Windows CD does not detect windows boot drive

  • Thread starter Thread starter Walter R.
  • Start date Start date
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Walter R.

Sounds illogical, but this is what happens.

I installed Win XP SP2 on my 20 GB ATA (Boot) HD on the primary IDE Channel.
I also have an 80 GB ATA HD as backup drive on the secondary IDE channel.

Recently my 20 GB ATA (Boot) drive went dead. I replaced it with a 300 GB
SATA drive, which I installed via a PCI controller.

I installed a backup image of the old ATA boot drive on the new SATA boot
drive. The system is working fine. However, Disk Management shows the new
SATA (boot) drive as Drive 1 (c:). The old IDE backup drive is shown as 0
(d). This is the reverse of the normal drive letter sequence.

I tried to do an XP repair installation: The windows install CD shows only
the 0 (d:)drive, which is the backup, instead of the boot drive, which is C:

Ergo, I cannot do a repair installation because windows will not show the
SATA c: drive. This is weird.

The motherboard BIOS has the options Floppy, CD, SATA drive, Other boots.
When I try a Repair install, it boots from the CD and transfers a lot of
files to the new installation. But, when it asks where to install the new
Windows, it shows only the IDE backup drive, which is not a boot drive.

The hard drive section of the motherboard BIOS (a seven year old SIS) shows
only the ATA backup drive. The SATA drive, which is on the PCI controller
does not show on the motherboard BIOS because it has its own BIOS, which
shows on a screen separate from the MB BIOS screen when booting.

Confused? I am too. Any help in sorting this out?

Thanks
 
Sounds illogical, but this is what happens.

I installed Win XP SP2 on my 20 GB ATA (Boot) HD on the primary IDE Channel.
I also have an 80 GB ATA HD as backup drive on the secondary IDE channel.

Recently my 20 GB ATA (Boot) drive went dead. I replaced it with a 300 GB
SATA drive, which I installed via a PCI controller.

I installed a backup image of the old ATA boot drive on the new SATA boot
drive. The system is working fine. However, Disk Management shows the new
SATA (boot) drive as Drive 1 (c:). The old IDE backup drive is shown as 0
(d). This is the reverse of the normal drive letter sequence.

I tried to do an XP repair installation: The windows install CD shows only
the 0 (d:)drive, which is the backup, instead of the boot drive, which is C:

Ergo, I cannot do a repair installation because windows will not show the
SATA c: drive. This is weird.

The motherboard BIOS has the options Floppy, CD, SATA drive, Other boots.
When I try a Repair install, it boots from the CD and transfers a lot of
files to the new installation. But, when it asks where to install the new
Windows, it shows only the IDE backup drive, which is not a boot drive.

The hard drive section of the motherboard BIOS (a seven year old SIS) shows
only the ATA backup drive. The SATA drive, which is on the PCI controller
does not show on the motherboard BIOS because it has its own BIOS, which
shows on a screen separate from the MB BIOS screen when booting.

Confused? I am too. Any help in sorting this out?
Click to expand...

CD-ROM Windows in order to see the drive on the PCI
controller needs a driver for it. Now what happens if you
unplug the old drive? I have a very old PCI controller card
model

02:08.0 Mass storage controller: HighPoint Technologies,
Inc. HPT366/368/370/370A/372/372N (rev 04) I can boot 4
Drives from it. To see its BIOS is quite normal, you can
also select in it a drive to boot. Have you done that? In
the BIOS for the PCI card.

Set it to be the boot-device, even though the BIOS will not
see the HDD the BIOS for the controller will offer the
drive. Also you need then to install the boot-loader to the
SATA HDD, if I'm not mistaken.

Also visit the manufacturer's website how you can set this
up, which steps to take if a OS is already installed. Did
you use the PCI-controller already with the old drive, or
did you buy it together with the SATA drive?



Thanks
Click to expand...



Dragomir Kollaric[/QUOTE]
 
You need to use the F6 option, early in the XP installation process to
install third party drivers, namely your sata controler driver for your PCI
card, from floppy
 
You need to use the F6 option, early in the XP installation process to
install third party drivers, namely your sata controler driver for your PCI
card, from floppy
Click to expand...

What will people do when floppy-drives will be no longer
included in the PC, as this is already happening. Install from
USB-sticks and the like?

<cut>



Dragomir Kollaric[/QUOTE]
 
Thank you all. Your solution worked.

