BIOS detects SATA drive, but WinXP won't install it.

[skunkyfunk]

I guess this is a common problem.  How can you install a SATA hard disk without having to reinstall XP? 

Thanks to everyone who would bother to help.

[KitC]

You have to define the partition on the new HD before windows will recognize the new disk. Try to run the FDISK utility and make sure you identify properly and define the new physical drive before you proceed to format it. I think you can do it by booting to a command prompt, or even via the windows setup disk and bypassing the repair and setup options.

[3650guy]

assuming that you will be adding the SATA drive as additional data drive, then simply attach the drive to the motherboard (powered off syempre) and connect the corresponding SATA data/power cables.
be careful with the SATA data cable. don't bend it if possible.


after double checking everything, turn on PC and boot to bios. either via pressing the delete button or either F1 or F2 buttons.
navigate to a menu which shows SATA options and see if you can enable it.   depende talaga sa bios and motherboard manufacturer ang options na yan. save settings then exit, then boot to windows xp.

using windows explorer navigate and see if the drive is recognized but no capacity is shown.  if the drive is there, then Start > All Programs >   control panel > administrative tools > computer management > select storage > disk management.    wherein you have to define or partition your drives. NTFS is preferred. the beauty of this is that you partition/format from windows without rebooting. as long as you don't touch your main boot drive and backup your precious data before even installing the SATA drive. then you may proceed with disk management.

summary.
backup your data first.

[panterica]

usually may kasamang diskette yung motherboard mo, yun yung sata controller driver. yan din naging problema ko nung unang labas ng sata drives, di ko malaman pano iinstall, hehehehe.

[glassjaw_jc]

Download the SATA drivers of your motherboard. Naging problema ko yan sa laptop ko. I had to repack the WinXP installer to include the SATA drivers para makapag reformat and reintsall ako