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My First Build

i first turned on my computer today and I can't get windows xp to run because it can't find my hard disk. My drive is connected and appears in the bios menu under drive configuration. My drive is set as master and all the connectios are setup. any suggestions would be great thanks!

Is this a SATA hard drive, also what motherboard do you have.
You can find the Hard drive in Bios but XP can't find it in the install?
Sounds like you have to install the raid drivers for the SATA during the XP install in order for XP to see the hard drive.

What happens when you turn it on?

Is this a drive with XP already installed? . . that will not work, you will have to do a repair install or better, a clean install.

ASKER

it is a sata drive its the WD Caviar® SE16 500GB AND AN INTEL D945GPM MOTHERBOARD

so i need to install the raid drivers first

You install them during the XP install you to press f6 and after it loads more xp files it will prompt you for a floppy with the drivers on it. If you don't have a floppy drive you may have to slipstream the drivers into an XP install disk.
The driver is found here http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df-external/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=N&ProductID=2201&DwnldID=8661&strOSs=45&OSFullName=Windows*%20XP%20Home%20Edition&lang=eng

What service pack does the xp cd your using have?

Motherboard has an ICH7R southbridge. It should not be necessary to install RAID drivers to install XP SP1 or later on a single SATA drive.

Some questions:

Are you trying to install XP?
Is hard disk new?
What version of XP (SP)?

SP1 is required to support drives larger than 137GB.

ASKER

im running windows xp sp2 and the hard disk is new

This is a 500gb drive, so Sp1 is a definate need. May have to do a slipstream of the XP to incorporate the SP . If you're needing to do this, might as well give it SP2 http://winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sp2_slipstream.asp

I knew this looked familiar, even the same motherboard. https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/21966933/BIOS-recognizes-SATA-320gb-Seagate-XP-Pro-install-does-not.html

ASKER

ok thanks i will try that

It surely won't hurt to install the Matrix drivers. Just isn't supposed to be necessary but may be.

See this for some hints on installing on a SATA drive . .

http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_install_windows_xp_on_a.htm

a clarification first : "My drive is set as master" --> ALL sata drives are master, there are no settings M/S
then : "so i need to install the raid drivers first " No, raid drivers are needed for a raid setup; you only need sata drivers. (the term raid comes from "redundant array of independent disks", look here for info :
http://bluefive.pair.com/articles_raid.htm

"im running windows xp sp2 and the hard disk is new" do you mean you're actually running xp sp2 on another disk, and you want the other disk installed as second drive? then all you need is the sata driver, and partition and format the disk.
If you want to INSTALL im running windows xp sp2 , you should put the sata driver on a floppy, and during the first screens it will tell you to push the F6 key for installing third party drivers :
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=313348

@Nobus-->It was probably a misnomer to state "Raid Drivers" It is more in tune with the Controller driver for the SATA which is usually packaged with a Raid Driver, but it still has to be installed at the F6 prompt during install. There should be a floppy provided with the board, if its a retail version, for this purpose.

with my comment, i was not "aiming" at someone; only it seems to me the asker does not know the right terminology, and errors can occur when using the wrong terms. Also, just trying to know what he's doing. . .

@nobus-> Didn't think you were, just realized that I was also using the wrong terminology. Its just that most manufacturers bundle the SATA driver with their Raid controller drivers for download and got used to referring to them as raid drivers. My Bad :-)

it's a good time for having a beer . . .

they should have VOIP at EE i think . . .

BEER!! my favorite food group, cheers to that.
VOIP--> might be a little loud with everyone talking at the same time and no one listening ;-)

ASKER

Hi guys i tried loading the drivers from the flopp but havn't been able to get it to read the disk, my drive is old but i don't know if thats the problem

See if the floopy disk works in another PC. If it does, you probably have a bad floopy drive. Try blowing it out with canned air before replacing. May just be gunked up from lack of use.

or try a floppy cleaner kit.
another floppy drive can also help; they're not expensive

ASKER

can i load windows on a seperate hard drive install the drivers in windows then reload windows onto the sata drive

are you sure the floppy is hooked up ok? the light does not stay on? then reverse the floppy cable.
you can load windows on a separate hard disk, and hook on the sata drive later; but it should recognise it now !

You can slipstream the SATA controller driver into a XP install CD http://www.maximumpc.com/2005/01/how_to_slipstre.html

ASKER

im trying to setup the slipstream and in the command when i get to the destination folder to type xpSP2 -x it does not recognize the command

ASKER

OOPS JUST KIDDING

ASKER

ok so this is wher im at.

i installed xp on a seperate hard drive and loaded all the drivers. Now i want to load xp onto my wd 500gb hard drive. how do i access it and install windows on it? when i run the xp cd it just shows the small hard drive with xp installed.

Remove all hard drives other than the one you wish to install on . . if the 500 GB is IDE, set it to Master or Cable select and attach to the end of the IDE cable. If it is SATA, connect to the No 1 SATA connector on the motherboard.

ASKER

it is a sata drive but it isn't recognized when i take out the otherhard drive because i had to install the driver after i loaded xp becasue i couldn't get the flopp to read the driver diskette.

ASKER

Is there a way to install windows and recognize the driver without removing the hard drive with xp already on it

this drive is not seen by the install cd, but is seen in the bios ok.
Do you see it during the boot sequence? you may have to disable quickboot in the bios.
if it still does not work, did you try other sata cables, and other sata ports?
otherwise, i would test the didk on another PC, to be sure it is ok.
btw - what model of mobo do you have? it can be a mobo problem too.

