SATA drive installation in XP SP2?

[DoctorJellybean]

While I'm waiting for the delivery of my components, I thought I brush up on my installation skills. Now there appears to be confusion regarding installing XP SP2 when SATA drives are installed.

Some say you need SATA drivers and a floppy, others had no problem. I have not ordered a floppy drive, did order a USB Flash Memory Stick.

Now, do I need those drivers? If so, then I'll slipstream it into XP. But if I don't, then it will save me time.

[Conrad]

I have not yet successfully managed to install XP without those drivers on a floppy or slipstreamed, so yes, you will need them.

[DoctorJellybean]

Where do I get those from? Motherboard or Hard Drive manufacturer? I'm not planning on a RAID system.

[Conrad]

Motherboard manufacturer. They'll be labelled SATA and/or RAID drivers.

[DoctorJellybean]

Hmm, just checked on manufacturers web site. They don't have any for XP, only Vista. MOBO is Asus P5N32-E SLI

[Jonny2Bad]

Never needed to install extra drivers only for raid!!!

[djgandy]

I didn't need drivers. I did need to turn of AHCI though.

[Nox]

yep, i have never needed to install SATA drivers unless i've connected the drives via RAID

Nox

[mattlock]

If you need to install drivers for the drives, look at this utility:

http://www.nliteos.com/nlite.html

It allows you to create a custom install cd. Have the drivers ready and add them to the image. It works great.

Had a similar problem when we purchased A HP Proliant DL140 Server, they come with no FDD so we spoke to HP and they recommended this utility.

Hope it helps

[mattk]

it all depends on the age of your mainboard.

in older mainboards they used what the industry call "Glue chips", which is a bit like having a PCI card stuck to the mainboard.

in newer mainboards SATA systems are fully integrated and have BIOS controls to enable certain modes. Most of these will give you the option to set it to IDE (No driver required), RAID (F6 Driver required) and AHCI (F6 driver required.

so dependant on the age of your mainboard should determine whether or not you need the drivers on a floppy or not.

[DoctorJellybean]

Considering my mainboard is an Asus P5N32-E SLI, which is a new one, I shouldn't need drivers then?

If I set it to IDE, doesn't it defeat the purpose of having a SATA disk? What about the DVD Writer, that is SATA too.

[mattk]

IDE means IDE compatability mode.

the drive should still function as SATA II but to get full SATA II performace for single drives i would suggest AHCI.

but windows xp doesn't fully support the AHCI technology. it will work but again a barely noticeable difference.

vista is fully compliant and should get the full AHCI performance.

[DoctorJellybean]

In the real world, what is the performance difference between SATA II drives in XP SP2 and Vista? I will get Vista if it warrants it.

[mattk]

average, 5.26% increase in performance using AHCI in windows xp.

im still looking for the vista benchmarks...

[djgandy]

I'm using AHCI in XP now. I'd recommend it, my disk was having some major slowdowns on certain arears(probably dying) but now because it can use NCQ the effect is not so noticable. Plus I can hotswap it too :P

[DoctorJellybean]

I'm using AHCI in XP now. I'd recommend it, my disk was having some major slowdowns on certain arears(probably dying) but now because it can use NCQ the effect is not so noticable. Plus I can hotswap it too :P
I assume the AHCI setting is done in the BIOS before XP installation? What is this NCQ?

I noticed you said in an earlier post:

I didn't need drivers. I did need to turn of AHCI though

[GN]

You only need the Drivers if you have the disks in a RAID, or you have any disks coming from off a controller card.

Most of the time, if the O/S does not pick up the disk, it is usually down to the BIOS (I would never relly on the BIOS even if my life depended on it)

Also make sure the power and sata cabled have not come out ;)


I assume the AHCI setting is done in the BIOS before XP installation? What is this NCQ?

Yes, AHCI will be listd in the BIOS, somewere. lol, do this before you reinstall the OS.

NCQ... You dont need to worry about that at the moment.

[djgandy]

You should be able to make boot floppies with the AHCI drivers. Problem is that XP only allows floppies to load drivers. I certainly don't have a floppy drive anymore, so basically best idea is to make a disk with that nliteos ;)
Going to make one now, not really a fan of ghosting so this will make windows installs less painful.

[GN]

In Vista you can use not just floppys, but usb removable media, optical media :P

I like this alot. :D

To bad they didnt do this for XP.

[dilly dally]

i have a question aswell.

I have a normal sata drive a ide drive.

Could i install a sataII drive but not install xp on it? I don't actually have a floppy drive in my case so i was hoping that since xp is not being installed on it that i could just get the driver for it and install it when im in windows?

[GN]

If you mean install an IDE (PATA) Drive, then install the OS, then install the SATA Bus Drivers, then install the SATA drive and image the OS from the IDE disk onto the SATA disk, then yes, I’m sure this can be done. Time wasting, and very fun If you have never done this before, but it can be done.

Or, you could do the cheapest and easiest way of them all.

Go down to your local PC store, buy a floppy drive for about £4 with cable, get home, pop open the case (voiding your warrantee if you got this from new which is not recommended but I don’t ever care) plug in the FDD cable CORRECTLY!! Then plug in the 4pin power cable for this CORRECTLY!!!, (frying Floppy drives is fun, but its not fun when your PSU gets attacked too. Personal experience. "was half asleep and under pressure") then put drivers onto floppy and bob your uncle.

One question, why do you need SATA drives for installing XP onto your machine? :S Usually it goes on fine....

Well, you do. But only if your using a RAID, but you don't need to when using just a stand alone disk. Make sure your BIOS settings for this disk are not set to RAID mode.

[mattlock]

You should try this.


http://www.nliteos.com/nlite.html

It allows you to create a custom install cd. Have the drivers ready and add them to the image. It works great.

Works for Vista/XP not sure about linux.

Try it