Resolved winxp loading impossible

Please forgive me, the specs were already written, but I haven't checked the box for System Specification in Thread Display Options.

No, the SATA Drive is not connected. If it would be, it will boot from it, as explained in #17.
I've installed the drivers for Realtek and Ethernet. The MB DVD is not accessible now because I don't have a second IDE cable for it

 

Thank you!

Yes, Windows is running ok on 80 GB HDD.
When I connect the SATA HDD and I go in BIOS, I see both HDD in Boot/ Harddisk drives, but if I go in Boot/ Boot device priority I don't find the IDE HDD.

 

Yes, I see this screen.

I already did previously what you suggested and IDE HDD isn't listed in the small sub screen as well.

 

yes, it is

 

Ok.

Thank you very much for your sustained effort to help us!

It's too hard to give up on our PC, as it is only 8 months old.

Most of the components are still in warranty period, but I have to find which is faulty.

 

Well, I am not in Canada or Australia - hope Nebraska will do. I have read through this thread and frankly, I can't think of much else to do that is not drastic. I did note that you pressed F5 for Safe Mode - that is normally for earlier versions of Windows to use Safe Mode with DOS commands. F8 is actually better.

Did you reset the BIOS?

I have run into similar problems in the past when mixing IDE and SATA drives on XP systems - not pretty, especially when RAID arrays are mixed in. The only way we were able to resolve it was to start over - which a fresh install of Windows, ensuring we installed the necessary SATA drivers from floppy disk when prompted during the early stages of the install process.

Just saw your last post and did not realize this was such a new computer. You might seriously consider Windows 7, which has no problem recognizing SATA drives. XP was designed 10 years ago to support DOS era hardware. And in doing so, it also was not designed for today's nasty security environment.

 

I press F5 once, only to check it . The rest of times I pressed F8.

I didn't reset BIOS yet.

I would consider Windows 7, but right now I'd think how to solve the current problem; if it's HW, I want to replace that part.

 

Come on Bill, Nebraska is not all that far from Canadia is it? Certainly closer than Austria!

Hi Stefan, you kept referring to the card as a "RAID" card. I expect it is an IDE controller card that has RAID capability. When you set up the 80GB HDD on that card did you use RAID setup utilities?

RAID is to make two HDDs that are almost identical act as one HDD or "mirror" each other. You can't run RAID on a single HDD.

My guess is that the 80GB HDD is partially set up for RAID. You said an error was "the drive has inconsistencies ", which, if my memory serves me correctly, can be related to RAID problems.

If you are looking in the BIOS to boot from the IDE card, it might be called "PCI" or "SCSI ".

I used a similar (type?) IDE card for quite a while. When I set it up I was careful to avoid using any RAID settings, because like you, I wanted it to run a single HDD, but not two in a RAID configuration.

I suggest you start again. Connect the 80GB HDD to the IDE card, completely wipe it (remove partitions, reformat, uninstall any RAID, etc), but this time when you set it up, avoid making any setup related to RAID.

Matt

 

Hey, I'm not complaining. The Air Force sent me here 24 years ago, I retired in '95 and stayed, so it can't be that bad. But yes, just two states away so it is closer than Austria - and Australia too! Canadia? Austria? At least I don't have an "ia" fetish!

 

Hi, Matt

yes, this is the case. I didn't use RAID setup utilities.

The error appeared when I had SATA HDD installed.

When the 80 GB HDD was connected through IDE card, in BIOS I saw: RAID - WD...something

Ok, I'll reinstall again.

Just a note: after I installed first time Windows on the 80GB HDD, being connected to MB directly through the IDE cable, I went in System/ HW device to install drivers. I put the CD which came with IDE card and the drivers were installed without any selection from my side.

 

Just to make sure, when I talked about installing SATA during the install with a floppy, that is not the same thing as installing the drivers for the IDE card. XP does not know how to talk to SATA drives natively, like it does IDE drives. So you must follow the prompts to set that up during the install when prompted. This is in addition to installing the specific drivers for your SATA controller. Note it does not say SATA, but it does say, 3rd party or SCSI as seen here. Are you doing this?

 

I have to confess, at the first installation, on SATA drive, I didn't do it.

Now, I will reinstall the XP on 80 GB HDD, and I will press F6.

Please let me know if I can do this without connecting the HDD to IDE card. Right now the config I have is HDD connected to MB directly through the IDE cable, at the end of the cable, the other connector being connected to CD-ROM.

I'm asking this because I connected the HDD to IDE card, after I installed XP and drivers. And the system didn't recognize the HDD anymore....

 

Yeah, that part, I am still confused about. If only using the two IDE devices, you do not need a card.

Note that once you press F6, you will be prompted to insert a floppy with the necessary drivers. Those can be found on the motherboard utilities disk. Again, this is not a problem with Win7.