New computer can't find HD. Help

[CheapToad]

For the most part things went well with the build.


The problem I'm having is that it can not find the HD.

The new HD is a sata but I'm installing XP. I was told to go into the bios and tell it to treat it like an IDE drive. I did that. Still nada.

I checked the sata cable, nice and snug.

So what to do?

Thank god for my iPhone.

[Deviq]

Does the computer see the HD in the bios at least? If so and its just the xp install that doesn't see the drive then make sure that certain sata port isn't setup as part of a raid connection in the bios. Need some more info before my brain will work. :)

[Freejack]

XP won't care about SATA at all. You shouldn't have to do anything in the BIOS at all. You said the SATA cable was snug, what about the power cable to the HD? Silly question... but I feel like I should ask. :p

Oh, and there should be no need to make this a RAID, which would way complicate things.

[CheapToad]

After another look inside I did find a very short (6") sata power cable. Duh!!!

It doesn't reach the area for the hd so I just placed it in the spot for the floppy.

I'll have to pick up a sata extension.

Thanx for the help

It's installing now

[Savistik]

Some motherboards have regular SATA connections (that the bios sees) and additional ones that go into an on-board 3rd party raid controller. The former will show in the bios as a regular drive (C, D, E, etc) and an XP install disk will pick it up fine, but the latter will need the "Hit F6 to install drivers ..." (or whatever it says during the blue-screen part of the XP install) to recognize the disk.

Unless you're planning a raid configuration that takes advantage of something on the controller, make sure the drive is plugged into the native SATA ports.

What model motherboard is this? Are you using a pre-Service Pack 1 XP install disk or one that includes at least Service Pack 1? Previous to SP1, XP had many issues due to its age with large drives and non-PATA IDE drives.

[Savistik]

Heh. Nevermind.

[Landro]

After another look inside I did find a very short (6") sata power cable. Duh!!!

It doesn't reach the area for the hd so I just placed it in the spot for the floppy.

I'll have to pick up a sata extension.

Thanx for the help

It's installing now

ID10T error. lol

Glad you got it going. I can make fun of this, because my most recent build was my first SATA, I didn't realize there was a power cable, :). Did exact same thing...Nearly called very p*ssed off to the retailer lol.

Luckily though, I seen it before coming here.... :diablotin: whoo....

[Morning]

Not to be a prick (well, maybe a little) but are you sure the computer repair business is something you should be getting into?

[Rofah]

Not to be a prick (well, maybe a little) but are you sure the computer repair business is something you should be getting into?

my glasses are in my shoes!

[ThaMan]

Not to be a prick (well, maybe a little) but are you sure the computer repair business is something you should be getting into?I was thinking that, but I'm not enough of a prick to post it. ;)