XP Set up Fails on SATA drive

[Harkhof]

I just pulled one of my machines out of service to convert the HDs to SATA
and to perform a clean install. I pulled all the IDE drives out of the
machine, stuck a Seagate 320 GB SATA drive in and created a 50GB Partition
to install Windows in.

After the XP CD loads it's files, I choose the partition to set up on and
let it go. The copy process seems to go fine and the system reboots, but
then brings me right back to the beginning of set up, making me agree to the
licensing and choose the partition all over again to allow it to copy the
files to the HD (again) and then reboot (again). It's an endless loop.

The files *are* copied to the HD, so setup *is* seeing the drive and, after
choosing the partition again, set up states that there is already a windows
install on the drive. I choose to overwrite it and the loop continues.

It has been suggested that I press F6 and load drivers for the SATA drive,
but Seagate's site states that their drives don't require drivers other than
what's available in XP SP2 (My windows XP install CD is slipstreamed with
SP2).

One other point, I quit putting floppy drives in my machines a year or two
ago, so if I do have to load drivers, I can only do so via a USB external
floppy drive or the CD, if set up will allow either of those devices to load
drivers.

I haven't put any other drives in the machine yet. There is just the 320GB
SATA and an optical drive. Pertinent set up specs are:

Gigabyte GA-8KNXP motherboard
3ghz P4
1 GB Corsair RAM running at dual channel
ATI AIW x800xl

I have the SATA drive connected to SATA0_SB and, again, it is the only HD in
the system.

Any ideas appreciated.

Thanks,
mxh

 

[kony]

I just pulled one of my machines out of service to convert the HDs to SATA
and to perform a clean install. I pulled all the IDE drives out of the
machine, stuck a Seagate 320 GB SATA drive in and created a 50GB Partition
to install Windows in.

After the XP CD loads it's files, I choose the partition to set up on and
let it go. The copy process seems to go fine and the system reboots, but
then brings me right back to the beginning of set up, making me agree to the
licensing and choose the partition all over again to allow it to copy the
files to the HD (again) and then reboot (again). It's an endless loop.

The files *are* copied to the HD, so setup *is* seeing the drive and, after
choosing the partition again, set up states that there is already a windows
install on the drive. I choose to overwrite it and the loop continues.

It has been suggested that I press F6 and load drivers for the SATA drive,
but Seagate's site states that their drives don't require drivers other than
what's available in XP SP2 (My windows XP install CD is slipstreamed with
SP2).

Forget about Seatgate's site, this is not a driver for the
hard drive, this is a driver for the hard drive controller
on the motherboard.

One other point, I quit putting floppy drives in my machines a year or two
ago, so if I do have to load drivers, I can only do so via a USB external
floppy drive or the CD, if set up will allow either of those devices to load
drivers.

Well I suppose you could just choose to quit installing hard
drives in systems too, then there's no problem?

Point is, it's not really about "choice", it's about what
parts need to be in a system. There are ways to slipstream
drivers into a remade XP installation disc, for example
using "nLite" (Google search for it) you will have the
directions associated with the program to get the job done,
it integrates the driver onto the CD and when using nLite to
make the CD, it is a menu choice to add the driver which you
browse to from having it stored on your HDD.

I haven't put any other drives in the machine yet. There is just the 320GB
SATA and an optical drive. Pertinent set up specs are:

Gigabyte GA-8KNXP motherboard
3ghz P4
1 GB Corsair RAM running at dual channel
ATI AIW x800xl

I have the SATA drive connected to SATA0_SB and, again, it is the only HD in
the system.

Any ideas appreciated.

IMO, easiest is to just temporarily hook a floppy drive up.
Just set it on the desk - no need to mount in the case, and
disconnect it after windows is installed.

 

[John Doe]

Forget about Seatgate's site, this is not a driver for the
hard drive, this is a driver for the hard drive controller
on the motherboard.



Well I suppose you could just choose to quit installing hard
drives in systems too, then there's no problem?

Point is, it's not really about "choice", it's about what
parts need to be in a system. There are ways to slipstream
drivers into a remade XP installation disc, for example
using "nLite" (Google search for it) you will have the
directions associated with the program to get the job done,
it integrates the driver onto the CD and when using nLite to
make the CD, it is a menu choice to add the driver which you
browse to from having it stored on your HDD.




IMO, easiest is to just temporarily hook a floppy drive up.
Just set it on the desk - no need to mount in the case, and
disconnect it after windows is installed.

