Installing a new hard drive

Sal

Check you private email!

Mike

 

Drivers

"Find and download the win2k drivers for your video and sound!

What video and sound do you have? I can help find the w2k drivers? "
ALS 4000 Audio ( I just updated from their web site)

All the drivers are on the VIA Service Pack.

 

Sal

OK ALS sound! But what Video?

Yes by all means update everything to the latest!

But then you need to download and save the W2k versions so that they will be available when we install W2k!

Remember the MB and Via updates are probably already W2k. But the Video and sound will need W2k drivers that can only be installed after or during W2k install!

OK!

Your move!

Mike

 

The M/B Manual

I'm looking at the M/B manual and I don't see anywhere on these drawings a "controller ". The manual has the following:
Layout and Jumper Settings, drawing of the layout of the M/Bd
Checking M/Bd's Jumper Setting drawing
Powr supply connector, PS/2 mouse & kb connector, USB port connector, Parallel port connector, audio-game connector, serial port, floppy dr cnnector, primary & secondary connector, Com2 Headers, Wakup lan headers, and on and on, but I don't see any layout drawings for the controller.
The book doesn't even mention controllers.

 

It is the Primary and secondary!

Forget this, you told me in another message! It was a 33/66!

Now what kind of Video display adapter do you have! For this look in the control panel!

Mike

 

ALS Audio Device

PCI Communications has a ?
PCI Multimedia has a ?

Display adapter: Magnum Xpert 128.

However, I have sound and I have video. I don't know where the conflict is coming from.

Will continue this in the private mail; think we're getting off topic here.

 

I should leave you two to your own devices, but in good conscience I can't. Lets see if I've got this right -

Sal_Gal has a new drive and lots of ambition but is a little short on know how. No problem - Everybody has to start somewhere.

mflynn recognizes? some shortcomings but proceeds to encourage (OK, lets say doesn't discourage) Sal_gal flashing her bios. Also advises buying and installing ATA 133 controller card, setting up three HDD partitions, slaving new drive and copying old drive to it, uninstalling old and then upgrading new to Win2K. Further volunteers to find necessary 2K drivers. Nice guy - no question.

Good advice?

If it ain't broke, it will be.

 

I'm not going to partition into 3 drives

This is what I intend to do: Partition 2 drives, XP & W2K, and put all data files and W2K on one drive and XP to reside by itself on the other drive because -- I need to learn XP for future classes. I'll put Office XP and all other software programs with W2K.

Rockster, the reason I'm doing it Thanksgiving week is because I'll have a school break that week and if I have to take it to the tech I can and have it back in time for school.


So I'm getting this checklist together now.

Now, here's a question I should ask: The Hard drive, I bought myself and it's ATA133, just wondering maybe I should exchange it for a 66?

 

Exchange for a 66

Well, nobody mentioned that perhaps I bought the wrong hard drive. So I'm contacting the vendor to see if I can exchange it for a 66, same HD space.

I'm at the vendor's web site and they don't have anything less than 100.
Any suggestions since it looks like I'll have to exchange it or get another HD.

 

Your present system will have no problem with your new HDD as long as your bios will read a 60gig drive, then again with partitions, this should be no problem. The ATA 133 will be read as ATA 66 by your machine. Mflynn makes a big thing out of 133, but there are probably other limitations in your machine that minimalize any perceived speed boost.

Again, not putting you down, but you would be well advised to stay away from trying to flash your bios. A mistake will more than likely render you unbootable and you'll be faced with buying a new bios chip or finding someone with an EEProm programmer.

You also have a driver problem right now on your 98 setup as evidenced by the ?, ? in device manager for PCI whatever it was mentioned in your earlier post.

