Windows XP install problem - SATA disk

i've installed sata OS disks with winXP before, but this is a new kind
of sata problem.

motherboard: Gigabyte GA-K8NXP-SLI [Sil 3114 sata raid controller], 36GB
raptor boot disk (no other hard drives), XP pro with SP2.

ok, the cd booted ok, installed the SATA controller (from Sil3114
folder) after hitting F6... XP install found the disk (yay)....
formatted the drive.... all files copied ok....remove floppy and CD for
reboot... then:
DISK BOOT FAILURE.

so basically i think the problem is not with the driver or windows
install but in the bios. as a first, second or third boot device i can't
select "sata" or "scsi", just "hard disk". i remember from past installs
having to set it to SCSI but that's not anywhere in the BIOS. there's no
other SATA options in the bios except for enabling and disabling
SATA-RAID, i've tried both and they give the same result.

the Gigabyte website outlines this procedure to set sata boot disk:
---
1. Advanced BIOS features-- SATA/RAID/SCSI boot order: "SATA"
2. Advanced BIOS features-- First boot device: "SCSI"
3. Integrated Peripherals-- Onboard H/W Serial ATA: "enable"
Then it depends on the SATA mode that you need to set "RAID" to RAID
mode or "BASE" to normal ATA mode in the item named Serial ATA function.
---
none of that even remotely resembles the bios of this mobo. the word
"sata" isn't even mentioned in advanced bios features.

either the bios is a piece of crap (likely) or the disk itself is
stuffed. any ideas...?

BIOS, or user error.


"pixel" wrote in message
...
i've installed sata OS disks with winXP before, but this is a new kind of
sata problem.

motherboard: Gigabyte GA-K8NXP-SLI [Sil 3114 sata raid controller], 36GB
raptor boot disk (no other hard drives), XP pro with SP2.

ok, the cd booted ok, installed the SATA controller (from Sil3114 folder)
after hitting F6... XP install found the disk (yay).... formatted the
drive.... all files copied ok....remove floppy and CD for reboot... then:
DISK BOOT FAILURE.

so basically i think the problem is not with the driver or windows install
but in the bios. as a first, second or third boot device i can't select
"sata" or "scsi", just "hard disk". i remember from past installs having
to set it to SCSI but that's not anywhere in the BIOS. there's no other
SATA options in the bios except for enabling and disabling SATA-RAID, i've
tried both and they give the same result.

the Gigabyte website outlines this procedure to set sata boot disk:
---
1. Advanced BIOS features-- SATA/RAID/SCSI boot order: "SATA"
2. Advanced BIOS features-- First boot device: "SCSI"
3. Integrated Peripherals-- Onboard H/W Serial ATA: "enable"
Then it depends on the SATA mode that you need to set "RAID" to RAID mode
or "BASE" to normal ATA mode in the item named Serial ATA function.
---
none of that even remotely resembles the bios of this mobo. the word
"sata" isn't even mentioned in advanced bios features.

either the bios is a piece of crap (likely) or the disk itself is stuffed.
any ideas...?

Did you leave the floppy in the drive? It gets read twice.
Did you actually see visual confirmation that the driver loaded?
"Press F6 early and Often" as the MS guys say.

Have you checked for bios updates?


"pixel" wrote in message
...
i've installed sata OS disks with winXP before, but this is a new kind of
sata problem.

motherboard: Gigabyte GA-K8NXP-SLI [Sil 3114 sata raid controller], 36GB
raptor boot disk (no other hard drives), XP pro with SP2.

ok, the cd booted ok, installed the SATA controller (from Sil3114 folder)
after hitting F6... XP install found the disk (yay).... formatted the
drive.... all files copied ok....remove floppy and CD for reboot... then:
DISK BOOT FAILURE.

so basically i think the problem is not with the driver or windows install
but in the bios. as a first, second or third boot device i can't select
"sata" or "scsi", just "hard disk". i remember from past installs having
to set it to SCSI but that's not anywhere in the BIOS. there's no other
SATA options in the bios except for enabling and disabling SATA-RAID, i've
tried both and they give the same result.

the Gigabyte website outlines this procedure to set sata boot disk:
---
1. Advanced BIOS features-- SATA/RAID/SCSI boot order: "SATA"
2. Advanced BIOS features-- First boot device: "SCSI"
3. Integrated Peripherals-- Onboard H/W Serial ATA: "enable"
Then it depends on the SATA mode that you need to set "RAID" to RAID mode
or "BASE" to normal ATA mode in the item named Serial ATA function.
---
none of that even remotely resembles the bios of this mobo. the word
"sata" isn't even mentioned in advanced bios features.

either the bios is a piece of crap (likely) or the disk itself is stuffed.
any ideas...?

