New install with SATA drivers but no floppy support

[ken k]

Many newer motherboards do not have floppy support any longer (Intel
DP35DP, for example)

I want to do a fresh install of WinXP (I have still heard horror
stories about Vista lately) and would like to do it to a SATA drive
directly, but, as I recall, the SATA drivers need to be installed
during the installation and are installed from a floppy (which Intel
provides, curiously enough. 'Splain that to me: no floppy support but
drivers supplied on a floppy?????) I suppose one way to do it would
be to do an install on an IDE/PATA drive, then clone it to a SATA
drive, but is there an easier way to do it without creating a
slipstreamed CD?

Thanks in advance

 

[JohnB]

I've installed XP on a SATA drive with no floppy drive. I believe you'd
need a floppy if you're using a SATA RAID controller.

 

[Jasper]

I've installed XP on a SATA drive with no floppy drive. I believe you'd
need a floppy if you're using a SATA RAID controller.

Get hold of a USB floppy drive if you need it but XP will install on the
SATA as it would on an IDE.

 

[ken k]

Get hold of a USB floppy drive if you need it but XP will install on the
SATA as it would on an IDE.

As long as XP will install on a SATA drive, I am home free (I am not
planning on setting up a RAID array in the machine). Is there
anything that needs to be done in a computer BIOS to allow that or do
I just attach a SATA drive to the motherboard connector and go?

 

[JohnB]

You'll have to check the boot order. If you have a 2nd HD in there, make
sure you made note of both model numbers first, so you can identify it in
the bios, and boot from the right drive.

 

[smlunatick]

Many newer motherboards do not have floppy support any longer (Intel
DP35DP, for example)

I want to do a fresh install of WinXP (I have still heard horror
stories about Vista lately) and would like to do it to a SATA drive
directly, but, as I recall, the SATA drivers need to be installed
during the installation and are installed from a floppy (which Intel
provides, curiously enough. 'Splain that to me: no floppy support but
drivers supplied on a floppy?????)  I suppose one way to do it would
be to do an install on an IDE/PATA drive, then clone it to a SATA
drive, but is there an easier way to do it without creating a
slipstreamed CD?

Thanks in advance

You need to note that several motherboards based on "some" Intel
chipset will automatically detect and use the Intel SATA controllers.

 

[Jerry]

You will still need to F6 and install the SATA drivers from the floppy. SATA
drivers are not RAID dependent.

 

[JohnB]

You don't need to install additional drivers for SATA drivers while
installing XP. They're built in.

 

[R. McCarty]

However, many newer motherboards have a operational mode
for SATA called AHCI ( Advanced Host Controller Interface ).
Windows Vista native supports this mode, but XP does not - so
if your on-board SATA controller is set to AHCI mode then it's
likely XP won't be able to detect/use the SATA drives. For it
to access the drives the BIOS control must be set to Legacy on
the SATA controller.

 

[JohnB]

Ah, hadn't heard about that one.

However, many newer motherboards have a operational mode
for SATA called AHCI ( Advanced Host Controller Interface ).
Windows Vista native supports this mode, but XP does not - so
if your on-board SATA controller is set to AHCI mode then it's
likely XP won't be able to detect/use the SATA drives. For it
to access the drives the BIOS control must be set to Legacy on
the SATA controller.

 

[ken k]

However, many newer motherboards have a operational mode
for SATA called AHCI ( Advanced Host Controller Interface ).
Windows Vista native supports this mode, but XP does not - so
if your on-board SATA controller is set to AHCI mode then it's
likely XP won't be able to detect/use the SATA drives. For it
to access the drives the BIOS control must be set to Legacy on
the SATA controller.

Many thanks. I didn't know about AHCI.

Thanks to all,
Ken K

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Many newer motherboards do not have floppy support any longer (Intel
DP35DP, for example)

I want to do a fresh install of WinXP (I have still heard horror
stories about Vista lately) and would like to do it to a SATA drive
directly, but, as I recall, the SATA drivers need to be installed
during the installation and are installed from a floppy (which Intel
provides, curiously enough. 'Splain that to me: no floppy support but
drivers supplied on a floppy?????) I suppose one way to do it would
be to do an install on an IDE/PATA drive, then clone it to a SATA
drive, but is there an easier way to do it without creating a
slipstreamed CD?

