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How do I install harddrives? 1

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finalcross

Technical User
Apr 1, 2004
20
US
I had to get a IDE harddrive to install my Windows XP. I ended up getting a 20gig HD. HOwever, windows will not reconize my 120gig SATA HD. How would I install my SATA HD so I can store information on it?
 
If the 120 GB HD is connected directly to the MB, then is it recognized in BIOS?
 
Yes it is, I can select both of my harddrives. Like the 20gig as the first harddrive and the 120gig as the second.

It dont show both during boot-up tho.
 
Your motherboard has a SATA controller chip that requires driver software installing before it can recognise a drive connected to it.
This driver will have been supplied with the motherboard either on a floppy disk or on the main motherboard driver disk.
Once installed you will need to partition and format the new HDD before you can use it as storage.

Martin

Replying helps further our knowledge, without comment leaves us wondering.
 
Ok I found a drive for is and put it on a floppy. Now hwo do I get it to reconize it?
 
All I need now is to figure out how to install the driver and format my HD. Any help?
 
I think you have to hit F6 when it asks you to hit F5, a few seconds after boot......

Andy.
 
finalcross - if you really wanted your XP installed on SATA drive, you could do this now (press F6 during the install process - so you can supply the floppy with SATA drivers).
 
No not that. I got a IDE HD to install my WindowsXP. My problem is that I cant get my SATA HD to be recognized. That is my problem. Not to get windows installed. Just to get my SATA installed.
 
What exactly are you trying to do? Is the IDE up and running with XP?
 
finalcross - as Martin said, drivers are on the disk supplied with motherboard (and/or on the mobo manufacturer's site). Can't you just install them in XP? You only need them on a floppy if you want to install XP on the SATA drive (so the XP install process can access the drive) - which prompted my earlier comment (I would have thought you'd prefer XP on the 120GB SATA rather than 20GB IDE). But you should be able to install them within XP - to use the SATA as data drive.
 
finalcross[/color red] finally got the SATA HD installed. Now I just have to convince him to have his OS running off the SATA HD. I'm assuming the increase in performance will be noticable.

Thanks everyone for your help![/color blue]
 
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