Mercury wrote:
Did you leave the floppy in the drive? It gets read twice.
Did you actually see visual confirmation that the driver loaded?

if the files were copied to the drive, then the XP install saw the drive
so obviously the driver loaded. its amazing how many ppl have no clue
what they're talking about here.

Have you checked for bios updates?

not sure if i can install bios updates without windows installed...? but
yep i have checked.

apparently had to hit ctrl-F1 to get into advanced bios not just
delete....? so will try that today.

The driver files can be read TWICE off the floppy. Once to use them as run
time drivers, the other to actually install them. If the boot device needs
the drivers for correct operation then the files need to be loaded as
drivers before they can be installed. This is why the MS people say "Press
F6 early and often".

I recommend disconnecting all storage devices during setup. USB flash discs,
IDE and other drives can result in a failed install or a really stuffed up
on (boot files in the wrong place). Alos disable all mobo controllers in the
bios that you are not using.

The SLI boards are very new... First step may be to update the bios and
check for mobo and driver updates. You can certainly update the bios without
windows - using Windows is the worst way.

Best of luck...

"pixel" wrote in message
...
Mercury wrote:
Did you leave the floppy in the drive? It gets read twice.
Did you actually see visual confirmation that the driver loaded?

if the files were copied to the drive, then the XP install saw the drive
so obviously the driver loaded. its amazing how many ppl have no clue what
they're talking about here.

Have you checked for bios updates?

not sure if i can install bios updates without windows installed...? but
yep i have checked.

apparently had to hit ctrl-F1 to get into advanced bios not just
delete....? so will try that today.

Mercury wrote:
The driver files can be read TWICE off the floppy. Once to use them as run
time drivers, the other to actually install them. If the boot device needs
the drivers for correct operation then the files need to be loaded as
drivers before they can be installed. This is why the MS people say "Press
F6 early and often".


the fact that i mentioned that "the windows XP files were copied"
indicates that i must have done the F6 routine successfully otherwise
the disk would never have been seen nor the XP files copied.

did the cntrl f1 from bios main menu bring up the option you need?

RM wrote:
You shouldn't need any drivers to install windows, once the BIOS has the
drive acknowledged correctly. If the SATA disk doesn't appear on the boot order screen then the bios
hasn't registered that it exists yet.


windows installation is independant of bios disk recognition. the disk
always appears in the boot-up screen, so the bios can see it, the
problem is the bios is of such poor design that it can't select sata or
scsi as a bootable option. we have the latest bios version, version 6
for this mobo.

the only time we were able to get the raptor selectable in the bios
"hard disk boot priority" was by setting it up as a jbod single raid
disk, not ideal... and we still needed drivers to get the XP install to
see the drive. windows install would crash whenever it tried to copy files.

you have to wonder why some bios/mobo manufactuerers are so lazy not to
implement a basic boot options for sata, its fast becoming the new
standard in desktop and workstation hard drives.

ahhhhh, it doesn't, but i believe you.
Many pull the disc out asap.


"pixel" wrote in message
...
Mercury wrote:
The driver files can be read TWICE off the floppy. Once to use them as
run time drivers, the other to actually install them. If the boot device
needs the drivers for correct operation then the files need to be loaded
as drivers before they can be installed. This is why the MS people say
"Press F6 early and often".


the fact that i mentioned that "the windows XP files were copied"
indicates that i must have done the F6 routine successfully otherwise the
disk would never have been seen nor the XP files copied.

PIXEL. i have the exact same MB, and the exact same problem.

i have Raid 0, 2x200gig sata's

and i have the exact problem you are talkign about.

windwos and all that just seems to lock up somewhere on the install
process, i've tryed XP SP2 and just plain XP org.

both have problems, and it never gets through th ewhole installation.