'Clean Install' cannot find any HD installed on computer

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Visitor No 3

My WinXP Home Sp2 is in a mess and I am trying to do a clean install on my
second SATA HD then dump the original installation. When the existing
installation is running I can see both drives. I reformatted and
repartitioned my second disc so it is empty. I have tried to run set-up in
different guises but it fails to recognise my hard drives.

Here is one approach, which also failed. I made my second disc the disc to
boot from in sequence after my CD in the BIOS set-up.I then disconnected my
primary disc SATA lead and re-booted with windows in the CD drive.

Set-up loaded all the drivers etc then asked if I wanted to install or
repair. I chose Install, although it also happens when I choose Repair, but
I got a message saying that "Set-up did not find any HD installed on my
computer - Make sure the power is on and it is connected properly Press F3
to re-boot"

Since it was working fine just previously when booted from my primary disc,
I figure it mustn't have access to the SATA drivers or something similar.

I get exactly the same when I am running WinXP and run Set-up from the CD.

Any ideas?
 
Thanks Brian,

That's given me a starter.

Mine's a handknitted PC so I will have to sort out the drivers myself but I
expect that is the answer.
 
Windows XP was released before SATA drives were available. It is expected
that the operating system installer will NOT know how to handle such a
drive.

Insert a floppy disk with the appropriate drivers when instructed to do so.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
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