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BIOS not recognizing HDD. Trying to install Windows XP Home. No Fl

B

Brian V

Flightless Bird
Got a new motherboard. ASUS M3N78-VM. Saved the RAM, CPU, DVD-ROM drive and
HDD from an OEM.

I have contacted my motherboard manufacturer, but thought I'd try here too.
Maybe they would be unreliable.

The HDD is not recognized in the BIOS and I cannot install Windows XP Home
Edition.

To install the chipsets and stuff I need a floppy drive. I do not have a
floppy drive. I thought I was suppose to upgrade those once XP is installed.
XP installs drivers and stuff on it's own, I thought they were suppose to
work.

I do not have a floppy drive. The install is asking for it. Can I get the
install to let me use a usb flash drive or something to install the drivers
or chipsets for my motherboard? The motherboard manual says with XP I need to
use a floppy drive. Do I need to buy and install a floppy drive? Would a
flash-card reader/floppy drive be recognized? I already have a flash-card
reader.

If I were to install a floppy drive: Do I need to do anything special? Would
it be plug and play for procedures like installing chipsets or drivers to
install windows and then updating the Floppy A: drivers once the OS is up and
going?

I doubt the SATA connections are dirty. It is fairly new. (less than one
month).

Can I just re-format the drive in an external enclosure from a laptop and
the BIOS will recognize the drive?

Have I wasted my money trying to install XP on a too new motherboard? I hope
not.

Should I pay techs to install all this stuff and just leave it alone?

Ugg.

Thank you. :)
 
S

SC Tom

Flightless Bird
"Brian V" <BrianV@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:148BE74D-EBF2-4564-84BF-195CA3B98FBA@microsoft.com...
> Got a new motherboard. ASUS M3N78-VM. Saved the RAM, CPU, DVD-ROM drive
> and
> HDD from an OEM.
>
> I have contacted my motherboard manufacturer, but thought I'd try here
> too.
> Maybe they would be unreliable.
>
> The HDD is not recognized in the BIOS and I cannot install Windows XP Home
> Edition.
>
> To install the chipsets and stuff I need a floppy drive. I do not have a
> floppy drive. I thought I was suppose to upgrade those once XP is
> installed.
> XP installs drivers and stuff on it's own, I thought they were suppose to
> work.
>
> I do not have a floppy drive. The install is asking for it. Can I get the
> install to let me use a usb flash drive or something to install the
> drivers
> or chipsets for my motherboard? The motherboard manual says with XP I need
> to
> use a floppy drive. Do I need to buy and install a floppy drive? Would a
> flash-card reader/floppy drive be recognized? I already have a flash-card
> reader.
>
> If I were to install a floppy drive: Do I need to do anything special?
> Would
> it be plug and play for procedures like installing chipsets or drivers to
> install windows and then updating the Floppy A: drivers once the OS is up
> and
> going?
>
> I doubt the SATA connections are dirty. It is fairly new. (less than one
> month).
>
> Can I just re-format the drive in an external enclosure from a laptop and
> the BIOS will recognize the drive?
>
> Have I wasted my money trying to install XP on a too new motherboard? I
> hope
> not.
>
> Should I pay techs to install all this stuff and just leave it alone?
>
> Ugg.
>
> Thank you. :)


First off, if the HDD is not being recognized in BIOS, you will not be able
to install anything. There has to be a destination for any installation to
work.
If the drive was working before, then you have something setup wrong, either
jumpers on the MB or some setting in BIOS. Are you replacing the MB in an
already working machine, or are you building your own and salvaging your
listed parts from other machines? If it's simply a replacement, and the
chipset on the new board is the same or close to the same as the old board,
you may not have to do an installation. Windows may come up and ask for
newer drivers, in which case you can put the MB driver CD in and let it run.
If the chipset is drastically different, you'll probably end up doing a
reinstall. Hopefully you backed up all your programs. If you're trying to
reinstall from an OEM CD like you get with a Dell, Compaq, etc., you may not
have any success. They are usually tied to a particular set of hardware and
can't be indiscriminately used on anything like a retail XP CD can.
If it is a retail CD, and it's SP3, you shouldn't need any SATA drivers to
start the installation. They're included in SP3. If you have access to
another computer (which, from your post, I assume you do), you can
slipstream SP3 onto an XP CD at SP1a or SP2. Here's a link on how to do
that:
How to Slipstream Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://www.howtohaven.com/system/slipstream-xp-service-pack-3.shtml

