Installing Windows XP to a SATA drive without a floppy drive

[waynejkruse10]

Hey, i recently ghosted my 250gb ATA 133 drive to a 200gb SATA drive. I made sure I installed the drivers before I imaged so it would boot and detect correctly. It worked fine for 2 months. I am currently contemplating re-installing Windows because of a few problems with my current installation and general junking up of the OS. I have a SP2 disc but i dont have a Floppy drive installed and i really dont want to install one just for the SATA drivers. Is there any way to install XP to a SATA drive without a floppy disk?

Wayne

 

[Win2kpatcher]

Wayne I am actually in the same boat you are as we speak I dont know if its an option to search your CD-ROM drive for drivers or not. I have never had to do it so I willl tell you my findings when I get done tonight...It is going to be a bit harder for me as I am setting 2X250GB SATA drives in a RAID0..wish me luck..lol.

 

[waynejkruse10]

good luck mate, ugh raid without drivers is going to be tricky. Windows XP installer hates detecting things!

 

[KSoD]

Well the only way is to either get a copy of XP that has the SATA drivers installed. (I have one like that for my PC since it is SATA) or you can always slipstream the SATA Drivers into your XP install.

 

[Win2kpatcher]

Yea it looks like Mak hit it on the ball. I dont see a way around a floppy unless you slipstream the drivers into the install. I had to break down and rig up a floppy drive to install the driver. It was all actually very easy. The setup is FAST it installed XP PRO in about 9 minutes..I was scared..lol. Now I got all my software installed so time to make a new image

 

[KSoD]

Well that is good you got it installed. My installs average about 10-12 minutes. That is if i am sitting there. From setup to format to file install it is quick.

Glad you got it working Win2k.

 

[Osiris]

On some pc I need to slip them, on others, windows recognizes them

 

[waynejkruse10]

i might go and give slipstreaming a go with my motherboard and graphics drivers.

 

[mike4realz]

SATA drivers are in service pack 2. i didn't have to install sata drivers off from a floppy cuz they're already included in SP2. installed windows straight to my sata hd

 

[KSoD]

Not all SATA drivers are included. Some of them are newer than SP2 and still need to be slipstreamed in. Other are just generic ones that allow for an install.