Windows won't start with Seagate Sata drive

[terryK]

I got this new Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 Sata drive 250Gb drive as my storage drive (no OS install). Windows xp won't start with this drive pluged (after formatted), windows will start up fine if this drive is not plug or in safe mode or unformatted. It always stop right after the floppy drive light goes off then stop (normally the HD light will come on after the floopy drive light goes off and then windows desktop shows up) but the screen not freeze.

When the drive is not formatted windows xp can see it, i use disk manager to partition (more then 2 partition) and formatted it, but as soon as i reboot it, then windows won't start.

I tried disc wizard software from seagate to formatted as a whole drive (no partition & make this drive as boot drive) then windows start ok, but if i partition it into 2 or more partition then windows won't start. windows will see it in safe mode.

do i need to install sata driver at all ? when i don't need it?do i need to change setting for sata controller

if i reinstall windows xp on this drive do i need to prees F6 key to install scsi or raid driver? where can i get this driver from & how to make it if i need to make one?

My both ide channels are full. My primary master (boot drive) = hitachi deskstar +slave WDC 120 gb, 2nd master are asus cdrom + Slave plextor px-716a.
mobo ECS RS400-A, p4 630 3ghz, 1gb pc3200 (2 strips @512).

I tried other sata ports (on my mobo)= fail.
Bios setting: Onboard Sata controller = Both (options are disabled, sata 0 or 1, both), Onboard sata type = IDE (options IDE or Raid).
I did changing the settings, result either no seeing the drive or windows won't start.

I wanted to keep my existing drives as well.

hopefully some one can help me out here
Thanks

 

[Rick]

Wow, that's weird. Wish I had an answer for you.

When you reboot with the drive, where exactly does it stop? Is there anything on the screen? What does your computer say when this happens?

If you try reinstalling, you'll probably need the RAID driver. You'll need to press F6 at the beginning of the Windows XP setup (when prompted) and you'll need a floppy disk with the appropriate drivers on it.

A floppy disk with your SATA drivers should have been included with your motherboard or system. If you don't have this, you can visit your SATA controller's manufacturer's website. For example, it might be SII (silicon image), in which case you'd visit http://www.siliconimage.com/support/ and download the latest drivers. All manufacturers will have instructions to set up the floppy disk.

 

[terryK]

when computer is turn on, it went through P.o.s.t. page, then windows logo comes on (the page with windows logo & scanning bar below it), then the hd light comes on, a while later, next is floppy drive light comes on, as soon as the floppy light is off then windows stop (but the scanning bar still moving, i can move the mouse cursor) no error on screen at all, just windows logo. Ususally as soon as the floppy drive is off then the hd light will on & then windows desktop show up.

 

[Samstoned]

try this with sata out
boot up go to MB website install latest drivers for sata

reboot look to see under computer management under hardware devices idf the sata controller is listed
if it is
reinstall drive try reboot without fussing with the bios
xp looking for system drivers for the sata so it just sits there???
have you looked at your events log

 

[terryK]

try this with sata out
boot up go to MB website install latest drivers for sata

reboot look to see under computer management under hardware devices idf the sata controller is listed
if it is
reinstall drive try reboot without fussing with the bios
xp looking for system drivers for the sata so it just sits there???
have you looked at your events log

i'm sorry, i need some education here.you mention" hardware device" is it same as device manager?if it is then i only see as follow...
-IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers
- Ati ide controller
- Primary Ide channel
- Primary Ide channel
- Primary Ide channel
- Secondary IDE channel
- Secondary IDE channel
- Secondary IDE channel
- standard dual channel pci ide controller
- standard dual channel pci ide controller
- scsi and raid controllers
- D347prt scsi controller
- VAX3475 scsi controller
- Disk drivers
- HDS728080PLAT20
- ST3250823AS
- WDC WD1200JB-00DUA3

Above item from "Device manager"
I got 2 ide hitachi & wd and Sata Seagate drive (ST3250823AS)
My mobo has 4 sata ports. I don't see any SATA things...
I did download the ATI "Catalyst 5.11 Windows XP - Motherboard/IGP Drivers" from ATI web site & installed it. But I didn't see any option about sata driver, it did install software for the southbridge driver (SB400 chipset where control sata/ide controller).
Where is the events log located? will i able to find anything from it?
i can't find any info about my SATA controller's manufacturer's? how can i find that out? Right now the seagate drive is working as a boot drive (no partition), i like to partition into 3 parts, but as soon as i partition it (used partition magic pro 7), then windows will not work again. is it I have to use newest partition magic 8 to do that or something else? Thanks

 

[Rick]

Older builds of Partition Magic 7.0 do not support Windows XP. This may or may not be your probelm, but this variable certainly isn't helping.

Try using the XP setup CD and partition the drive while in "setup".

 

[terryK]

Well, one thing you won't believe it. I have used Partition Magic 7.0 pro on existing IDE drive (with windows xp) & partition it, has no problem. Anyway, I tried (today) Partition Magic 8.0 on seagate drive & add one partition on the seagate drive. Reboot & windows start up okay, on both IDE & sata drive, (of course, seperate boot with boot sequence change). Then I add one more partition, so total will be 3 partition. reboot, my windows (on ide drive) won't start, so i switch to seagate & reboot it, windows start up fine. So, I don't understand why? now my seagate drive is a boot drive. do u thing i can remove the other windows from ide drive? is the seagate disc wizard has made all the necessary & transfer files from ide to sata drive?if it does then i will erase windows from ide drive.
thanks

 

[Samstoned]

yes seagate wizard will copy all your C:\ to another drive and will ask you if you are leaving it in or replacing also will ask you if you want to delete info on C
makes a MBR on the new drive
after you do a copy replace (without erase) shut off machine and swap drives should now boot from new drive
moving drive letter around could cause MBR confusion and or corruption
you could try a little test ,but you better have recovery **** ready
go to management and change out drive letters.
scarey things can happen here

 

[orn]

same problem and a posible solution

I am haveing the exact same problem...
I Did the exact same thing...
I found a simple workarownd thou
This may sound strange but hook up and IDE drive to the computer and then hook up the SATA drive...
Download the in windows drivers
and just boot from the IDE drive
So far I am haveing no problems
So far this works with my computer...
It might work with yours :bounce:
I also found after performing this workaround you can also boot into the SATA once.(I haven't tested if it will work after you do this again)
I am also tring one that would make the SATA drive independent by coping in the WINDOW file from a working hard drive to the one that isn't working... It could work... or I could get burned by windows and the hard drive :hotouch:

 

[orn]

I also found that when I tried too boot without useing the workaround I see the standerd "loading bar" for windows and when it is halfway into it it just showes a blue screan for half a second with some english on it and then it just restarts