BIOS SETTINGS FOR DRIVES

[Evil8]

I'm trying to set up Windows XP Pro on a computer that will be donated to a local charity. It has an ATAPI DVD drive and a SATA hard drive. I changed the bios advanced -> drive settings that let me boot from the dvd drive to reformat and start the winxp setup.

To finish the job I have to be able to boot from the SATA hard drive and be able to get the remaining setup files from the DVD drive, but I can't get it to do that.

BIOS: (advanced - drive configuration)

ATA/IDE Configuration
[Disabled]
[Legacy]
[Enhanced]

PCI IDE Bus Master
[Disabled]
[Enabled]

Hard Disk Pre-Delay
[various]

okay I've been messing with the ATA/IDE Configuration settings

set to [Enhanced] it shows:
[SATA Port-0 : ST380023AS ]
[SATA Port-1 : Not Detected ]
[PATA Primary Master : Not Detected ]
[PATA Primary Slave : Not Detected ]
[PATA Secondary Master : Not Detected ]
[PATA Secondary Slave : Not Detected ]

When I change the ATA/IDE Configuration setting to [Legacy]
Legacy IDE Channels:
[PATA Pri only] -> boots to WinXP cd
[PATA Sec only] -> error - "Reboot and Select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device"
[PATA Pri and Sec] -> boots to WinXP cd
[SATA P0/P1 only] -> boots to hard drive, but continued setup can't see cd
[SATA P0/P1, PATA Sec] -> boots to hard drive, but continued setup can't see cd
[SATA P0/P1, PATA Pri] -> boots to WinXP cd

I'm hoping some one can tell me where I'm missing something, but I can only get the machine to boot off of one or the other. I don't get the customary "press any key to boot from CD..." either.

Argggg!!!

Thanks for the help.

 

[Evil8]

I finally got the bios to see both drives under enhanced and could set a proper boot order. Initial testing on resuming windows setup errors where it had before. I'm going to start a new setup to see if that works.

 

[Evil8]

It's working as it should now. I don't know why it had issues finding both drives under the Enhanced setting before.

 

[BadBigBen]

Glad to hear that you solved your own problem...

and sometimes, or so I've noticed, Windows looses contact to DVD drives, for some reason (most likely a driver issue with the underlying controller hardware)...


Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[eddysan]

Better to download the correct SATA drivers and install them by press the F6 button on Windows setup. Performace will be much better!
Here is an example:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00758841&dlc=nl&lc=nl&cc=be

Rgds, Edwin

 

[BadBigBen]

by press the F6 button on Windows setup

Pre-Vista yes, one should use the F6 option, IF one installs under AHCI or RAID, else just use IDE/LEGACY MODE to install instead... starting with Vista, you are no longer prompted to use F6, bur rather it is GUI driven and you use the mouse, but also again if the SATA controller is not recognized then one should use the correct driver, else set the drive to IDE/LEGACY...

Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
How to ask a question, when posting them to a professional forum.
Only ask questions with yes/no answers if you want "yes" or "no"

 

[Evil8]

Good stuff guys. The pc is long gone back to the client. Everything is installed and seems to be working fine. The issue was with the bios and the motherboard. It would only read the sata or the dvd drive, but not both. Somewhere around the 3rd time I unhook and reconnected cables and the 10th time I changed bios drive setting it worked to see both drives. I then had to re-do the window install from the beginning, but it worked.