Good luck!
--
SC Tom
 
P

philo

Flightless Bird
Re: BIOS not recognizing HDD. Trying to install Windows XP Home.No Fl

Brian V wrote:
> Got a new motherboard. ASUS M3N78-VM. Saved the RAM, CPU, DVD-ROM drive and
> HDD from an OEM.
>
> I have contacted my motherboard manufacturer, but thought I'd try here too.
> Maybe they would be unreliable.
>
> The HDD is not recognized in the BIOS and I cannot install Windows XP Home
> Edition.


Then it's time for you to read the manual that came with your mobo


once you do that, I'd create a slipstreamed sp3 CD if you did not
already do so...
then the SATA drivers should all be present


>
> To install the chipsets and stuff I need a floppy drive. I do not have a
> floppy drive. I thought I was suppose to upgrade those once XP is installed.
> XP installs drivers and stuff on it's own, I thought they were suppose to
> work.
>
> I do not have a floppy drive. The install is asking for it. Can I get the
> install to let me use a usb flash drive or something to install the drivers
> or chipsets for my motherboard? The motherboard manual says with XP I need to
> use a floppy drive. Do I need to buy and install a floppy drive? Would a
> flash-card reader/floppy drive be recognized? I already have a flash-card
> reader.
>
> If I were to install a floppy drive: Do I need to do anything special? Would
> it be plug and play for procedures like installing chipsets or drivers to
> install windows and then updating the Floppy A: drivers once the OS is up and
> going?
>
> I doubt the SATA connections are dirty. It is fairly new. (less than one
> month).
>
> Can I just re-format the drive in an external enclosure from a laptop and
> the BIOS will recognize the drive?
>
> Have I wasted my money trying to install XP on a too new motherboard? I hope
> not.
>
> Should I pay techs to install all this stuff and just leave it alone?
>
> Ugg.
>
> Thank you. :)
 
H

HeyBub

Flightless Bird
Brian V wrote:
> Got a new motherboard. ASUS M3N78-VM. Saved the RAM, CPU, DVD-ROM
> drive and HDD from an OEM.
>
> I have contacted my motherboard manufacturer, but thought I'd try
> here too. Maybe they would be unreliable.
>
> The HDD is not recognized in the BIOS and I cannot install Windows XP
> Home Edition.
>
> To install the chipsets and stuff I need a floppy drive. I do not
> have a floppy drive. I thought I was suppose to upgrade those once XP
> is installed. XP installs drivers and stuff on it's own, I thought
> they were suppose to work.
>
> I do not have a floppy drive. The install is asking for it. Can I get
> the install to let me use a usb flash drive or something to install
> the drivers or chipsets for my motherboard? The motherboard manual
> says with XP I need to use a floppy drive. Do I need to buy and
> install a floppy drive? Would a flash-card reader/floppy drive be
> recognized? I already have a flash-card reader.
>
> If I were to install a floppy drive: Do I need to do anything
> special? Would it be plug and play for procedures like installing
> chipsets or drivers to install windows and then updating the Floppy
> A: drivers once the OS is up and going?
>
> I doubt the SATA connections are dirty. It is fairly new. (less than
> one month).
>
> Can I just re-format the drive in an external enclosure from a laptop
> and the BIOS will recognize the drive?
>
> Have I wasted my money trying to install XP on a too new motherboard?
> I hope not.
>
> Should I pay techs to install all this stuff and just leave it alone?
>


Probably won't help your situation, but floppy drives cost about ten bucks
and are commodity items. If your hand fits a screwdriver, installation is
trivial.
 
