Hi there, my first post and I really need some help. Was doing a clean install of Windows XP, deleted all partitions and it started to install. Then it started displaying a message that it couldn't install a particular file, so I skipped it but it said the same for every file. I quit the setup and went to start again but now whatever I select in setup, it displays "Setup did not find any installed hard drives on your system." Now I cant get computer past initial screen as it requests that I put in the CD before I can do anything.

Computer is from about 2001 - 2002 and it isnt a dell, in case that helps.

All help much, much appreciated

I have read many posts in this thread and searched several ways with no luck. I am trying to load the OEM SATA driver when using F6 at XP Pro setup but I do not have a floppy drive in the Compaq notebook. I have the controller but don't know how to make it available to setup. This all starts with the familiar error message. "Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your system"

I see mention of no floppy drive but can't locate the workaround.

Thank You for help or a link to the thread that help.

ldreisinger

I came across an easy fix for this. In the bios disable the setting for SATA support. XP will then detect the hard drive and install normally.

Tyler - I have to add my thanks to the many on here too. Your info saved my sanity. I had a big hard drive failure last week. Just bought a new Raptor and couldn't get BIOS to recognise the drive. Was absolutely lost but after I found your post and it worked like a charm - my new drive is being formatted as I type ;-)

I wanted to register to post a note of thanks for posting this info and greatly helping out me (and many others) where Dell could not!

Jason

Again - many thanks - your sensible suggestion saved us a whole night of hassle with a Compaq laptop.
Thank you

Hello! I do not currently own a dell computer, but I had a friend who made me one. At this moment I keep getting the "cannot find any hard drives" in the windows xp setup. My hard drive is a Seagate ST3250824AS 250 GB hard drive, and diskwriter does not work.

I looked for a SATA option in the BIOS, but I cannot find one. The only SATA option I can find is the one with the options of IDE and RAID. It was default set to RAID.

My other hard drive I installed to this comuter (maxtor) worked perfectly a year ago. I do not know how to solve this problem!

Please help me!

Thank you tyleryoungblood for your help, it worked on mine as well.

Have a good one, Jeff

on a HP workstation xw4300..cheers tyleryoungblood

All hail tyleryoungblood! I actually joined this site just to say THANK YOU! I have a neighbor's Dell with a hard drive that code 7ed.... He brought me a new hard drive to install and damn if I didn't fight and fight to get it to see the hard drive. It wasn't until I stumbled upon this forum that I found the solution. If anyone is having this issue with Dell not finding SATA drives. Do what Tyleryoungblood did! I was ready to hang myself! Bravo Tyler!

I have an issue still... I still can't get windows to boot normally. It boots to 2 options F1 to continue (which when chosen will boot just fine) and F2 for setup. Occaisionally I will get an options list where I have to choose safe mode or last known good etc etc... ALL I WANT is for Windows to boot NORMALLY. How do I set it to bypass the ANNOYING screen and boot directly into windows? I have fast or quick boot enabled in the BIOS. I have never in my life had such trouble adding a hard drive and installing an operating system EVER. Dell blows! Between the SATA drivers issue and the fact that the OEM cd doesn't give you the Ethernet Controller driver..... What a mess!

I used the combined mode and switched back to ATA (As Dell suggests) But still can't get it to boot normally. Whine whine whine! Am I missing a BIOS Option of some kind?

Hi. I'm having the same problem as in the original post of this thread. However, I'm running a Compaq Presario C301NR, and I don't think my drives are the same as yours. I took some photos. Hopefully someone can tell me which drives' settings I must change in order to erase the current partition, and create a new one. Thanks.

I have the same problem with my Sony Vaio PCG-8W2L (VGN-AR230G in bios), it's a big one 17", maybe someone saw it before...

WINXP setup error message: setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer. make sure any hard disk drives are powered on and properly connected to your computer, and that any disk-related hardware configuration is correct. this may involve running a manufacturer-supplied diagnostic or setup program.

PCG-8W2L (VGN-AR230G in bios) has no floppy and BIOS SATA Settings also, HDD: Fujitsu MHV2200BT, I did not touch any notebook parts. It just wont let me install windows xp eng sp2 from DOS, if somebody could help me to solve this unusual problem, I would be very happy!

Thank You for this post, i called and HP and they said we dont support it. If i didnt find this on the net i would of had to return this.

something as simple as changing a bios setting and they wouldnt tell me lol

I resolved my problem by installing new version of windows xp on The Reanimator Cd from www.philka.ru, there was SATA driver package. If someone need that winxp, please email me I will give you url to download it.

