Need help setting up a SATA HDD.

[Dishdog]

i got my computer back from the shop yesterday and it's finally up and running. i go to install the OS and it won't install because there is no HDD in. well there is. it shows up in the BIOS. so i phone the shop and ask what is wrong. he said that there is a certain way you have to setup a SATA HDD on a new computer and to look in my MOBO manual to see how. well i looked and didn't see.

This is the only HDD in the computer. the pins are set to master(even though it doesn't matter for SATA HDD's). it's a WD 160GB and my MOBO is a Gigabyte 8I915P Duo Pro Intel Socket 775 ATX Motherboard (http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1194276&CatId=1573)

So how do i set up a new SATA HDD in my computer?

 

[CrossCech]

go to giga-byte.com and download the SATA drivers for your motherboard. Extract them to a folder. There normally is a self-extract floppy disk maker .exe in there somewhere. Make a floppy with those SATA drivers.

Once the floppy is ready. Go to your machine you're working on. Boot to XP CD. As soon as the blue screen comes up ... it will ask you to press F6 if you have any third party drivers to install. Punch F6 several times to be sure. It will continue loading some stuff, but eventually come to a screen saying something about SCSI ...blah blah blah. Press "S" ... then it will ask you to insert your floppy disk. Do so and hit enter. It will then ask which OS you're loading ... of course select XP (Im assuming this is what you're loading). The drivers will be loaded from the floppy. It will return to the screen saying something about SCSI. This time hit enter and it will then continue on with the XP installation as you normally do. You should recognize the rest of the steps.

Hope this helps.

*** EDIT *** Found this link for you: If this is indeed the correct mobo, then select the 2nd listing under RAID drivers. http://www.giga-byte.com/Motherboard/Support/Driver/Driver_GA-8I915P Duo Pro.htm

 

[Dishdog]

it does a lot thanks. could this be done with a CD instead of a floppy?

 

[Computergen1]

I think it MUST be done with a floppy....it least thats the way it was for me.

 

[CrossCech]

hmmm ... I've never done them with a cd. Seems like as soon as you select "S" it asks for you to insert your disk into the floppy. No option for cd drive. However, you might consider creating a slipstreamed XP cd with the SATA drivers. I've never done it, been meaning to, haven't come across anything saying that it can't be done. If drivers and Service Packs can be slipstreamed ... I dont see how SATA drivers would be any different.

I do know that Microsoft will be (if they haven't already) coming out with a new updated XP cd version with SATA drivers included. I'm thinking they slipstream them in, so why can't we?

 

[Dishdog]

could someone give me a link to the one i need. the one i thought was the right one gets an error while trying it.

<edit> never mind someone already did. thanks.

 

[Dishdog]

ok i loaded the driver but it still won't find the HDD.

just to make sure i'm doing it right. it says to hit f6 to load the driver, i hit it, part way through when it's loading all the drivers it brings me to another screen, it says hit "S" to load the driver, i hit S, it gives me some options of OS's, i pick XP, it loads it,it brings me back to the "hit S" screen, i hit enter, it continues to load the rest of the drivers, then it brings me to the load windows screen, i hit enter, then it says there is no HDD.

i have also tried taking the floppy out after it loads the HDD driver.

 

[CrossCech]

Dishdog,

The steps you did are correct. There probably is some kind of setting in BIOS that needs to be tweaked in order to turn on SATA to work like IDE.
Im not familiar with Gigabyte mobo's but check in BIOS for settings pertaining to SATA. Might need to check on giga-byte.com for FAQ's about SATA settings for their mobos. Might have something to do with making sure that the SATA channel is not running in RAID mode. You're making me begin to wish I had access to the mobo you're working on to figure out your issue.

 

[Computergen1]

Call Gigabyte....their tech support is great....I was on hold for less than 1 minute. If you get a pakistani guy named rick....tell him computergen says hi.

 

[Dishdog]

it's was two things. first i was installing the raid XP driver the the SATA XP driver . second CrossCech you were right it was set to RAID not SATA in the BIOS. thanks for all the help now just to install windows.