I assume you are schooled in IRQ conflicts and will take a step by step procedure in hardware installation and setup once you load the new OS. (That means stripping all cards out of your machine except the video card). You mentioned having both a modem and DSL service. If that means you have an internal soft modem and an internal NIC card, things might get a bit tricky depending on your hardware installation sequence. If you are running a USB DSL modem, life might be a little easier depending on what card is in PCI slot#4 or #5 (typically #4 or #5 shares an IRQ with USB). And if your sound card has DOS emulation, you have another hurdle, depending on hardware installation sequence and compatability. Of course all this assumes you have found the right W2K drivers. Have you made a list of all your hardware or run Belarc Advisor. Can you fix the current problem with your (?) PCI devices? Have you tried removing them from your system? What kind of duplication do you see when you go to device manager in safe mode? Again, I'm not trying to rain on your parade - just trying to help you avoid a catastrophy.

Everybody has to start somewhere and I'd encourage you to keep pursuing this, however, things aren't always as simple as some would lead you to believe.

In reality, you'll find XP is an easier install than 2K and neither are that **** tough. However, I sill think that based on your own posts, you would be well advised to get some help.



PS - personally, I'd just pull the old drive and pop in the new one and then do your installation, then reload software. You said you have everything else backed up to zip disks.

 

That's what I was going to do

" PS - personally, I'd just pull the old drive and pop in the new one and then do your installation, then reload software. You said you have everything else backed up to zip disks. "

Hey -- read my first post. I was going to swap the Win98 6 gig HD for the new 20 Gig hard drive, and then everybody starting with the ATA133 incompatibility and controllers and things like that. All I want to do is install the NEW HARD DRIVE. Now if I need to get a new controller (hopefully it's a card and not onboard, which I'm trying to find out), that's okay. Or if I have to get a HARD DRIVE that's ATA66 compatibile, that's okay too.

But I was led to believe all I had to do was swap. Take out the old put in the new.

What do you think now?

"Your present system will have no problem with your new HDD as long as your bios will read a 60gig drive, then again with partitions, this should be no problem. The ATA 133 will be read as ATA 66 by your machine. Mflynn makes a big thing out of 133, but there are probably other limitations in your machine that minimalize any perceived speed boost. "
Why 60 gig?

 

Here's a picture of the motherboard

I'm trying to contact Future Power and they just won't answer their phone. I've called all day today and nobody's home.

So here's a photo of the motherboard.

http://www.futurepowerusa.com/products/motherboard/FP-kt133plus.htm

 

The Hard drive is backward compatible

Just got a reply from the Vendor and the Hard drive ATA 133 is backward compatible, so that solves one problem. I'll go ahead and install it.

However, I may want to update the controller later; any suggestions? Still trying to find out if it is onboard or card. Can you guys tell from the photo?

 

Excuse me, I had 60 gig on the brain - 20 gig so be it. You can reread my posts - you're welcome.

Last point - get over it re: your Controller. Your present controller is on your MB - I don't and no one else needs to look at any picture to tell you that. You've been led on a "wild goose chase" concerning hard drive data transfer speed. Yes, ATA 133 is faster than 100, is faster than 66 and is faster than 33 - trust me, you are not going to notice a difference on your machine unless you are running some kind of intense CAD program and have a lot faster CPU than what I expect you are currently running. The type of controller card that has been referenced would serve as a replacement to your existing controller (which you don't really need) and is a plug in PCI card. You can also get PCI RAID controller cards and run four - eight additional hard drives if you have the power supply to handle it. You can also buy serial IDE contollers but you can't yet buy the hard drives that they will connect to (soon however). They run faster than ATA 133. Having said that, get over it - forget the diatribe about your controller - what you have will serve you very well.

 

Okay, got it thanks

Whew! I thought I was in for a major upgrade.

 

Here's my checklist:

Here's what you recommend that I do before and during the install of HD. Please check it and add/remove whatever you feel necessary:

1) Gather all my CD Software
2) Backup all data files on a zip drive
3) Change the bios to auto detect for Hard drive
4) Change the first boot in the Bios to CD


Anything I forget?