Thanks in advance

This is one of the reasons it's handy to have a USB floppy drive on hand.
Inexpensive and doesn't take up much shelf space.

Some systems do *not* require SATA drivers at all.

On some systems that do need the drivers, it's also possible to shift the
SATA controller into a "legacy" mode that doesn't require drivers, and you
load the drivers and shift modes *after* the OS is installed. I had to use
this method on a Thinkpad recently. Check the documentation for your
system.

HTH
-pk

 

[Patrick Keenan]

As long as XP will install on a SATA drive, I am home free (I am not
planning on setting up a RAID array in the machine). Is there
anything that needs to be done in a computer BIOS to allow that or do
I just attach a SATA drive to the motherboard connector and go?

All of these depend on the board and the chipset it uses. Start the
install and see if the drive is detected. If it isn't, you need to shift
modes and install the drivers later or install the drivers now via floppy.
If it is detected, you're fine.

It doesn't matter whether you are setting up RAID or not. This applies to
single non-RAID disks just as much.

HTH
-pk

 

[Patrick Keenan]

You don't need to install additional drivers for SATA drivers while
installing XP. They're built in.

Sorry, but this isn't always true. Some chipsets *do* require drivers. I
ran into this last week.

-pk

 

[M.I.5¾]

I've installed XP on a SATA drive with no floppy drive. I believe you'd
need a floppy if you're using a SATA RAID controller.

It depends on the motherboard. Newer ones provide direct support for SATA.

 

[Ken]

This is one of the reasons it's handy to have a USB floppy drive on
hand. Inexpensive and doesn't take up much shelf space.

Some systems do *not* require SATA drivers at all.

On some systems that do need the drivers, it's also possible to shift
the SATA controller into a "legacy" mode that doesn't require drivers,
and you load the drivers and shift modes *after* the OS is installed.
I had to use this method on a Thinkpad recently. Check the
documentation for your system.

HTH
-pk

Will XP recognize the USB floppy early enough in the setup to allow for
its use? My thought is to use an IDE/PATA drive for the install, then
install whatever drivers I need, clone the installation on a SATA drive
and install that drive. Does that sound reasonable?

 

[Anna]

Patrick Keenan wrote:

Will XP recognize the USB floppy early enough in the setup to allow for
its use? My thought is to use an IDE/PATA drive for the install, then
install whatever drivers I need, clone the installation on a SATA drive
and install that drive. Does that sound reasonable?

Ken:
I'm assuming the that you either have or are contemplating the purchase of
the Intel DP35DP motherboard. Is that the case? (I'm not clear if you were
merely using that board as some sort of example).

If so, it's a virtual certainty that no auxiliary SATA controller drivers
(the F6 process) will be required should you install XP onto that SATA HDD.
In effect the motherboard's chipset will provide that capability.

And alternatively should you decide to clone the contents of your PATA HDD
onto the new SATA HDD the same situation will hold. No auxiliary SATA
controller drivers will need to be installed.

(Naturally I'm assuming in this that no RAID configuration is involved
here.)

The motherboard's default BIOS settings will provide SATA HDD recognition.
Anna

 

[Frank-FL]

Many newer motherboards do not have floppy support any longer (Intel
DP35DP, for example)

I want to do a fresh install of WinXP (I have still heard horror
stories about Vista lately) and would like to do it to a SATA drive
directly, but, as I recall, the SATA drivers need to be installed
during the installation and are installed from a floppy (which Intel
provides, curiously enough. 'Splain that to me: no floppy support but
drivers supplied on a floppy?????) I suppose one way to do it would
be to do an install on an IDE/PATA drive, then clone it to a SATA
drive, but is there an easier way to do it without creating a
slipstreamed CD?

Thanks in advance

Intel mainbords pick up the SATA controllers in the BIOS since D865 and up.
If one wants to use RAID a USB Floppy can be used for the F6 install of the
RAID drivers for XP.