Installing XP, but not seeing my SATA drive, help please :(

[Flinch]

I'm trying to re-format my HD. My system is just running very slow lately and well I'd just rather re-format the darn thing.

It's a Seagate Barracuda 120gb 8mb cache SATA HD

I'm trying to install XP Home Edition (ver 2002)

When the install starts it goes to Press ENTER to install and I do, but then it says Windows could not find a storge device. I tried to load the drivers, but I'm not even sure which those are, I tried installing Ulta 100 TX2 (I believe that is correct).

I'm almost at the point of just getting rid of the SATA drive.

Also, I went to the web site to try and find the correct driver, but they send me to Promise and that's where I get lost. There are so many differents ones to choose.

 

[Tedster]

you need to install the drivers for a SATA drive.
You must have a floppy drive

 

[Flinch]

I have a floppy drive, but where do I find the driver? I know its a dumb question, but I haven't a clue which one is the right one.

 

[Rik]

The driver should be on the cd that came with your mobo. When you press the F6 (if memory serves) to load 3rd party scsi or raid drivers you should be able to get away with just putting the mobo cd in!!!

 

[Flinch]

I tried Ultra Tx2, Fasttrack and 378, but none of them work. XP still isn't seeing the drive.

I downloaded Seagates Disk Wizard, which I think will format the HD, but I'm thinking that even when that is done XP will still not see the drive.

 

[Rik]

Without the sata driver, no application will see the drive, the driver MUST be installed for anything to work!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mailpup]

I have a floppy drive, but where do I find the driver?

If you don't have the CD that came with the motherboard or SATA floppies that some motherboard makers provide, go to the website of the motherboard manufacturer to find the correct SATA/RAID drivers (even if you don't plan on setting up RAID).

That said, what is your motherboard make and model?

 

[Tedster]

the drivers should have came with the SATA drive. If not, check the manufactuer's website. Also don't mix SATA with IDE drives - it leads to problems.

 

[Flinch]

Ok, I found the correct driver, but now when I try to install them I get this error.

File \winxp\fasttx2k\sys caused an unexpected error (4101) at line 2113 in d:\xpsprtm\base\boot\setup\oemdisk.c.

My Motherboard is a ASUS SK8N Nforce3 150 940-Pin

 

[Tmagic650]

I mix IDE and SATA drives all the time. I can set the boot drive to be either SATA or IDE. Magic? No, it works just the way I say. Some motherboards require SATA boot to be set as a SCSI device in the bios. I have never had to load separate SATA drivers in XP

 

[jimlasalla]

SATA Drives and XP

SATA Drives bigger than 40GB will require drivers to be loaded during the setup of Windows XP.

 

[Tmagic650]

This totally depends on the motherboard used and it's bios! Otherwise, no additional SATA drivers are needed except XP's native drivers...