 

I'm sure you are going to get all kinds of guidance after that one. Sounds like you are headed in the right direction though. In addition to the obvious stuff, don't forget to make copies of your address book, favorites and cookies. Good Luck when you finally get down to it.

 

Hello Sal Gal and Rockster

I have been away on Business so this is the first time I have had a chance to respond since last Sunday!

I now agree with Rockster! You need a friend that is familiar with this, to help, or a reputable shop!

Please don't be offended you have the right attitude! Very positive! But as the messages progressed I see that this could turn into a disaster for you! Rockster saw it before I did, although I believe just a little to early!

I am sure that in using application programs that you are very good. But hardware takes much more and a different kind of knowledge and experience! If you maintain your attitude and continue to learn it will come to you!

Several things brought me to this conclusion! Repeatedly you missed the point I made that the new HD would work just fine on the existing controller! Also even though you posted excerpts from the manual that stated Ultra 33/66 you failed to understand!

In one post you replied

“PCI Communications has a ?
PCI Multimedia has a ?â€

In another post

What is a controller?
Is that a card? or a cable? a connector?
This also confirmed to me you lack even basic understanding of hardware system configuration!

I say again no offence! There are just to many areas to address especially by written messages to make this happen!

Please try to get some experienced help with this! It is possible that a shop will let you observe and/or help so that you can learn! Ask!

Now as for Mr. Rockster!

I consider the way you intervened to be ill mannered and uncalled for! Had I had the same feelings as an onlooker I would have sent you a private message saying something like

“hey man better be careful, check closer if she is qualified to do this, I don’t think she is!â€

I was already concerned as I mentioned in one post back to her! And came to the same conclusion on my own as other posts came through!

As to your comment

“You have been sent down the wrong road with all this commentary about "controllers ", your motherboard…………

I was trying to help her make her own decision about this, which I later came to see on my own that she just didn’t understand!

I come to this BBS only to try to help! I have yet to ask for help for myself!

When I try to help one person I write so that others may also learn, and I am sure that others learned something about Ultra Dma/ata from this!

Mike

 

Mike - you are acting like I told you to go lie down in the middle of Interstate 85 and then started diverting all traffic in your direction. No offense meant, but if you reread everything in this thread from an objective viewpoint, you may come to a different conclusion re: my intent. I'm not trying to be some hardass or Mr Know-it-All and I'm not trying to educate the world. If you didn't like my comments, I'm sorry - I'm not trying to put you down.

At the same time, I'll stand by what I have said and the way I said it. Now I'll repeat what I said very early in this thread when I thought you were taking Sal_gal towards certain disaster.

Quote:
"I should leave you two to your own devices, but in good conscience I can't. Lets see if I've got this right -

Sal_Gal has a new drive and lots of ambition but is a little short on know how. No problem - Everybody has to start somewhere.

mflynn recognizes? some shortcomings but proceeds to encourage (OK, lets say doesn't discourage) Sal_gal flashing her bios. Also advises buying and installing ATA 133 controller card, setting up three HDD partitions, slaving new drive and copying old drive to it, uninstalling old and then upgrading new to Win2K. Further volunteers to find necessary 2K drivers. Nice guy - no question.

Good advice?

If it ain't broke, it will be. "

 

I DID IT! I INSTALLED THE HARD DRIVE

Thanks all, I installed the 20 Gig HD and it was a snap. It was nothing! Just remove the old and snapped in the new.

Now I have W2K and it's not reading the CD device software. I upgraded to SP3 W2K. Still no sound, no modem, no device drivers. The Asound files for W2K are:

SY_file
EX_file
CH_file
LN_file
DL_file

Put a brand new modem in, Compusa Aztech modem, downloaded the drivers, still nothing.

In the device manager:
?other devices
?PCI communications Contoller
?Multimedia Controller

Listed (Sounds, video):
Audio codecs
Legacy Audio drives
Legacy Video capture device
VIA AC97 audio controller

Modem not listed

Display Adapter: ATI Technologies 128 Rage


No sound, no modem, what's happening?