

Now you'll need to install all your application software.