Installing SATA hard drives in Win XP Pro

[flycat]

I've been trying to get my Serial ATA Western Digital 36GB
hard drive to install windows but my trouble is that BIOS
does not detect the SATA HD. I think it's because it's
SATA and not IDE and therefore does not detect it. My MB
is a Asus A7n8x Deluse and supports SATA so it's kinda
weird I can't find any SATA options in BIOS right?

Anyway I'd like to ask if anyone know's where one is, or
can make a dummies guide to installing and loading windows
XP pro on a SATA drive.

I've been doing a little reading and I've read about a
controller, is it like SCSI? Do I need a special PCI card
for the SATA Hard drive or is the SATA drive, a data
cable, and power cable for SATA enough? I have the jumps
enable for SATA support.

TO use SATA is it much like an IDE HD or do I have to have
2 SATA drives and enable RAID stuff?

Do I have to put a dos dics in my floppy and load dos so I
can FDISK and make partitions and format? I thought
windows setup did this but when I use my XP CD for
installing it doesn't let me install or use the recovery
console because it says there is not a hard disc.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Fly

 

[Ed_]

I've been trying to get my Serial ATA Western Digital 36GB
hard drive to install windows but my trouble is that BIOS
does not detect the SATA HD. I think it's because it's
SATA and not IDE and therefore does not detect it. My MB
is a Asus A7n8x Deluse and supports SATA so it's kinda
weird I can't find any SATA options in BIOS right?

Anyway I'd like to ask if anyone know's where one is, or
can make a dummies guide to installing and loading windows
XP pro on a SATA drive.

I've been doing a little reading and I've read about a
controller, is it like SCSI? Do I need a special PCI card
for the SATA Hard drive or is the SATA drive, a data
cable, and power cable for SATA enough? I have the jumps
enable for SATA support.

TO use SATA is it much like an IDE HD or do I have to have
2 SATA drives and enable RAID stuff?

Do I have to put a dos dics in my floppy and load dos so I
can FDISK and make partitions and format? I thought
windows setup did this but when I use my XP CD for
installing it doesn't let me install or use the recovery
console because it says there is not a hard disc.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Fly

I'm too tired to look it up in the manual for you but here it is from memory.
Keep in mind that I didn't do this with my A7N8X-DX so if you really want expert
advice I would suggest you google or go to alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus

Anyway, your SATA is enabled by default with jumpers on the mobo. You will have
to go into the bios and set SCSI as your first boot device and cd second after
the install of XP to get it to see the SATA drive.

Proceed to install XP and when Windows asks if you have any drivers to load
choose F6. Make sure that you have the SATA drivers on a floppy from ASUS. If
you don't they are on your installation CD, copy them to a floppy.

After hitting F6 put the floppy in and let Windows copy the drivers. After it
copies the drivers remove the floppy and let Windows finish the installation.

Everything else should be normal XP install. Since your bios is set to boot
from SCSI ( that's how XP sees the SATA drive ) it should boot to the SATA
drive.

Remember, this is from the top of my head so RTFM. and the pdf instructions on
the ASUS disc before proceeding, in case I left something out.

Good luck and sorry if this isn't exact.

Ed

 

[Pete Baker]

Hi flycat

Nothing is too weird when it comes to Asus implementation of SATA... ;o)

Ed's instructions just about cover it... although setting 'SCSI' as first
boot device will only be necessary after XP has been installed.. up to that
point second on the list will be fine.

Follow the instructions for pressing F6 to specify third-party drivers when
prompted.. that's the Silicon Image drivers.. they'll be available on the
Asus CD or download them from the Asus website. And you'll need them
available on a floppy disk for this part. It may take a while for the XP
install to respond but don't worry it'll work through.

Only additional suggestions would be to make sure you have the latest system
BIOS from Asus for your mainboard.

hope that helps
Pete

 

[Chris C]

Hi, whenever I have installed windows on a Asus Sata motherboard I have
always set the first drive as the SCSI one, works fine....
Chris

 

[Pete Baker]

Hi Chris

Well I didn't say it wouldn't work... it makes perfect sense that it
should... but, since 'flycat' has previously described attempting to install
XP after a mainboard swap using a burned copy of, hopefully, his original XP
install disk, I thought it best to state a step-by-step procedure to try to
eliminate the risk of any other short-cuts being attempted.

Pete
------------------------------

 

[Ed_]

Hi Chris

Well I didn't say it wouldn't work... it makes perfect sense that it
should... but, since 'flycat' has previously described attempting to install
XP after a mainboard swap using a burned copy of, hopefully, his original XP
install disk, I thought it best to state a step-by-step procedure to try to
eliminate the risk of any other short-cuts being attempted.

Pete

Thanks for the assist, gentlemen. Like I said, I posted this late and wasn't
sure I remembered everything, especially the boot order. I think that you
prolly should go with cd first for the install and then change after
installation to SCSI but I'm not sure that matters. I would think it could be
either way as along as SCSI is 1 or 2 in the boot sequence.

What usually creates havoc for most people is not loading the drivers at the
prompt. The other point of confusion is the use of the term SCSI by XP.
The OP shouldn't feel bad about asking though, it's been a point of confusion
since the board was introduced.

Ed

 

[Pete Baker]

Thanks for the assist, gentlemen. Like I said, I posted this late and wasn't
sure I remembered everything, especially the boot order. I think that you
prolly should go with cd first for the install and then change after
installation to SCSI but I'm not sure that matters. I would think it could be
either way as along as SCSI is 1 or 2 in the boot sequence.

