Setup does not recognize SATA harddrive

  • Thread starter Thread starter Man Utd
  • Start date Start date
M

Man Utd

I just build a new system AMD 3200+, with Maxtor 250GB SATA II.
I boot my system with Windows98 boot disc, then put the XP CD into DVD drive
to run setup.
However, the setup said XP needs a harddrive has capacity of at least 477
MB, my only option is to press ENTER to exit.

Any idea?
 
Man said:
I just build a new system AMD 3200+, with Maxtor 250GB SATA II.
I boot my system with Windows98 boot disc, then put the XP CD into DVD
drive to run setup.
However, the setup said XP needs a harddrive has capacity of at least
477 MB, my only option is to press ENTER to exit.

Any idea?
Click to expand...

Why are you booting with the Windows 98 disk? The XP cd is bootable. If
you are upgrading, boot with the XP cd and start your installation. The
install process will call for you to put your Windows 98 disk in as
qualifying media for the upgrade.

Also, you will need to supply SATA drivers at the beginning of the
install. Press F6 when you see the prompt at the beginning of the
install.

Malke
 
Man said:
I just build a new system AMD 3200+, with Maxtor 250GB SATA II.
I boot my system with Windows98 boot disc, then put the XP CD into
DVD drive to run setup.
However, the setup said XP needs a harddrive has capacity of at least
477 MB, my only option is to press ENTER to exit.

Any idea?
Click to expand...

Ditch the Win98 boot disk for a start. In your computer's BIOS there should
be an option to boot from CD. Use this with the XP CD to start the setup
program, and see if it offers you a chance to partition the disk as part of
the setup.

If no hard disks are detected at all by the XP CD when booted in the way I
describe, then you probably need SATA drivers on a floppy disk. Download
these from the motherboard manufacturer, start XP setup from the CD again
and press F6 at the start (when it prompts to do this to install drivers).
 
Don't you have a Windows XP Bootable CD? If yes, then boot from that CD
instead of Windows 98. If not then you are doing the right thing. But the
problem is Windows XP setup needs to extract the files to your hard disk
drive for setup to continue. As you said that you have installed a new SATA
disk drive. So your hdd has no partition. This is what the error is about.

If you want to install Windows XP from a non-xp bootable cd. Then you must
prepare your hard disk for xp setup. For this you need to Partition your
disk. In Windows 98 bootable CD, there is already a utility called Fdisk. But
if your hard disk is larger than 40GB then you need a improved version of
Fdisk from Microsoft.com.

The best thing you can do is: put your hard disk in some another PC, which
already have Windows XP and partition your hard disk and make them readable.
After that try what you were trying before.

Let us know, if this information is useful to you.
 
I tried to boot from my DVD burner in which I put the XP cd. But I think the
cd is not bootable.
 
Man said:
BTW, how do I make a bootable XP CD?
Click to expand...

You are getting off-track here. You do not need to boot with Win98 or
anything other than the XP CD to prepare your hard drive to accept the
XP operating system.

1. Have the drivers for your SATA hard drive on a floppy. If you don't
have a floppy drive, get a USB external floppy drive.

2. Go into your computer's BIOS. How you get into the BIOS depends on
your motherboard, but basically there will be a notice on the screen
when you first start the machine that says something like "Press F2 [or
DEL or some other keypress] to enter Setup". Here is a link with common
keypresses:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

3. Once in the BIOS, make sure that a) legacy USB is enabled. Change the
boot order to CD/DVD drive first, hard drive second.

4. Insert the XP install CD and restart the computer. When you see the
prompt to "press any key to boot from CD" do so. The XP install will
start. Very early in the install there will be a message at the bottom
of the screen that says "Press F6 if you need to install additional
drivers" so press F6. As the installation progresses, it will prompt
you for the additional drivers. Put the floppy with the SATA drivers in
the floppy drive and follow the instructions.

The XP install will now be able to see your hard drive and you can
partition and format it during installation.

5. Make sure your XP CD includes Service Pack 2. If it is a new copy of
XP it will since SP2 has been out for nearly two years now. If your XP
install CD does *not* include SP1 or SP2, make a slipstreamed install
CD with SP2 first before you start all this.

How to slipstream SP2 into XP
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.html
- AutoStreamer
http://www.msfn.org/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=49
http://www.windows-help.net/windowsxp/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm

If you still cannot install XP, you have done something wrong in
building your computer, have hardware issues, or aren't following the
above instructions.

Malke
 
I don't know what "Malke" is talking about. You already mention that you
don't have XP bootable CD and he is still mentioning the method to boot from
XP Bootable CD.

You are asking how to create a bootable CD of Windows XP. You need a
computer which already have OS installed to do some task.