I downloaded the driver for the controller, copied it on a floppy, booted
with the XP Cd, clicked on F6 when the install began, clicked on "S", loaded
the floppy and, voila, the PCI controller installed itself and windows
repaired itself.
 
Dragomir said:
What will people do when floppy-drives will be no longer
included in the PC, as this is already happening. Install from
USB-sticks and the like?

<cut>
Click to expand...

Yes, Vista provides for that.
 
Thank you all. Your solution worked.

I downloaded the driver for the controller, copied it on a floppy, booted
with the XP Cd, clicked on F6 when the install began, clicked on "S", loaded
the floppy and, voila, the PCI controller installed itself and windows
repaired itself.
Click to expand...

Lucky you :-)

You have still a floppy drive, A friend of mine is not so
lucky (and can't use Vista on the box, So I have to convince
the user that it still needs a floppy drive. Because there a
new "SATA" drive will be installed, and for that a PCI card
will be needed, just like in your case..

My question:

Now I will be the one doing this, and the PC has two CD-ROM
drives, couldn't I use one of them, burn the file to a RW-CD
and tell the installer that it should look for it on the
other CD-drive?



Dragomir Kollaric[/QUOTE]
 
Dragomir said:
Lucky you :-)

You have still a floppy drive, A friend of mine is not so
lucky (and can't use Vista on the box, So I have to convince
the user that it still needs a floppy drive. Because there a
new "SATA" drive will be installed, and for that a PCI card
will be needed, just like in your case..

My question:

Now I will be the one doing this, and the PC has two CD-ROM
drives, couldn't I use one of them, burn the file to a RW-CD
and tell the installer that it should look for it on the
other CD-drive?
Click to expand...

Nope.
 
Nope.
Click to expand...

Are you saying the Software developers didn't take CD-ROM as
install-medium into their plans? How long do we have
CD-ROM's now, I'm sure they predate Windows-XP. Or that the
Redmond-dudes can't change the code to offer this choice. [I
guess they spend more time on the "eye-candy" and not on
functionality¹]

[¹] I didn't write this; this was my *evil* twin-brother :-(


Bummer, So that means I'll have to check if the MOBO allows
a floppy drive to be *TEMPORARILY* connected, (after all the
user never uses them anyway) and then install the driver for
the PCI card. I'm sure WindowsXP will be complaining about a
floppy it didn't have, and install a driver for it.



Dragomir Kollaric[/QUOTE]
 
Dragomir said:
Dragomir Kollaric wrote:





Nope.
Click to expand...


Are you saying the Software developers didn't take CD-ROM as
install-medium into their plans? How long do we have
CD-ROM's now, I'm sure they predate Windows-XP. Or that the
Redmond-dudes can't change the code to offer this choice. [I
guess they spend more time on the "eye-candy" and not on
functionality¹]

[¹] I didn't write this; this was my *evil* twin-brother :-(


Bummer, So that means I'll have to check if the MOBO allows
a floppy drive to be *TEMPORARILY* connected, (after all the
user never uses them anyway) and then install the driver for
the PCI card. I'm sure WindowsXP will be complaining about a
floppy it didn't have, and install a driver for it.
Click to expand...

The CD IS the Install media, you just need the floppy for the drivers
source during the install. Of course you're playing with an operating
system that was released almost 8 years ago!
 
You can create a slipstreamed winxp cd containing the sata controller
drivers

Dragomir Kollaric said:
Nope.
Click to expand...

Are you saying the Software developers didn't take CD-ROM as
install-medium into their plans? How long do we have
CD-ROM's now, I'm sure they predate Windows-XP. Or that the
Redmond-dudes can't change the code to offer this choice. [I
guess they spend more time on the "eye-candy" and not on
functionality¹]

[¹] I didn't write this; this was my *evil* twin-brother :-(


Bummer, So that means I'll have to check if the MOBO allows
a floppy drive to be *TEMPORARILY* connected, (after all the
user never uses them anyway) and then install the driver for
the PCI card. I'm sure WindowsXP will be complaining about a
floppy it didn't have, and install a driver for it.



Dragomir Kollaric
Click to expand...
[/QUOTE]
 
You can create a slipstreamed winxp cd containing the sata controller
drivers
Click to expand...


I will look into that when the need arises, it seems the project is
on hold now.. (For other reasons though)
But to know how this can be done... :-)

<cut>


Dragomir Kollaric[/QUOTE]
 
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