SATA drivers without a floppy?

[Jon Danniken]

I am putting together a new box within the next week, and will be attempting
to install WinXP (sp2 slipstreamed) onto a SATA HDD.

Unfortunately, the board I am getting (Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L) doesn't have a
FDD port (yeah, I know, I sold out).

I know I could slipstream the drivers onto an installation CD, but as I
already did that for sp2, I really don't want to go through the hassle of
doing it again (I'm out of CDs too).

So, is there any way to install the SATA drivers using, say, a USB memory
stick? Are they maybe already a part of (included with) the sp2 release?

Thanks for any help on this,

Jon

 

[GT]

I am putting together a new box within the next week, and will be
attempting to install WinXP (sp2 slipstreamed) onto a SATA HDD.

Unfortunately, the board I am getting (Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L) doesn't have
a FDD port (yeah, I know, I sold out).

I know I could slipstream the drivers onto an installation CD, but as I
already did that for sp2, I really don't want to go through the hassle of
doing it again (I'm out of CDs too).

So, is there any way to install the SATA drivers using, say, a USB memory
stick? Are they maybe already a part of (included with) the sp2 release?

What drivers? If you have booted into Windows, then the PC is already using
the hard disks and therefore don't need drivers. If you have not loaded an
operating system, then there is nothing to get the drivers into.

You don't need drivers to read a SATA disk through a SATA controller.

Just make your CD drive bootable and boot on the WinXP CD and all will be
well.

 

[Paul]

I am putting together a new box within the next week, and will be attempting
to install WinXP (sp2 slipstreamed) onto a SATA HDD.

Unfortunately, the board I am getting (Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3L) doesn't have a
FDD port (yeah, I know, I sold out).

I know I could slipstream the drivers onto an installation CD, but as I
already did that for sp2, I really don't want to go through the hassle of
doing it again (I'm out of CDs too).

So, is there any way to install the SATA drivers using, say, a USB memory
stick? Are they maybe already a part of (included with) the sp2 release?

Thanks for any help on this,

Jon

The Intel Southbridge has three modes for SATA. They are IDE, AHCI, and RAID.
The first mode, and possibly the BIOS default, uses a driver already in Windows
(for example WinXP SP1 or later). So you shouldn't need to press F6, if using
the IDE mode.

Before buying any motherboard, you can download the manual and have a look
around the BIOS settings. Sometimes, but not that often, there is a section
on OS installation. Most motherboard makers leave it to the imagination, as
to which modes need drivers added or not. Or whether a RAID setting, will
allow separate, single drives, to be run as well.

Paul

 

[Jon Danniken]

The Intel Southbridge has three modes for SATA. They are IDE, AHCI, and
RAID.
The first mode, and possibly the BIOS default, uses a driver already in
Windows
(for example WinXP SP1 or later). So you shouldn't need to press F6, if
using
the IDE mode.

Before buying any motherboard, you can download the manual and have a look
around the BIOS settings. Sometimes, but not that often, there is a
section
on OS installation. Most motherboard makers leave it to the imagination,
as
to which modes need drivers added or not. Or whether a RAID setting, will
allow separate, single drives, to be run as well.

Thanks Paul, (and everyone else), that doesn't seem to be as bad as I had
made it out to be. I'll d/l the manual anyway to brush up on things.

THanks again,

Jon

 

[DevilsPGD]

In message <[email protected]> km

Are you sure that you need to anything? SATA drives seems to be
treated in same way as PATA from my experience ie no action needed as
it is automatically recognised.

Only if your SATA controller is in a legacy mode, which also reduces the
interface improvements of SATA (NCQ/TCQ, hotplugging, etc)

 

[Avelino Tavares]

Use a USB floppy.
Easy !

Thanks Paul, (and everyone else), that doesn't seem to be as bad as I had
made it out to be. I'll d/l the manual anyway to brush up on things.

THanks again,

Jon

 

[Jon Danniken]

Use a USB floppy.
Easy !

Thanks, Avelino, I didn't know they had such a thing.

You know it's kind of funny, the first floppy drives I remember seeing were
"external", and would plug into your exsting computer. THey were a big
upgrade from a tape deck, and big suckers, too. Of course then they figured
out how to put them inside of the case, and now, 20 years later, they've got
a cord on them once again.

Jon

 

[DevilsPGD]

In message <[email protected]> "Avelino

Use a USB floppy.
Easy !

Unfortunately this only works in a very small percentage of cases.

 

[Phil]

In message <[email protected]> "Avelino


Unfortunately this only works in a very small percentage of cases.

Indeed. There's a very restricted list of 'approved' USB FDDs -- has anyone
managed to buy one of the specified drives?

I've also seen some info somewhere on editing the list of permitted drives, but
never tried it. Don't think it extends to using sticks though.

I ran into this problem recently, with the refinement that I was installing
from a SATA DVD drive. Because I'd configured the SATA ports for RAID, the PC
initially booted from the CD OK, but as soon as it got past that, it crapped
out because the SATA drivers weren't there. It would install fine if the SATA
ports were configured as IDE, or from an IDE CD drive temorarily hooked up.
Just another thing to watch out for.

I solved mine by slipstreaming the drivers onto an install CD, but GOK what
you're supposed to do if you're building your first machine and don't have
another one to do the slipstreaming process on...

 

[Mike Walsh]

In message <[email protected]> "Avelino


Unfortunately this only works in a very small percentage of cases.