Did you look at this link for some hints on installing on a SATA drive ?. .

http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_install_windows_xp_on_a.htm

Did you create the XP slipstream cd with the drivers embedded for your motherboards SATA? If so then remove the old drive and use this cd to install XP onto the SATA drive .
The idea behind slipstreaming the SATA driver onto the XP disk is for it to act as the repository for the driver rather than having to press f6 and use a floppy. As long as you have customized -->the OemPnPDriversPath<-- line by entering the path to the INF file for your RAID/SATA driver, you shuld be good to go on using this XP cd to install to the SATA drive as it should install the necesary drivers automatically during setup.

ASKER

i'm having trouble finding the sys fil when i extract the executable for the drive setup. i got the drive from here :http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df-external/download.aspx?url=/8660/eng/STOR_ALLOS_5.5.0.1035_PV.EXE&agr=N&ProductID=2201&DwnldId=8660&strOSs=All&OSFullName=All+Operating+Systems&lang=eng

Intel doesn't make it easy for you to get these without a floppy.You may have to go to a friend who has a floppy to create it in order to extract it. I will get back to you after I do a search for these files. They may also be on the first hard drive ,in the system files, but they would have to be identified properly.

ASKER

i did a sytem search and i think i grabbed the right files but now im on step 6 and can't seem to find the Microsoft Corporation.img with isobuster

The MS img file is on the xp install cd
Form the elder geek pages -->With the Windows XP CD in your CD drive, open ISO Buster. Click on Bootable CD in the left pane then right click Microsoft Corporation.img in the right pane, finally clicking Extract Microsoft Corporation.img file

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm

ASKER

nevermind i had the wrong cd in

Just for reference could you list the files you found for others who may come along.Also to check if they are the right ones before you burn.

ASKER

will do in nero it won't let me change the image file

ASKER

thats gonna be a problem right?

What do you mean -->change the image file<--
you only extract it not change it in any way.

ASKER

in nero when it asks for the source of boot image data i can't specify the box is off limits

ASKER

OK sparkmaker that attempt failed, so i restarted the whole slipstream process i used winRAR to find the sys file inside the executable downloaded from the intel site but saw none, did u ever find the file? im not sure what i'm doing wrong!!!

You could make it much easier if you bought a new floppy drive . . they are dirt cheap

Intel doesn't make the name of the file readily available. simpswr's right, this would be alot easier with a floppy.

ASKER

ok so i bought a new floppy drive and the light stays on on the drive but nothing happens when i inserted the disk nad press enter

the floppy data cable is backwards

Line up the red line of the cable to the other side of the connector

Red line goes to pin 1 if you can identify it. Not always clear on floppy drives. The light being on constantly is a sure sign of the cable inserted the wrong way.

ASKER

im getting no reaction from the disk drive when i insert it and press enter

Why would it react, are you in XP, go to my computer is the "A" drive accessable with a floppy in the drive

ASKER

there is no red line on the cable just a blue one

ASKER

why would i be in xp
i need to load the driver before i can setup xp
right

Ok Blue should work then ,as long as its along one edge of the cable. check this howto page for pics http://biorobots.cwru.edu/server/howto/buildcomp/mountfloppy/

ASKER

just checked the cables they are lined up fine
when it prompts for the disk i insert it and then press enter but i get no response

ASKER

shouldn't the floppy drive atleast try and read the floppy disk since it recognizes the existance of a floppy drive?

Ok I thought you were still on the old hard drive and trying to make the SATA driver floppy.

The disk is read later on in the install process. F6 just tells install to look for it when required.

You may have to check in the bios to make sure the floppy drive is enabled as a 1.44mb drive and also check in there that the FDController is enabled.

Jeeze, I had just done this type of install Willcomp, you think I would remember that step. LOL

ASKER

i checked the bios didn't see anything on FDController

willcomp i press f6 when the blue screen for setup first appears and then it loads a bunch of files then states it could not determine the type of mass storage device intalled and then asks for a support disk to load by pressing s which brings me to where it asks me to insert the disk into drive a: and press enter which i did and this is where it just stays no response from the drive or nothing

Check diskette in another drive if not already done. That was recommended much earlier in thread.

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ASKER

ill do that now

ASKER

WOW its a miracle that worked sparkmaker i finally got it to work Thanks a Million

just for reference the file that needed to be extracted from the driver for slipstreaming was iaStor.sys

Sounds great, what a trial but well worth it.

ASKER

oh yea quick question for partitioning , what do you recommend in terms of the amount of space, should i put windows on 1 partition and save my files to another or just leave it as one whole unpartitioned space?

If you search the EE pages Garycase has had some input on the subject.
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/21582113/How-should-I-setup-a-new-DELL-desktop-to-make-it-easy-to-recover-problems-that-I-might-encounter.html
A very good read on the subject.

ASKER

What a long strange trip its been Thnx a bunch

Sometimes the way we communicate on this site can be a mixed bag So easy to miss a step or add a step where none is needed. I assume from just rereading the whole thing that the intel disk that was providedwith the motherboard must have been corrupted. The old floppy drive may have had a hand in corrupting it. All in all it certainly was a trip, stick-to-it-ivness comes through again. Did you read Gary's thoughts on partitioning, he knows what he's talking about and its a very good guide.