Installing sata?

Killajaz · 12 Jan 2006 at 22:08

hello!

I just got myself a nice WD 250gb 16mb SATA.
however, I have no clue how to make it work.
Using an ABIT NF7-s rev2. I have an IDE as master with Xp on it.
I wish to get the sata going, give it two partitions and then reboot and install XP on the smaller partition, and then use it as boot and the move my data from the IDE and then clean the IDE...

However, the SATA doesnt show up in bios. SATA is enabled in the BIOS.
The raid utility after the BIOS splash screen does detect the SATA, but thats it.

what do I need to do?

Killajaz · 13 Jan 2006 at 08:31

So is there no one in here who had similar problems? :/

I Found out the SiS controller the NF2 uses has problems with SATA2 and isn't really backwards compatible.
WD claim a solution would be locking the drive to 150mb/s using a jumper on the back of the hd, however this didnt help. Next solution would be buying a SATA2 controller...

Any thoughts, help or ideas?

Killajaz · 13 Jan 2006 at 17:56

pfffffffffft!

SexyGreyFox · 13 Jan 2006 at 18:19

You need a SATA boot disk with some drivers on - you will have to search for it - its free.
You then boot in with your XP installation disk and when it gets to the part where it asks if you want to load anymore drivers then you say YES.
Put the floppy in the disk drive, search the drive and it should come up with the SATA drivers.

The other way is to find a BIOS update for your motherboard and flash the BIOS.
I'm positive there is one but I used to have an NF7 about 3 years ago and I did it the floppy way.

Killajaz · 14 Jan 2006 at 14:50

Using the Black Mantaray d26 bios.
Will try the method you described.

thanks

Killajaz · 15 Jan 2006 at 21:15

Hmz having problems finding a SATA boot disk on the net.

A floppy came with the mobo "sata drivers", dunno if its a boot disk tho. Guess I will have to try

SexyGreyFox · 15 Jan 2006 at 21:25

Killajaz said:
Hmz having problems finding a SATA boot disk on the net.

A floppy came with the mobo "sata drivers", dunno if its a boot disk tho. Guess I will have to try

Sorry, thats what I meant.

Put your XP in the cd drive to install it, when it gets to the bit where it asks you if you want to install any drivers say YES and follow the prompts.

Samtheman1k · 17 Jan 2006 at 14:53

Can you do this if you put the drivers on a CD rather than a floppy as I threw my floppy out a long time ago...?

SexyGreyFox · 17 Jan 2006 at 17:32

Unzip this to a floppy SATA Drivers

They should work off a CD but don't forget to put your XP disk back in to carry on the installation.

joeyjojo · 18 Jan 2006 at 18:44

What drivers are those dmpoole? Shouldnt he be using drivers for his mobo?

SexyGreyFox · 18 Jan 2006 at 19:28

joeyjojo said:
What drivers are those dmpoole? Shouldnt he be using drivers for his mobo?

Ooops - you could be right.
For some reason I thought they were generic drivers.
It wouldn't harm to try them though.

AFK_Matrix · 19 Jan 2006 at 10:09

When you install xp it will come up with the blue screen, and at the bottom says press f6 to install scsi or Raid press f6. Make sure u got ** floppy in the drive and then just select the right drivers to install. You will know if it has worked as when you get to the screen about partitions and formating it will either show the 250GB of ** harddrive or a much smaller figure. If you still have the smaller figure i would suggest trying to install the drivers again. If not i think you can install windows then use the drive management in windows to expand the amount of space etc. Hope that helps.

nin9abadga · 19 Jan 2006 at 10:33

so would you notice a difference in performance by using the sata and ide combination? i.e. does using the "slower" ide with the "faster" sata reduce the performace of the faster drive?

nin9abadga