windows installer not recognizing HD

smadge

smadge

New Member
I purchased a new western digital caviar 250gb sata2 HD(OEM). BIOS recognized it, windows recognized it after using the "setup your hd" tool I DLed. But when I tried to install windows xp on it the installer didnt even know it was there. My theory is that my windows installation cd doesnt have a generic sata2 driver. Please help. The hard drive is essentially useless without windows.

edit :Anything? Its you guys or I call up support.
 
Last edited:
smadge

smadge

New Member
New update. I was right in that the sata drivers weren't on the xp installation. I have to make a floppy with the drivers as provided by the motherboard. It instructed me to put the floppy in when i installed xp. But it didnt work when I tried.:( Same problem, didnt even register as a partition to install it on.
 
Pauly

Pauly

New Member
When the system posts you should see a message that says something like the keys to press to enter the raid configuration utility. Raid support has to be enabled in the BIOS. After entering the raid configuration you can set up the drives in a raid or delete a raid or just to see the raid that is set up. Once the raid is setup you install Windows and when windows asks if you need to install a raid driver I believe it is F6 then you use the raid driver disk that came with the mother board. If you don't have the driver disk then you could probaby download it from the mob manufacturer's web site. You might also be able to get it off the driver CD that came with the mob. Hopes this helped a little.
 
P

PC eye

banned
I've seen the same thing on a friend's new case with a WD 200gb SATA when repeat efforts to get XP detect the drive failed. Redownloading and more then one floppy ruled out a bad download when the driver disks were made.

Did your bios detect the drive ok? It mostl likely did. If you pressed F6, F4, or on some boards surprisingly Del it seemed to read the floppy but failed to see the drive even being there. The 200gb was to be a stand alone with XP.
 
smadge

smadge

New Member
like I said, BIOS detected it immidiately, and even windows(on a different hd) did after some screwing around with the data lifegaurd tool that I got off westerndigital.com .

Pauly: I dont see how setting up raid would help me unless you explain something. im just installing windows, not doing raid.
 
P

PC eye

banned
I hope you are not adding the 250gb in a case with an eide already there. The ide drive will always take preference. The case a friend was trying to get running just had the 200gb set as a stand alone primary without wanting any type of Raid controller installed. Since the XP installer isn't geared for SATA you would think the drivers taken from the floppy would help. Someone here did get his running if I can find the thread again with just a floppy.

EDIT: http://www.computerforum.com/showthread.php?t=42913 We are both stuck here since no further response came.
 
Last edited:
smadge

smadge

New Member
I am trying to use both sata and IDE, but i didnt know that this was a problem. All I want to do is do some file transfers between the 2. It's a little late to be installing windows so I'll try that tommorrow and see if it works. It will be ok if after the installation I put the ide back in, right? thanks for all the help.
 
P

PC eye

banned
My friend ran into headaches just with the single sata drive. When mixing the two types the ide will always override the sata as the primary. Generally a sata array is used for storage when those are mixed. Some new boards out are strictly sata though.
 
Pauly

Pauly

New Member
Another idea might be to set up the computer with just one drive. After everything is up and running then add the 2cd drive. If you install the ide drive first on the primary ide connector, setting it up as master using the jumpers on the back of the drive. Then later add the SATA drive. That drive should be seen as well another drive. Just like if you were to partition the first drive. I hope that I am not miss understanding you.
 
P

PC eye

banned
With XP on the primary ide drive the disk management in the administrative should readily see the sata hd. With that you could create a new partition on the sata through control panel/administrative tools/computer management. When a link with some good instructions is found I can add that here.

Here's Western Digital's installation guide in the meantime. http://www.wdc.com/en/library/sata/2079-001042.pdf
 
Last edited:
P

PC eye

banned
UPDATE: A support request was submitted directly to Western Digital where there was already a previous ticket on record. A specific set of instructions for installation was asked there. The mention of XP's failure to detect a sata drive on more then one system was outlined. While awaiting response the auto responder provided this. http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc...p_li=&p_faqid=1003&p_created=1054584886&p_sp=
See if this can help if you care to wait to see what their response was if this page still fails to get the drive up with XP or at least partitioned and formatted through XP. http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc...p_li=&p_faqid=1156&p_created=1075336919&p_sp= is info on drive detection failure with 2000/XP.
 
Last edited:
smadge

smadge

New Member
I had done that. but for some reason it still didnt work. fortunately, or unfortunately, I found an option in bios to run the sata drive as ide, windows installer recognized it and I was fine. (except I activated windows one to many times, but thats anothers story) I fear that was a bit of a kludge, though.:(
 
P

PC eye

banned
Well that's going to be good news for someone I know. What make+model board are you running there. He is running an Asus A8V model.
 
smadge

smadge

New Member
I'm using a an Asrock uli dual series socket 939 mb. It's obscure but there is probably an option like that in your friends bios. but like I said, whenever I try to switch it back to sata and boot windows it crashes because it doesnt have sata drivers, im not sure what this means though. good luck and thanks for all the help
 
P

PC eye

banned
I'm still waiting for a response from WD on this. But that will be added here as when that comes in. Meanwhile someone was discussing a few setting changes in the bios where no ide drive was listed in the boot order to get XP Pro onto a WD 250gb SATA drive. You would assign floppy, cd rom as second, and SATA as the third. Another guy went back and got his running by installing 98SE instead of XP.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top