B

Bruce Chambers

Flightless Bird
Re: BIOS not recognizing HDD. Trying to install Windows XP Home.No Fl

Brian V wrote:
> Got a new motherboard. ASUS M3N78-VM. Saved the RAM, CPU, DVD-ROM drive and
> HDD from an OEM.
>
> I have contacted my motherboard manufacturer, but thought I'd try here too.
> Maybe they would be unreliable.
>
> The HDD is not recognized in the BIOS...



Until you resolve this hardware issue, you *cannot* proceed. Consult
the motherboard's manual and/or its manufacturer for assistance.


> .... and I cannot install Windows XP Home
> Edition.
>
> To install the chipsets and stuff I need a floppy drive. I do not have a
> floppy drive. I thought I was suppose to upgrade those once XP is installed.
> XP installs drivers and stuff on it's own, I thought they were suppose to
> work.
>


Think about that for a moment. How could you have expected a WinXP
installation CD to include device drivers for a motherboard that was
developed and manufactured several years after WinXP was released?


> I do not have a floppy drive. The install is asking for it. Can I get the
> install to let me use a usb flash drive or something to install the drivers
> or chipsets for my motherboard? The motherboard manual says with XP I need to
> use a floppy drive. Do I need to buy and install a floppy drive? Would a
> flash-card reader/floppy drive be recognized? I already have a flash-card
> reader.
>



You need to obtain a floppy drive if you want to install WinXP on a
computer with that motherboard. There's no getting around this. While
newer operating systems like Vista and Windows 7 will read a thumb drive
(don't know about flash cards, but it seems unlikely) for this purpose,
WinXP cannot be made to do so.

However, this point is moot until you fix your hardware problem.


> If I were to install a floppy drive: Do I need to do anything special? Would
> it be plug and play for procedures like installing chipsets or drivers to
> install windows and then updating the Floppy A: drivers once the OS is up and
> going?
>



An internal floppy drive would be recognized by the BIOS without any
additional requirements. An external USB floppy driver should work, as
well, although you'll need to ensure that USB devices are enabled in the
BIOS (this should be the default, but check).


> I doubt the SATA connections are dirty. It is fairly new. (less than one
> month).
>
> Can I just re-format the drive in an external enclosure from a laptop and
> the BIOS will recognize the drive?
>



No. The issue of the BIOS not recognizing the HDD is entirely a
hardware issue. It doesn't matter whether the HDD contains any data or not.


> Have I wasted my money trying to install XP on a too new motherboard? I hope
> not.
>


Perhaps. Did you ensure that the motherboard was WinXP-compatible
_before_ you bought it?



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 
B

Bruce Chambers

Flightless Bird
Re: BIOS not recognizing HDD. Trying to install Windows XP Home.No Fl

Brian V wrote:
> Got a new motherboard. ASUS M3N78-VM. Saved the RAM, CPU, DVD-ROM drive and
> HDD from an OEM.
>
> I have contacted my motherboard manufacturer, but thought I'd try here too.
> Maybe they would be unreliable.
>
> The HDD is not recognized in the BIOS...



Until you resolve this hardware issue, you *cannot* proceed. Consult
the motherboard's manual and/or its manufacturer for assistance.


> .... and I cannot install Windows XP Home
> Edition.
>
> To install the chipsets and stuff I need a floppy drive. I do not have a
> floppy drive. I thought I was suppose to upgrade those once XP is installed.
> XP installs drivers and stuff on it's own, I thought they were suppose to
> work.
>


Think about that for a moment. How could you have expected a WinXP
installation CD to include device drivers for a motherboard that was
developed and manufactured several years after WinXP was released?


