New PC - Help needed with SATA and XP

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hm
  • Start date Start date
H

Hm

Hi,

I'd appreciate some help. I'm sure this has been discussed many times
before, but I need some help.

I've just completed building a new PC (first PC I've built for aroiund
7 years) based on the following:

Gigabyte GA-7N400 Pro2
Athlon Barton XP 2800+
Hightech Excalabur Radeon 9600XT
Maxtor 6Y080MO Plus 9 80 Gb SATA HDD

Everything has gone well up until attempting to install Windows XP. I
have set the BIOS so that the HDD drive on boot-up is SATI. I have
formatted the drive successfully using the 'Easy installation' set-up
in MaxBlast 3 ( I only need one partition) and selecting Windows XP as
my future O/S. MaxBlast then tells me to remove the MaxBlast disk and
re-boot to install XP.

When I re-boot the Windows XP intsallation CD begins the process then
tells me that I do not have a formatted Hard drive available.

What do I need to do? My BIOS recognizes the formatted drive.

Does the MaxBlast 3 disk contain SATI drivers that I need to retain
during the XP installation? I can't move directly from a MaxBlast
boot-up to the Windows CD set-up because the MaxBlast floppy doesn't
contain any CD ROM Atapi drivers. However, I guess that I could quite
easily put the Atapi drivers there if that's what's needed.

Any help appreciated.

Harry
 
I believe the drivers must be installed first, did the drive come with another disk other than the maxblast utility disk?
 
do u have to press f6 or something to load scsi drivers, but in this case
point to the sata ones?


JAD said:
I believe the drivers must be installed first, did the drive come with
another disk other than the maxblast utility disk?
 
I believe the drivers must be installed first, did the drive come with another disk other than the maxblast utility disk?

Thanks for
the reply. The drive was OEM so didn't come with anything at all. I
downloaded the MaxBlast utility from Maxtor's Web site.
 
Thanks for this. It looks as though this is what I need to do. All I
need to do now is find the SATI drivers and put them on a floppy.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks,

Harry
 
The SATA drivers should be on the Motherboard Utility Disk - you will have
to copy them off the CD and put them on a floppy (the specific files are
identified
in the instruction manual).

When you install XP, it will tell you to push F6 if you need to install any
SCSI or third party drivers- do it. Have the disk ready. XP will tell you
when to insert the disk,
and will look for the drivers in A:\ .

Fitz
 
Thanks for the help everyone. After more problems before I found out
that my motherboard uses SI SATA drivers and not PROMISE drivers, I
have managed to get XP installed on my Maxtor SATA drive.

Only one problem left. Can't get my Power LED to work - but I guess I
can live with that.

Many thanks,

Harry.
 
Hm" said:
Only one problem left. Can't get my Power LED to work - but I guess I
can live with that.

Try reversing the plug on the motherboard (if you haven't done so already)..

Jon
 
also, maybe you have it on wrong pins

im always putting the hdd light on the message led one instead!!!
 
During the first portion of the XP install it will ask for any 3rd Party
Drivers to be installed from a floppy. You will already have put your SATA
driver onto a floppy that you can then insert.
 
Hi,

I'm ashamed to say it was as simple as that . I thought I had
previously connected it both ways already but gave it one more go and
now it works.

The PC now appears to be completely stable with the CPU running at a
constant 46 to 49C.

Thanks for your help.

Harry
 
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