Instead of this: a very simple method, which I already mention is to create
partition on some another PC and then use the same method you were using
before.

If you don't want to do that then here is the link you want:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310994

Let us know, if this information is useful to you.
 
rajkohli wrote:

See comments inline:
I don't know what "Malke" is talking about. You already mention that
you
don't have XP bootable CD and he is still mentioning the method to
boot from XP Bootable CD.
Click to expand...

*She* is talking about a bootable XP CD because in his very first post,
Man Utd says he has an XP install CD. *All* XP install CD's are
bootable. Here is the relevant quote in case you have forgotten or
can't find it because you are using the terrible web interface instead
of a real newsreader:

"I boot my system with Windows98 boot disc, then put the *XP* *CD* into
DVD drive to run setup." (emphasis mine)
You are asking how to create a bootable CD of Windows XP. You need a
computer which already have OS installed to do some task.
Click to expand...

Man Utd does not need to create a bootable CD of Windows XP. As
previously mentioned *many* times, *all* Windows XP CD's are bootable.
Apparently the OP has one - otherwise he would not be able to install
the operating system!
Instead of this: a very simple method, which I already mention is to
create partition on some another PC and then use the same method you
were using before.
Click to expand...

This is completely unnecessary. The OP's problems are being caused by
either 1) not providing the SATA drivers when needed during the initial
operating system installation; and/or 2) possibly having made a
physical mistake in connecting his hardware since he built the system
himself.

I hope that clarifies things for you.

Malke
 
rajkohli said:
I don't know what "Malke" is talking about. You already mention that
you don't have XP bootable CD and he is still mentioning the method
to boot from XP Bootable CD.
Click to expand...

With respect, Malke very definately knows her onions. You're the one heading
off track here.


--
--
Rob Moir, Microsoft MVP
Blog Site - http://www.robertmoir.com
Virtual PC 2004 FAQ - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk/win/VirtualPC2004FAQ.html
I'm always surprised at "professionals" who STILL have to be asked "Have you
checked (event viewer / syslog)".
 
Please read the posts carefully.

Man Utd wrote "I tried to boot from my DVD burner in which I put the XP cd.
But I think the cd is not bootable."
 
So I should get the driver from motherboard or hard disk manufacturer ?
If from motherboard, will it be on the CD comes with motherboard ?
 
The appropriate SATA drivers should be on the drivers disc that came with
your motherboard. Read the manual that came with the motherboard for the
manufacturers instructions as to how to use them.
 
I browse the CD comes with my motherboard.
There is a folder called Drivers, inside which there are
AMD
Audio
Chipset
Lan
SiL3114

Inside SiL3114, there are folders
64Bit
Disk
Novell
RAID_Driver

I have no idea what folder and what file I should copy into a floppy disk ?
 
The SiL3114 folder is the SATA drive folder. Instead of browsing through
the cd, let it autoplay and you will see the Graphical User Interface.
Search for the "Install SATA drivers" or similar and it should give you a
description and possibly tell you if you need to create a floppy disk.

There may also be a 'Help' button whereby you should be able to find out the
relevant information.
 
I can not understand that why you need hard disk drivers before the
installation. For instance, if I have a fresh hard disk drive and I want to
install an OS, how I can install a driver on the same disk without
partitioning and formatting the disk.
 
It's the Mass Storage Device issue. When you install Windows if it
can't properly detect the controller you have to press F6 early on in
the installation and have the drivers on a diskette for the Setup
program, there is no other way around it.

John
 
rajkohli said:
Please read the posts carefully.

Man Utd wrote "I tried to boot from my DVD burner in which I put the
XP cd. But I think the cd is not bootable."
Click to expand...

Then either the CD is not a 'proper' windows install CD but something else,
in which case diagnosing problems with it is well nigh impossible, OR the op
is incorrect about the CD not being bootable. Which brings us back to the
post that Malke made and you brushed off.


--
--
Rob Moir, Microsoft MVP
Blog Site - http://www.robertmoir.com
Virtual PC 2004 FAQ - http://www.robertmoir.co.uk/win/VirtualPC2004FAQ.html
I'm always surprised at "professionals" who STILL have to be asked "Have you
checked (event viewer / syslog)".
 
Hi,

I just tried another CD from my company that is WinXP with SP1 and it is
bootable.
I think I'll install that CD.
And for the harddisk driver, I went to the SiL3114 folder and found an
MakeDisk.Exe, run that and then it extracted the files onto a floppy disk.
So I think the files copied onto the floppy disk will be the drivers of the
SATA ones.

I'll give it a go tonight to see if I can install the XP SP1.
 
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