Sata hdd is driving me insane!!!!!!!

[eko]

I recently purchased a 200gb segate Sata hdd. I have two 40gb ide hdd which were going to be used for backups and whatnot. I put in my sata hdd and then proceeded to attempt to install windows xp on it. I pressed F6 and added in the RAID drivers and it found the drive fine. Once it had started the installation of devices and components it just froze. I left it thinking it was taking its time and came back to realise that it was completley stuck. This happens every time i try to install windows xp onto it. My current setup is as follows : AMD 64 3000+, Aopen AK89-MAX motherboard, 512mb of Elixer RAM, ATI radeon 9600, 1 seagate 40 and 1 maxtor 40gb. Please help its is really fustrating. :(

[Cricket]

Are you using a genuine MS WinXP installation CD or a burned copy?

:) Cricket

[eko]

A genuine Windows Xp Cd :P

[Panama Red]

Why are you loading the RAID drivers on a single hard drive? Don't press F6 and just let the XP load the normal way. Then select your new SATA hdd as the location for the new installation.

[macko72]

Installing Windows

Once you have the drive(s) connected you are ready to start installing XP.

Master and Slave

Remeber since it's serial you can only have one device per SATA port/cable so SATA drives don't have jumpers. On the Motherboard SATA1 Port is for the primary device, SATA2 port is for the secondary device etc.

SATA controller driver

Your Motherboard or SATA controller card requires a driver to work properly. If you did not get a Floppy Disk with the SATA driver included with your Motherboard you will have to make one. The SATA drivers can be located on the installation CD that came with your Motherboard or preferably, download the latest SATA controller drivers from the manufacturers site. Once you have located the drivers copy them to a formatted floppy disk. Make sure they are in the root directory i.e. not contained within any folders.

BIOS settings

When you turn on the PC hit the Delete key when prompted and you will enter the BIOS (Basic Input Output System). Here you set the first boot device to be the CDROM drive, the option is usually found under the Advanced Options section but this depends on your BIOS and you may have to look around for it. Once you have done this save and exit.

Installing the SATA controller driver

Once you have set the PC to boot from the CD make sure the XP CD is in the CD drive and start the installation as per usual. Within the first minute or so of the installation Windows will prompt you to press F6 to install RAID or SCSI drivers, do this. Windows will continue to install then ask you to locate the driver. now with the floppy disk created earlier in drive A: select the driver and hit Enter.

With the SATA drivers installed you can now continue the Windows installation as usual.

BIOS settings revisited

Once Windows has finished installing you will need to make sure the PC is set to boot from the SATA drive. To do this make the first boot device SATA if the option is available. If not you have two options: HD0 - If there are no IDE HDs present, or SCSI if you do plan on running an IDE HD as a secondary device.

[geraldd]

I have been having a problem with a SATA HD as well. Nothing that I have been able to do has allowed the HD to be recognized by the Motherboard! I have followed the same procedures as outlined above. Since I will not use a RAID config. I set the SATA to IDE. I am using a new copy of XP. This is my first build and I am wondering about the SATA protion of the EPOX MOtherboard? Any ideas?

[eko]

Macko72 - Thanks for your help but your answer is of no relevance to my question, it hangs in the middle of my windows xp installation and for no apparent reason. I have done everything that you siad but it still hangs :(

Panama Red - I have to press F6 or it will not pick up the SATA Drive.

I really need to solve this problem.

[Panama Red]

Tried to download the manual for your mobo but something is wrong with Aopen downloads. Is the SATA drive seen in the bios? If you have the other two hdd's installed, remove them until after you get XP installed. I'll keep trying the Aopen site.

[eko]

The mobo came with a manual and the section on installing SATA drives just states what i have already done. the one thing that i cant see is th sata drive in the bios. Its really confusing me

[eko]

So can anyone tell me how i can see my Sata hdd within the bios?? IM not sure where to find it.

[Negeva]

eko do u overclock ur rig? if so knock everything back to stock speeds. also removing the IDE drives might help, just remmeber when u replace them u might have to pay a visit admin tools and alter the drive lettering. i know what u mean about the f6 pressin, on some mobos they will recognise a SATA drive without the need to install the RAID driver others won't.

[eko]

No i dont overclock it, althoughi was thinking about it, yes my mobo requires me to hit F6 or it wont pick it up. This is really confusing becuase it should work :confused:

[Panama Red]

So can anyone tell me how i can see my Sata hdd within the bios?? IM not sure where to find it.

Some mobo/bios "see" a SATA hdd as a SCSI hdd. Check the different hdd options in the bios and see if it shows up as SCSI. My guess is you're going to have to achieve bios recognition before you can load XP to it.

[eko]

Hmm i have checked to bios and to no avail found the hdd. Maybe a bios update might change it but i dont know how to achieve this without an os??