What usually creates havoc for most people is not loading the drivers at the
prompt. The other point of confusion is the use of the term SCSI by XP.
The OP shouldn't feel bad about asking though, it's been a point of confusion
since the board was introduced.

Ed

As I said to begin with, Ed, you had it pretty well covered anyway. You're
right that putting the SATA drive as 1 or 2 in the boot order shouldn't
really matter, after all in the initial install XP won't see the SATA drive
without the SATA drivers until after the CD kicks in.

The only other point I'd make is that, despite the fact that XP does regard
SATA as a certain breed of SCSI connection, it's really down to the
mainboard manufacturer to identify it correctly. Many do, my own Intel
board being one.

Asus are extremely idiosyncratic, to be polite about it, when it comes to
SATA. I've helped posters here who have reported Asus insisting on Silicon
Image SATA Raid controllers being used when a single SATA drive is
installed - even though SI's SATALink was available.

Anyway, we'll find out if 'flycat' gets it sorted eventually.

Cheers
Pete
------------

 

[Pete Baker]

Flycat

As I think I've said before, I'm don't believe there is a way around the F6
procedure (although I'm certainly prepared to be corrected on that if anyone
knows differently). Whenever you attempt to install, or even during a
repair install procedure, you'll need to be able to introduce the SATA
drivers during the XP install procedure.

But there isn't an immediate response to the F6 key press, so be prepared to
allow some time, and perhaps some of the other floppy set-up disks, to pass
by before being prompted to introduce the SATA drivers. I've not used the 6
disk set-up so I'm not sure how far through the process you'll have to go
before you'll be asked for the SATA drivers - based on the CD boot install
it may be as much as half-way through.

It's not clear from your post so let us know if you've gone through the
entire 6 floppy disk set and got to the select partition choice without
being prompted for the SATA drivers.

hope that helps
Pete
----------------

 

[flycat]

Yes I did go through all 6 floopy discs and it never
asked for the SATA drivers but as the install process
proceeded I did see alot of acticity on the bottom
message screen conserning SCSI, RAID, and SATA maybe the
boot disc's are trying to use there own drivers? They
never did ask for mine though or maybe those names of
just part of the regular boot cycle. In any case that's
good to know that F6 doesn't have an immediate response.
I"ll try and go back and hit F6 10 times then go through
the boot disc's again.

One thing to note: When I hit f6 and went through the
boot disc's at the end I tryed to install windows but
again there was no HD dectected to partion, format, etc...

Fly

 

[Pete Baker]

Flycat

The lack of a HD to partition and install on is simply because the SATA
drivers haven't been loaded, we needed to know that you could get that far
at least.

The messages you're seeing at the bottom of the screen are just part of the
normal set-up procedure and I wouldn't worry about them - they're not
relevant to you here.

I have reviewed what info there is on using the F6 procedure with the set-up
floppy disks and there shouldn't be any problem with you doing this. Wait
until you see the prompt and then press and release the F6 button - don't
hold it down. Do this a few times to be certain that it has registered and
then wait for the prompt to supply the "third-party drivers" on a floppy
disk.

Perhaps you could help clear up some of the confusion that I'm sure is being
shared among anyone watching this thread. Why exactly do you *not* have a
bootable XP CD? Your mainboard certainly supports it. You mentioned in a
previous thread that you had attempted an install using a burned copy of the
XP install CD - do you have the original? Is there a problem with it? If
you've created the copy yourself you could have made it bootable to begin
with. A bootable CD in this situation will definitely resolve your current
difficulties and if you were using a retail XP CD you would not have any
problem introducing the necessary SATA drivers.

If you are using a copy of an XP install CD then you should obtain the
original or a replacement retail version to complete the installation - it
will also render the boot disks you are currently attempting to use
obsolete.

Let us know how you get on
Pete

 

[flycat]

Problem Fixed with a little patience and advice from my
kind friends here on the forms.

If your having this same trouble and F6 doesn't seem to
respond just relax and be patient. THe solution:

Hit F6 a couple of times, nothing immediatly will happen
like when you hit F2. If your using the floopy disc it
won't ask for the SCSI drivers until the 4th of 6
floppys. From then on it's a cake walk.

Thanks again for the help and advice guys.

P.S. To answer the XP CD question. My current copy is a
burn of the orginal, I just did a straight CD copy but
for some reason it's not bootable for me, in windows,
however, it's fine. I must be bad at making copys, I use
windows Media player so it could be I am not using the
best CD copying software. I make alot of back up's, good
thing too because I can't locate the orginal CD, I still
got the box and everything.

Thanks again,

Fly

 

[Ed_]

Good job, Mr. Fly. Now do yourself a favor and get Nero.

Ed

 

[Pete Baker]

Well done flycat

Glad to hear you've successfully completed the install.

You may be able to obtain a replacement CD from Microsoft if you still have
all the original retail packaging, don't have the link to hand but I'm sure
there info on the site for lost or damaged CDs.

And since you prefer to use back-ups here's a link that will come in handy.
It tells you all you need to do to create a bootable slipstreamed
installation CD containing both XP and Service Pack 1. Should be useful for
you. You'd be much better off with Nero than WMP though.

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp1_cd.htm

Thanks for the update and good luck
Pete
----------------------------