Difficulties installing Windows XP

[account73]

Hi,

Thanks for looking and possibly helping.
I'm trying to install windows XP 32 bit home edition onto a desktop. I boot to the XP cd and let it load up, but then when i go to install XP i get the message saying this

' setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer '
Like shown on this image taken from google images.
http://hostthis.nl/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/setupcouldnotfind.jpg

I've been reading about it online and it talks about disabling sata in bios and all sorts of stuff...
Everything i've tried changing in the bios has made no difference whats so ever, i keep getting the same message.
The hard drive is defintly there. It can be seen in the bios and i can also boot the computer into windows (Trying to format because of viruses)
Could someone help me with this please as i am really stuck and not sure what to try now.
I've attached some images of photos from device manager...maybe they will help?

 

[mike1959]

XP install problems

Your Device manager screens show your PC is set up to use hard discs in a RAID setup. You have 2 choices. Install the RAID/SCSI drivers before XP, (see the line of text along the bottom edge of the screen when you try to install XP). Or the simpler option, (and is the information you mentioned about the BIOS), go into the BIOS, (Power up, F2) Then 'Drives' , 'SATA operation'. You should see 2 options, 'RAID autodetect/ATA' and 'RAID on'. You may see 'RAID on' selected, but you need to select 'RAID autodetect/ATA'. Then 'Save and Exit'.. If your hard drives are connected to a RAID controller board, then disconnect the cables from it, and plug them into the motherboard directly. ( I am writing this from memory, and my previous PC Raid set up, but the basic idea is correct .) You should then be able to install XP.

 

[account73]

Thanks mike1959 I think i'll try to install the drivers first and see if that works. Any idea how i find out what driver i need?
Also, would the procces of slipstream the driver onto a windows xp cd work if done correctly?

In the bios i cant seem to find what you said.
I have options such as
serial sata function - Base/Raid
GigaRaidFuction- Raid/ATA

Do i need to change these?

 

[account73]

All fixed, thanks for help
Had a floppy disk hidden away in computer box with the drivers on it that i need.

 

[mike1959]

RAID or not?

Firstly, it's not easy to give you exact details about getting this going. But If you want to use a RAID setup on your hard discs, you need to have the RAID drivers for your motherboard, and they normally are installed from a 3 1/2 floppy disc. You can get the drivers by searching the net, using your motherboard's name and RAID drivers.
When you go into your PC's BIOS screen there should be a separate page about the RAID set up. You might see 'Press ?+? keys to access RAID BIOS' or similar. But you will need to install the RAID drivers before XP can see your drives.
Is there a reason why you need to use RAID? If not ,then where it shows 'Serial ATA function :Base/RAID' , I would think, if you would choose 'base', then you can install XP as normal, (and not use RAID at all). It would really help if you had the manual that goes with your motherboard. Can you download it from a site? If you do go ahead with RAID, the drivers install when the XP install routine shows at the bottom of screen 'Press F6 to install RAID drivers'. It's very early in the routine. Note that it is very easy to wipe all data from drives doing all this, so be sure to save off anything you value.

 

[account73]

Firstly, it's not easy to give you exact details about getting this going. But If you want to use a RAID setup on your hard discs, you need to have the RAID drivers for your motherboard, and they normally are installed from a 3 1/2 floppy disc. You can get the drivers by searching the net, using your motherboard's name and RAID drivers.
When you go into your PC's BIOS screen there should be a separate page about the RAID set up. You might see 'Press ?+? keys to access RAID BIOS' or similar. But you will need to install the RAID drivers before XP can see your drives.
Is there a reason why you need to use RAID? If not ,then where it shows 'Serial ATA function :Base/RAID' , I would think, if you would choose 'base', then you can install XP as normal, (and not use RAID at all). It would really help if you had the manual that goes with your motherboard. Can you download it from a site? If you do go ahead with RAID, the drivers install when the XP install routine shows at the bottom of screen 'Press F6 to install RAID drivers'. It's very early in the routine. Note that it is very easy to wipe all data from drives doing all this, so be sure to save off anything you value.

Dont worry, I've solved the problem now I found the floppy drive with the sata drivers on and during XP CD loading i pressed f6 and installed the drivers. Now it detects the hard drive with out a problem.

 

[mike1959]

That's good to hear. I could see a whole list of problems here, not least that you wouldn't have a floppy drive, or the drivers. I did have a setup like this a few years ago, but only because I had 2 low capacity hard drives, and someone gave me a RAID controller board. But as a rule, with todays much more reliable hardware, I wouldn't use it again. It's so much easier now to use a large enough HD, and back-up off to an external drive, what I do with Windows 7 and a 1TB Seagate HD.