Hi Kony, and thanks for responding. Point taken regarding floppy drive, and
I'll pick one up if neccessary (and apparently, it is). I guess I should
have just asked if I absolutely had to have a floppy or would a CD drive or
USB floppy do. At any rate, I kind of figured it might be a controller issue
on the mainboard, since newer boards have not required the F6 process, and
have already been to Gigabyte's site. They don't really have a specific
driver for the SATA controller. My assumption would be that I either need
the SCSI driver or the SATA raid driver, but I'm not really sure. The driver
list is at the link below, if you don't mind taking a look.


http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/Driver_Model.aspx?ProductID=1629

Thanks for your time,
Hark

 

[kony]

Hi Kony, and thanks for responding. Point taken regarding floppy drive, and
I'll pick one up if neccessary (and apparently, it is). I guess I should
have just asked if I absolutely had to have a floppy or would a CD drive or
USB floppy do.

Well, I'd like it if there was never a need for a floppy
drive and blame MS for this silly issue but that's a whole
'nuther topic...

At any rate, I kind of figured it might be a controller issue
on the mainboard, since newer boards have not required the F6 process, and
have already been to Gigabyte's site.

Whether a board needs it depends on how it handles
controller emulation, whether it appears to MS as a SCSI
type controller or can be handled with MS driver.

They don't really have a specific
driver for the SATA controller. My assumption would be that I either need
the SCSI driver or the SATA raid driver, but I'm not really sure. The driver
list is at the link below, if you don't mind taking a look.


http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherboard/Driver_Model.aspx?ProductID=1629

Yes, you need the driver for whichever controller you have
the drive hooked up to. The SCSI appears to be for an
Adaptec 320, the ITE for PATA, so you'd want the other one,
intel preinstall.

 

[Keith]

I just pulled one of my machines out of service to convert the HDs to
SATA and to perform a clean install. I pulled all the IDE drives out
of the machine, stuck a Seagate 320 GB SATA drive in and created a
50GB Partition to install Windows in.

After the XP CD loads it's files, I choose the partition to set up on
and let it go. The copy process seems to go fine and the system
reboots, but then brings me right back to the beginning of set up,
making me agree to the licensing and choose the partition all over
again to allow it to copy the files to the HD (again) and then reboot
(again). It's an endless loop.
The files *are* copied to the HD, so setup *is* seeing the drive and,
after choosing the partition again, set up states that there is
already a windows install on the drive. I choose to overwrite it and
the loop continues.
It has been suggested that I press F6 and load drivers for the SATA
drive, but Seagate's site states that their drives don't require
drivers other than what's available in XP SP2 (My windows XP install
CD is slipstreamed with SP2).

One other point, I quit putting floppy drives in my machines a year
or two ago, so if I do have to load drivers, I can only do so via a
USB external floppy drive or the CD, if set up will allow either of
those devices to load drivers.

I haven't put any other drives in the machine yet. There is just the
320GB SATA and an optical drive. Pertinent set up specs are:

Gigabyte GA-8KNXP motherboard
3ghz P4
1 GB Corsair RAM running at dual channel
ATI AIW x800xl

I have the SATA drive connected to SATA0_SB and, again, it is the
only HD in the system.

Any ideas appreciated.

Thanks,
mxh

As Andy said yesterday, make sure the Sata drive IS the boot drive in bios.

 

[John Doe]

Well, I'd like it if there was never a need for a floppy
drive and blame MS for this silly issue but that's a whole
'nuther topic...

As it turns out, setup reads the USB floppy, and I was able to feed it the
drivers. However, this was to no effect (this after trying all the drivers
available just to cover the bases). The only way I can get set up to
complete is by setting the SATA option in the BIOS to auto, which maps it to
the primary IDE channel. I'm not so sure this is optimal, but nothing else
is successful.

Whether a board needs it depends on how it handles
controller emulation, whether it appears to MS as a SCSI
type controller or can be handled with MS driver.



Yes, you need the driver for whichever controller you have
the drive hooked up to. The SCSI appears to be for an
Adaptec 320, the ITE for PATA, so you'd want the other one,
intel preinstall.

Yeah, I tried those. No go.

Thanks again,
mxh

 

[John Doe]

As Andy said yesterday, make sure the Sata drive IS the boot drive in
bios.

No SATA option in the bios. Aside the usual CD drives, etc, there is only
SCSI or IDE drives 0-4.