Tyler,
Your answer continues to please into 2007. I wasted 2 days with Intel SATA drivers before I read your answer. Made me register to reply.
Thanks again
Bob

Another thanks to Tyleryoungblood and LunaNM re: the [apparently very common] issue of reinstalling windows on a Dell Dimension 8400 w/ a SATA drive that Windows cannot find ... I followed your advice [after many hours of spinning my wheels], changed the BIOS setting to "combination" and get things working immediately.

I spend three hours trying to figure this out, and wehn I felt it was time to throw the computer, I went to GOOGLE, and this was the first result, and I ended up spending three minutes for what I couldn't to in three hours.

Hello All,

Very informative thread. Thanks to Tyleryoungblood and all others.

But those steps did not help me. PLEASE HELP! I have already spent two days trying to solve this problem.

Problem: I am trying to install Windows 2003 Server on WD 250GB SATA drive mounted and connected properly inside the PC. I boot from DVD/CD Rom drive. Windows 2003 Setup screen shows up. Windows setup goes through loading various files. It shows Welcome to Windows Setup screen. Gives three options 1) To install Windows press Enter 2) to repair windows press R 3) to quit setup F3. As soon as I press enter to install windows I get 'Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your system.....etc.' message.

I tried changing various BIOS settings as below. I am pretty sure I tried most of the combinations:

BIOS recognizes the drive. It shows this drive on Disk Configuration option.
My BIOS does not have the options posted in this thread. I see following options under Drive Configuration menu of BIOS:

1) Use Automatic Mode <Enable/Disable>
2) Use Serial ATA <Enable/Disable> -- This option shows only when #1 is Disable
3) ATA/IDE Mode <Native/Legacy> - Native is default
4) Configure SATA as <IDE/RAID/AHCI> - RAID is default
5) S.M.A.R.T. <Enable/Disable> - Enable is default - Don't know what this means.
6) Primary Channel - <Enable/Disable> - This option is shown only if #1 (Use Automatic Mode) is disabled.

It also shows SATA Port 0 - through 3. Only Port 0 shows my drive WDC WD2500KS-00M - 250 GB ( This means BIOS recognizes this drive )

I do not have floppy drive. Is there any way to install drivers using USB flash or USB external HD? I have only one CD/DVD drive (which is used to install Windows 2003)

According to the posts on this thread, I am not clear if I need to have floopy drive just to get Windows 2003 installation going or I need to do that only if I need to change RAID configuration.

Also, I am not sure if this drive can support Windows 2003 server?It lists Windows XP/2000/98/Me. Don't know which drivers to use if needed.

This is a new drive.

My Hardware Configuration is:
I have Gateway 5404 - With Intel Pentium D 2.8 GHz. With Western Digital 250GB SATA-300 WD2500KSRTL drive. Intel Motherboard D945GCL.

Don't know about BIOS manufacturer. BIOS Version: CF94510J.15A.0028.2006.1213.1629.

PLEASE HELP! I have already spent two days trying to solve this problem.

Thank you!

As I can see, you can´t install Windows 2003 in your Gateway PC ´cause you get this message STOP: 0x0000006B (0x0000003A, 0x00000002, 0x00000000, 0x00000000), or some like that, if this is so, then this may help you...

I tryed to install WinXP in my Gateway PC that has your same motherboard, but when started from my install cd it just stopped and it showed me the message I already told you. My PC came up with Win Vista preinstalled so the problem i thought it was the Bios that didn´t identify my hard disk. well, I tried so many ways to make the bios recognize my hard disk, including all you did, but i was wasting my time, the key was the program that was making a backup of the system from WinVista, and I found out when I saw this link from Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/330134/es it comes in spanish but also you may find it in the english version. The thing is to uninstall that program from WinVista, I can´t remmember what´s the name but its pretty easy to identify it, You´ll know which one it is. So after that turn off the computer to complete the uninstall process and turn it back on to enter the Bios to configure this parameters in this way:

1) Use Automatic Mode <Disable>
2) Use Serial ATA <Enable>
3) ATA/IDE Mode <Native>
4) Configure SATA as <IDE>
5) S.M.A.R.T. <Disable> -
6) Primary Channel - <Enable>

After all this you may install any OS in your PC, because for security the program that backs up the WinVista protects the system with a hidden partition and if you uninstall that program it stops that protection.

To end just you need to enter back again to the Bios to set the options I mentioned to default, to get stable your system.

I hope it really worked to you, so long!!!

[color=blue]Edited by Moderator: Removed quote. There`s no need to quote the post directly above your own, unless you`re only replying to a specific section, in which case you would only quote that section. [/color]

This topic is definitely my problem. The only thing is I don't have a floppy drive. That's why I quoted stryfe, my question is if there is any solution for this? Otherwise i don't know how to solve this problem.

Thanks tim