SATA drivers?

Phaser · 18 Jul 2006 at 09:34

Hi all.

Just got a Samsung Spinpoint 250GB SATA-II from OCUK.

Don't I need some drivers or something for my computer to recognise it?

I know this was the case with my old SATA drive.

I've had a look on the website for my mobo (Asus Vintage-AE1 barebones system) but can't find nothing relating to SATA.

Cheers.

scott.holmes · 18 Jul 2006 at 11:14

If your installing your OS onto it, then you might need the Sata drivers for the motherboard upon XP install. However, if your just having it as an extra drive in your machine then you shouldnt need any drivers at all.

im certainly not aware of any hard drive ever needing drivers?

Phaser · 18 Jul 2006 at 11:16

Yeah, I will be installing my OS on to it.

http://www.samsung.com/Products/HardDiskDrive/utilities/index.htm

Is that what I need?

Cheers.

scott.holmes · 18 Jul 2006 at 11:22

How old is your motherboard, and what model is it? If its less than 2 years old, i doubt you'll need anything other than the usual F6 driver disk upon install.

That will be on the driver download page for your motherboard.

Phaser · 18 Jul 2006 at 11:30

Its the Asus AE1 barebones sytem.

Had a look on their downloads page but theres nothing for the F6 driver disk.

http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=Vintage-AE1

scott.holmes · 18 Jul 2006 at 11:33

Hmmm

Very odd indeed, you might not need them upon install then, some motherboards dont. All i could suggest is you try, if you dont press F6 it will carry on, when it gets to searching for HDDs hopefully it will find yours. If it doesnt, then im unsure what you need, as i cant see Sata drivers for it anywhere!

scott.holmes · 18 Jul 2006 at 11:49

Aha!

I downloaded the manual, and found what you need to do. Put in the Driver CD that came with it, and on there there is an option to "Create a SIS Raid Driver Disk" i think this will be what you need.

Its the last option on the screen that opens when u put the cd in. Page 45 of the manual if you need more info

Edit: Also page 54 gives you some info about what you need to do first...

Phaser · 18 Jul 2006 at 11:56

Cheers mate.

The RAID disk is meant to be put onto a floppy I guess for installing Windows and picking up the HDD?

scott.holmes · 18 Jul 2006 at 11:57

Yep, thats excatly it. When you install XP at the start you will get the option to press F6 to install 3rd party drivers. Do that, and then a little later it will ask for that disk u created.

Phaser · 18 Jul 2006 at 17:28

Just got it home and went to install.

What is the point in selling a barebones unit which has SATA, and then including a PSU which dosen't have any SATA power connectors. Where is the logic?!!

So now i've got to find a molex > SATA converter. :rolleyes:

scott.holmes · 18 Jul 2006 at 18:34

Not much help, but ive got lots here

And to be fair to Asus, when the AE1 was released most Sata drives had both Molex and Sata power connecters, as they are more popular now the drives just have Sata.

chimaera · 19 Jul 2006 at 16:30

Just out of interest do you need a floppy drive to install the SATA drivers, i keep thinking about getting one for my primary HDD but i don't have a floppy drive.

Seems a bit silly if theres no way to run it off CD.

scott.holmes · 19 Jul 2006 at 20:08

Thanks to MS you really do need a Floppy Drive to do it, its SO frustrating that you cant choose to loads from CD!

You can do it from CD, but you have to "Slipstream" the SATA drivers into the install, its fiddly but works great. Google for a program called nLite if you want to do that.

Phaser · 20 Jul 2006 at 18:01

Just got the power converter so i'll be installing tonight. At last!

Phaser · 20 Jul 2006 at 18:53

Right, i've got to the bit where it says enter support disk in drive A which I presume to be my SATA drivers.

I press enter and it just goes back to the "enter support disk".

I swear i'm starting to get sick of this computer!

If it won't accept the disk then i'm screwed.

scott.holmes · 20 Jul 2006 at 19:02

Once you press enter, it should load a couple of files and then carry on. If it doesnt, and those are the files you copied from the Main CD them in not entirely sure whats going on!

Those files cant be what you need, which is just illogical

Phaser · 20 Jul 2006 at 19:18

Right, i've tried writing the files again to the floppy.

It says no floppy found. I tried entering another. Same thing.

I then try a different floppy drive and the same thing!

I am really sick of computers tonight. :mad:

scott.holmes · 20 Jul 2006 at 20:44

I think an email to Asus might be needed, or a serious google for some help. Im totally lost ;( The drivers MUST be on the CD, madness that they wouldnt be.

Phaser · 20 Jul 2006 at 21:28

Tried rewriting the floppy again and the files went on successfully.

However the same thing is still happening on XP setup. It just acts like there is no files on the floppy.

Will try emailing Asus. I noticed there are a few other folders on the CD for the "RAID" drivers.

Phaser · 20 Jul 2006 at 21:44

Is there a way round installing the drivers?

EG, installing Windows XP on a second HDD (IDE), plugging the SATA in as a second drive, and then instaling XP on that one and remove the IDE? Would that work?

Cheers.