You need a system that has an option to boot from a USB device, i.e. the BIOS must recognize the USB device.

 

[~misfit~]

Somewhere on teh intarweb "Jon Danniken" typed:

Thanks Paul, (and everyone else), that doesn't seem to be as bad as I
had made it out to be. I'll d/l the manual anyway to brush up on
things.

Good luck Jon. It seems that most people here are happy to run their SATA II
drives in legacy IDE mode and aren't interested in the advancements
available with the interface such as Native Command Queueing (NCQ) and
hot-swaping that are only available in AHCI mode.

I initially did as the Hoi polloi are suggesting, installed using BIOS
defaults. However, after a week of wondering why I couldn't get NCQ working
I managed to find a web site which gave a method of retro-installing the
AHCI drivers (it involved registry surgery). I struggled through it and now
can run in AHCI mode. (Previously, switching to that mode in BIOS would
result in a "OS not found" error or similar [s'been a year] when Windows
started to load.)

I would think that you should be able to load the drivers during install
from a USB stick. I mean, Gigabyte left the FDD controller off the board but
fitted it with a SB/SATA controller that requires drivers installed during
OS install right? Or perhaps they simply assumed that nobody would load XP
onto the thing and Vista treats it differently?

Anyway, not much help, sorry. I hope you get it sorted. Maybe Google for a
post-install methods of 'injecting' the required drivers as I did?

Cheers,
--
Shaun.

DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)

 

[DevilsPGD]

In message <[email protected]> Mike Walsh

You need a system that has an option to boot from a USB device,
i.e. the BIOS must recognize the USB device.

No, it actually takes a lot more then that.

I've not only booted, but flashed a BIOS update from a USB floppy (this
falls into the "wanted to see if I could" not "I'd recommend doing
this", and on a motherboard with a dualbios implementation)

If the device gets mounted as a USB legacy floppy, the XP/2003 installer
won't see it. The installer isn't just looking for what the BIOS
mounted as A:, it actually appears to be addressing the built-in floppy
controller directly.

 

[Jon Danniken]

Good luck Jon. It seems that most people here are happy to run their SATA
II drives in legacy IDE mode and aren't interested in the advancements
available with the interface such as Native Command Queueing (NCQ) and
hot-swaping that are only available in AHCI mode.

I initially did as the Hoi polloi are suggesting, installed using BIOS
defaults. However, after a week of wondering why I couldn't get NCQ
working I managed to find a web site which gave a method of
retro-installing the AHCI drivers (it involved registry surgery). I
struggled through it and now can run in AHCI mode. (Previously, switching
to that mode in BIOS would result in a "OS not found" error or similar
[s'been a year] when Windows started to load.)

I would think that you should be able to load the drivers during install
from a USB stick. I mean, Gigabyte left the FDD controller off the board
but fitted it with a SB/SATA controller that requires drivers installed
during OS install right? Or perhaps they simply assumed that nobody would
load XP onto the thing and Vista treats it differently?

Anyway, not much help, sorry. I hope you get it sorted. Maybe Google for a
post-install methods of 'injecting' the required drivers as I did?

On the contrary, you've given me a bunch of things I didn't know about, and
it will be a lot easier knowing what I have to do now (found the Intel
Matrix Storage Manager page, which gave me a lot of good information). Mind
you, this is my first experience with SATA parts, and SATA2 for that matter.

I will keep the streamlining option open.

Thanks a ton,

Jon

 

[~misfit~]

Somewhere on teh intarweb "Jon Danniken" typed:

Good luck Jon. It seems that most people here are happy to run their
SATA II drives in legacy IDE mode and aren't interested in the
advancements available with the interface such as Native Command
Queueing (NCQ) and hot-swaping that are only available in AHCI mode.

I initially did as the Hoi polloi are suggesting, installed using
BIOS defaults. However, after a week of wondering why I couldn't get
NCQ working I managed to find a web site which gave a method of
retro-installing the AHCI drivers (it involved registry surgery). I
struggled through it and now can run in AHCI mode. (Previously,
switching to that mode in BIOS would result in a "OS not found"
error or similar [s'been a year] when Windows started to load.)

I would think that you should be able to load the drivers during
install from a USB stick. I mean, Gigabyte left the FDD controller
off the board but fitted it with a SB/SATA controller that requires
drivers installed during OS install right? Or perhaps they simply
assumed that nobody would load XP onto the thing and Vista treats it
differently? Anyway, not much help, sorry. I hope you get it sorted.
Maybe Google
for a post-install methods of 'injecting' the required drivers as I
did?

On the contrary, you've given me a bunch of things I didn't know
about, and it will be a lot easier knowing what I have to do now
(found the Intel Matrix Storage Manager page, which gave me a lot of
good information). Mind you, this is my first experience with SATA
parts, and SATA2 for that matter.
I will keep the streamlining option open.

Thanks a ton,

You're welcome mate. Personally I don't like paying for advanced features
like NCQ and then leaving the BIOS default of IDE mode because it's too
hard, or someone says that NCQ is sometimes slower if you it happens to be a
northerly wind blowing while the sky is green and it's Wednesday. I've even
found the last two machines I worked on both had Seagate 7200.11 drives and
SATA II mobos yet the wee jumper that limits the transfer to SATA I mode was
still on the HDD!

Good luck,
--
Shaun.

DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)