> I do not have a floppy drive. The install is asking for it. Can I get the
> install to let me use a usb flash drive or something to install the drivers
> or chipsets for my motherboard? The motherboard manual says with XP I need to
> use a floppy drive. Do I need to buy and install a floppy drive? Would a
> flash-card reader/floppy drive be recognized? I already have a flash-card
> reader.
>



You need to obtain a floppy drive if you want to install WinXP on a
computer with that motherboard. There's no getting around this. While
newer operating systems like Vista and Windows 7 will read a thumb drive
(don't know about flash cards, but it seems unlikely) for this purpose,
WinXP cannot be made to do so.

However, this point is moot until you fix your hardware problem.


> If I were to install a floppy drive: Do I need to do anything special? Would
> it be plug and play for procedures like installing chipsets or drivers to
> install windows and then updating the Floppy A: drivers once the OS is up and
> going?
>



An internal floppy drive would be recognized by the BIOS without any
additional requirements. An external USB floppy driver should work, as
well, although you'll need to ensure that USB devices are enabled in the
BIOS (this should be the default, but check).


> I doubt the SATA connections are dirty. It is fairly new. (less than one
> month).
>
> Can I just re-format the drive in an external enclosure from a laptop and
> the BIOS will recognize the drive?
>



No. The issue of the BIOS not recognizing the HDD is entirely a
hardware issue. It doesn't matter whether the HDD contains any data or not.


> Have I wasted my money trying to install XP on a too new motherboard? I hope
> not.
>


Perhaps. Did you ensure that the motherboard was WinXP-compatible
_before_ you bought it?



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 
P

Paul

Flightless Bird
Re: BIOS not recognizing HDD. Trying to install Windows XP Home.No Fl

Brian V wrote:
> Got a new motherboard. ASUS M3N78-VM. Saved the RAM, CPU, DVD-ROM drive and
> HDD from an OEM.
>
> I have contacted my motherboard manufacturer, but thought I'd try here too.
> Maybe they would be unreliable.
>
> The HDD is not recognized in the BIOS and I cannot install Windows XP Home
> Edition.
>
> To install the chipsets and stuff I need a floppy drive. I do not have a
> floppy drive. I thought I was suppose to upgrade those once XP is installed.
> XP installs drivers and stuff on it's own, I thought they were suppose to
> work.
>
> I do not have a floppy drive. The install is asking for it. Can I get the
> install to let me use a usb flash drive or something to install the drivers
> or chipsets for my motherboard? The motherboard manual says with XP I need to
> use a floppy drive. Do I need to buy and install a floppy drive? Would a
> flash-card reader/floppy drive be recognized? I already have a flash-card
> reader.
>
> If I were to install a floppy drive: Do I need to do anything special? Would
> it be plug and play for procedures like installing chipsets or drivers to
> install windows and then updating the Floppy A: drivers once the OS is up and
> going?
>
> I doubt the SATA connections are dirty. It is fairly new. (less than one
> month).
>
> Can I just re-format the drive in an external enclosure from a laptop and
> the BIOS will recognize the drive?
>
> Have I wasted my money trying to install XP on a too new motherboard? I hope
> not.
>
> Should I pay techs to install all this stuff and just leave it alone?
>
> Ugg.
>
> Thank you. :)


I have a copy of the M3N78-VM manual downloaded from the Asus site
here, and it does show a floppy disk connector on the motherboard. If
you want to connect a floppy disk, the connector for it is available.

The hard drive should be detected in the BIOS. If it isn't, you may have
missed connecting the drive power or data cables. There should be no issues
with SATA data cable rates with your chipset. Only some VIA chipsets have
issues with SATA drives at 300MB/sec.

In the BIOS, look for the items shown in section 2.3.5 of the user
manual. There is an item like "OnChip S-ATA Controller" and that
should be [Enabled]. The item below it is "SATA Mode select" with
options like [SATA mode, RAID mode, AHCI mode]. If you want to
install without using the floppy to provide drivers (via pressing F6),
you could try [SATA mode]. That is the way my Intel based board is installed
right now, and the drivers used are atapi.sys, pciide.sys, pciidex.sys, and
those are part of my Windows installer CD.

