SATA/IDE combination

[southernlady]

Here is what I want to do. I am getting ready to slipstream sp2 into our copy of xp pro and I want to reformat my 80 gig SATA and use it as the boot drive. I am currently using my 160 gig IDE as my boot with xp pro and only sp1a and updates on it.

The reason I want to try the slipstreaming is that it may be the only way we can get it to work, a clean install. And I want to move my boot order over to my 80 gig anyway.

My 80 gig is a Seagate, my 160 is a Maxtor if that makes any difference.

I want to be able to keep the operating system on the 160 gig intact JUST long enough to know that it *took* on the SATA.

Any helpful advice on how to do this? Liz

 

[Nubius]

What do you mean to make sure it took on the SATA, meaning to make sure it actually is seen by your computer?

I'd suggest you plop in the 80gb SATA drive, install XP on it, make it the first boot device and from there you should be able to simply access your 160gb IDE Drive with ALL the files on it, the OS, your programs, saved stuff.. all of that. So then you'll not only have your SATA drive already configured but it will also confirm that it's been seen by the system.

Hope this helps, if not let me know. I just set up a SATA drive in my system last night, got 3 IDE drives and one SATA, but one of the IDE's is using a convertor so that it can be on the SATA port, so I should be able to help you with this.

After all you helped me out quite well with the Hijack this logs

 

[southernlady]

What I guess I need to know, is there something in the bios I need to set up? Liz

 

[Nubius]

Oh no, not at all.

Simply plug your SATA drive into the SATA port....make sure of course that CD-ROM is the first boot device. Stick in your WinXP CD and this is the only thing you need to watch out for, is when it FIRST gets to that blue screen at the bottom it'll say "PRESS F6 TO INSTALL ANY 3RD PARTY SCSI/RAID DRIVERS" make sure you are paying attention and hit F6 as soon as you see it.

From there you will need the floppy that came with your motherboard that has the SATA drivers on there. You could always just go to the board manufacturer site and download the appropriate drivers. After you've hit F6 it'll copy a few files then bring up a screen.

You'll want to hit S to specify a mass storage device and from there it'll ask you to choose the appropriate drivers from the floppy.

After you've done the drivers installation for SATA, then from there it's just like any normal WinXP installation. Create your partition on the SATA drive, make sure you don't delete the partition on the 160gb of course and you're set.

After you've installed make sure the first boot device in the BIOS is set to Serial ATA or SATA, that's all you choose, not like IDE's where you actually choose, HD0, or HD1 as the boot device.

Make sure also that the drive is on SATA port 1 and you're all set.

 

[southernlady]

Will having the XP still on the 160 gig confuse things? Liz

 

[southernlady]

Oh and I have the SATA drivers on a CD that came with the motherboard. The floppy never seems to work. Will that work as well? My motherboard is a MSI and they are nice enough to provide all these on a cd and then do a program called Live Update. Liz

 

[southernlady]

I just re-read that with my husband and I don't think the cd will work...we may have to download the newest drivers anyway and put them on a floppy to be sure it works. The set we have are probably outdated. Liz

 

[Nubius]

Yes, I also had that same problem when first learning about SATA...was the fact that I was hoping you could load from a CD-ROM, but you won't be able to do it because of the WinXP disc has instructions to read from a floppy.

Your computer will not get confused having the 160gb on there even with the OS on it because you aren't booting from it, you'll simply be reading it's contents, so you don't have to worry about that.

You should just be able to install windows on the SATA drive, and just plug in the 160gb into the IDE and it's there and accessible via "my computer".

If you have any other questions feel free to ask me and I'll be able to help no problem

BTW: If you're making a slipstream CD you could always put the SATA drivers on the WinXP CD and then you're set so you wouldn't have to use a floppy.

 

[southernlady]

BTW: If you're making a slipstream CD you could always put the SATA drivers on the WinXP CD and then you're set so you wouldn't have to use a floppy.

Nubius, or anyone who can answer this question...how do I do that? What exactly is the dos command and BE EXACT, please. Liz

 

[Nubius]

Whew, sorry I can't help on that one =/ I looked into making a slipstream CD a few months back for this very reason, putting SATA drivers on the CD so I didn't need a floppy. Unfortunately I found the instructions for doing so rather confusing and I had no idea how to successfully create one. Since you said you were in the process of making a slipstream CD I thought I'd throw that idea out there for you as an option to hooking up the floppy.

Here is a website I found that shows you how to add the SATA/RAID drivers to a slipstream CD. I have yet to thoroughly check out the instructions so I don't know how good it is or how easy it is to go by but it seems more organized than any other I've seen in the past.

http://greenmachine.msfnhosting.com/READING/addraid.htm