So if your SATA controller is actually enabled in the BIOS, you should be
seeing the hard drive detected. Once it is detected, and the mode is set
such that Windows doesn't need a driver, there is a small possibility it will
just install with no further fuss. Mine got far enough along on its own,
that I could use the motherboard CD afterwards, to install any remaining
needed drivers.

The selection you use for [SATA mode, RAID mode, AHCI mode] may affect
your future plans. AHCI mode support hot plugging, and hot plugging could
be useful for the E-SATA connector on the back of the computer. RAID mode
allows using drives in RAID0 (stripe), RAID1 (mirror), for speed or
reliability. You need to understand the dependencies when using that setting,
as to what impact it could have on some future plans you might have for the
computer. For example, on some Intel based motherboards, you want to install
at least AHCI via pressing F6, so that you can smoothly transition to RAID
later. The vanilla "SATA mode" choice, might not support that.

I chose to use the "SATA mode" on mine, because I had no plans for using
RAID any time soon. And since I don't have an ESATA port, hot-plugging isn't
high on my agenda either. And since I chose "SATA mode", there is no
"Safely Remove" icon in my tray. "Safely Remove" may show up, if you select
to install the AHCI driver and its associated mode.

As you can see here, AHCI also support Native Command Queueing. For typical
desktop usage (i.e not running a file server with your computer), the
vanilla mode may actually be faster in some cases.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahci

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Command_Queuing

So there is a bit of a decision process, at the point you're installing
the OS. If you take the "path of least resistance", and try the "SATA mode"
rather than RAID or AHCI, it may be possible to install Windows without
using a floppy diskette with drivers on it.

As to the question of "should I pay techs to do it", how are you
going to learn anything that way ? :)

Paul
 
A

Anna

Flightless Bird
"Brian V" <BrianV@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:148BE74D-EBF2-4564-84BF-195CA3B98FBA@microsoft.com...
> Got a new motherboard. ASUS M3N78-VM. Saved the RAM, CPU, DVD-ROM drive
> and
> HDD from an OEM.
>
> I have contacted my motherboard manufacturer, but thought I'd try here
> too.
> Maybe they would be unreliable.
>
> The HDD is not recognized in the BIOS and I cannot install Windows XP Home
> Edition.
>
> To install the chipsets and stuff I need a floppy drive. I do not have a
> floppy drive. I thought I was suppose to upgrade those once XP is
> installed.
> XP installs drivers and stuff on it's own, I thought they were suppose to
> work.
>
> I do not have a floppy drive. The install is asking for it. Can I get the
> install to let me use a usb flash drive or something to install the
> drivers
> or chipsets for my motherboard? The motherboard manual says with XP I need
> to
> use a floppy drive. Do I need to buy and install a floppy drive? Would a
> flash-card reader/floppy drive be recognized? I already have a flash-card
> reader.
>
> If I were to install a floppy drive: Do I need to do anything special?
> Would
> it be plug and play for procedures like installing chipsets or drivers to
> install windows and then updating the Floppy A: drivers once the OS is up
> and
> going?
>
> I doubt the SATA connections are dirty. It is fairly new. (less than one
> month).
>
> Can I just re-format the drive in an external enclosure from a laptop and
> the BIOS will recognize the drive?
>
> Have I wasted my money trying to install XP on a too new motherboard? I
> hope
> not.
>
> Should I pay techs to install all this stuff and just leave it alone?
>
> Ugg.
>
> Thank you. :)



Brian:
Your post is somewhat contradictory so perhaps you may want to clarify it...

1. You state "the installed HDD is not recognized in the BIOS and I cannot
install (the OS)". But then you mention the need for a floppy disk drive
because "the install is asking for it.".

2. When you boot to your XP OS installation CD I assume that the boot
proceeds normally and the setup files are loaded. So what happens when you
select the option to set up the OS? Do you not get a message that setup
cannot continue because the system can not find any installed hard disks in
your system?

And we can assume your XP OS Home Ed. installation CD is either an
*unbranded* OEM CD or a retail copy, right?

Precisely describe how you have gone about trying to install the OS.

3. Where did you get this requirement that "To install the chipsets and
stuff I need a floppy drive"?

4. You're absolutely sure the BIOS does not detect your SATA HDD?

5. You indicate the HDD came from an OEM machine. Has it been formatted so
that no data is contained on that disk? Or does it contain all the data from
the OEM machine?

6. As far as you know the disk is non-defective? You were working with it
before building this new system?

7. You're certain you've properly connected the disk to the appropriate SATA
connector on the new motherboard - both power & data connections?

8. Have you checked out the disk with the HDD diagnostic utility from the
disk's manufacturer just to ensure you're not working with a defective disk?
Anna
 
B

Brian V

Flightless Bird
Re: BIOS not recognizing HDD. Trying to install Windows XP Home. N

I appriciate the responses. I did contact the manufacturer. They gave me some
info about: 1. Clear the CMOS for troubleshooting, 2. Go into the BIOS, Set
the mode of HDD to SATA to test.

I tried the old sata connector and the new one with the motherboard. Neither
took. And in SATA 1 and SATA 2. If one did take, would I have to restart or
would ? I see it immediately in the bios?

This is a Windows 7 ready motherboard. The manual says something about
installing an OS with a RAID driver for a hard-disk that is included in a
RAID set. That is onto a floppy. But people have posted that SP3 doesn't need
what the manual says I need to install. |So that means I don't need a floppy
drive. The BIOS doesn't even see the HDD.

I took everything I could from the old OEM computer. I have a brand new
Windows XP home edition. SURPRISINGLY SP3 is on there for some reason. I read
SP3 somewhere at the beginning of the EULA. I thought it would be SP1 or 2.
So I assume it should work.


The hard-drive works in an external hard-drive enclosure. There is still
stuff there. I assume that it can be clean-installed onto and that if it were
recognized in the BIOS, all would have flown smoothly. Unless the hard-drive
was propriaty to an OEM computer too. I doubt it. Can that happen?

If I were to buy another HDD, could it work a lot better and be recognized?
Maybe my hdd is too old? If I did just get a new HDD, would it be ok to
install the old HDD in SATA2 (with a better Power-supply too). If I did get a
new one and kept the old one, should I format the old one to clear the old xp
off too? Will there be conflict issues? But again I know a sata hdd is not
being recognized for some reason, the "plug and play/start installing the OS"
isnt recognized.

Since the BIOS seems to be working, except not recognizing the HDD: Could
there be damage to the motherboard? Maybe an incorrect install or faulty
parts? Again: The dvd-rom and RAM are recognized, it's just the HDD not
recognized.

Thank you.
 
B

Brian V

Flightless Bird
Re: BIOS not recognizing HDD. Trying to install Windows XP Home. N

I backed-up everything through removing the old drive, and manually taking
everything I wanted off of it and transfering through my laptop onto an
external drive. So it's all saved. Saved $40-$50 dollars and was more
precise. But an enclosure and a laptop are expensive on
credit...............An investment/future need mind you, but not wanted
exactly this way financially.
 
B

boatman312

Flightless Bird
Re: BIOS not recognizing HDD. Trying to install Windows XP Home.N

On 03/17/10 1:38 PM, Brian V wrote:
> I backed-up everything through removing the old drive, and manually taking
> everything I wanted off of it and transfering through my laptop onto an
> external drive. So it's all saved. Saved $40-$50 dollars and was more
> precise. But an enclosure and a laptop are expensive on
> credit...............An investment/future need mind you, but not wanted
> exactly this way financially.

I may have missed this within previous posts but...

Are there any jumpers on the drive? Any place for them?
 
B

Brian V

Flightless Bird
Problem solved.......

Connect the IDE cable for power to the sata drive.............

Windows recognizes and starts to give the options to partition or which
partition to set up the os on........Then format it since there is a copy of
windows already on it........

I called the store I got the mobo from. I had read the posts......The sales
rep mentioned the cable......It finally clicked......I thought about this
last night and was wondering if anything else needs to be connected. The
drive looked a bit bare with only the sata cable in it........

Thanks everybody.

Paul: I really want to do as much of this as I can myself. It's been bumpy.
But now nobody else has to get paid and I get to learn.
 
P

philo

Flightless Bird
Re: Problem solved.......

Brian V wrote:
> Connect the IDE cable for power to the sata drive.............
>
> Windows recognizes and starts to give the options to partition or which
> partition to set up the os on........Then format it since there is a copy of
> windows already on it........
>
> I called the store I got the mobo from. I had read the posts......The sales
> rep mentioned the cable......It finally clicked......I thought about this
> last night and was wondering if anything else needs to be connected. The
> drive looked a bit bare with only the sata cable in it........
>
> Thanks everybody.
>
> Paul: I really want to do as much of this as I can myself. It's been bumpy.
> But now nobody else has to get paid and I get to learn.



LOL


that's why I told you to read the manual!
 
B

Brian V

Flightless Bird
Re: Problem solved.......

I am unsure if it would tell me to make sure the connections are all
connected......Wait.....I think it does.........
 
C

C.Joseph Drayton

Flightless Bird
Re: BIOS not recognizing HDD. Trying to install Windows XP Home.N

On 3/17/2010 10:34 AM, Brian V wrote:
> I appriciate the responses. I did contact the manufacturer. They gave me some
> info about: 1. Clear the CMOS for troubleshooting, 2. Go into the BIOS, Set
> the mode of HDD to SATA to test.
>
> I tried the old sata connector and the new one with the motherboard. Neither
> took. And in SATA 1 and SATA 2. If one did take, would I have to restart or
> would ? I see it immediately in the bios?
>
> This is a Windows 7 ready motherboard. The manual says something about
> installing an OS with a RAID driver for a hard-disk that is included in a
> RAID set. That is onto a floppy. But people have posted that SP3 doesn't need
> what the manual says I need to install. |So that means I don't need a floppy
> drive. The BIOS doesn't even see the HDD.
>
> I took everything I could from the old OEM computer. I have a brand new
> Windows XP home edition. SURPRISINGLY SP3 is on there for some reason. I read
> SP3 somewhere at the beginning of the EULA. I thought it would be SP1 or 2.
> So I assume it should work.
>
>
> The hard-drive works in an external hard-drive enclosure. There is still
> stuff there. I assume that it can be clean-installed onto and that if it were
> recognized in the BIOS, all would have flown smoothly. Unless the hard-drive
> was propriaty to an OEM computer too. I doubt it. Can that happen?
>
> If I were to buy another HDD, could it work a lot better and be recognized?
> Maybe my hdd is too old? If I did just get a new HDD, would it be ok to
> install the old HDD in SATA2 (with a better Power-supply too). If I did get a
> new one and kept the old one, should I format the old one to clear the old xp
> off too? Will there be conflict issues? But again I know a sata hdd is not
> being recognized for some reason, the "plug and play/start installing the OS"
> isnt recognized.
>
> Since the BIOS seems to be working, except not recognizing the HDD: Could
> there be damage to the motherboard? Maybe an incorrect install or faulty
> parts? Again: The dvd-rom and RAM are recognized, it's just the HDD not
> recognized.
>
> Thank you.


Hello Brian,

Hot-swapping an internal hard disk IDE or SATA is not a good idea. In
theory, you would need to reboot since finding storage devices is part
of the BIOS routines. If you switch cables after that (unless your BIOS
setup has a rescan option) the switch would not show.

Again, i would not recommend hotswapping an internal IDE or SATA drive
unless it is setup specifically to be hotswappable (those types of
drives normally have a cage that the drive is slid in and out of and you
don't manually handle the cables).

Sincerely,
C.Joseph Drayton, Ph.D. AS&T

CSD Computer Services

Web site: http://csdcs.site90.net/
E-mail: c.joseph@csdcs.site90.net
 
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