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XP won't install - does not recognize hard drive


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#1
pocketsk

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Hello. I've taken my brother's Dell Dimension 9100 and replaced his broken hard drive with a new WD Caviar Green 500Gb hard drive. I tried to install Windows XP SP3 onto it and as soon as I press enter to start windows setup it says that it does not detect a hard drive in my system. I ran diagnostics on it and the drive passed and look in the system setup and the hard drive is connected fine and on. I don't know what the deal is. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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#2
SRX660

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If you can go into the BIOS and the hard drive does not appear there you have a problem.

1. The HD is dead
but you say the HD is OK

2.Power should reach the HD
Does the drive spin up at all when you start the computer?
Have you changed the data cable?
Have you tried a different Molex( power) plug?

You say you've done diagnostics? What diagnostics? WD lifeguard?

3. If you still can't see the drive, try a different drive, because the next step is replacing the Motherboard. I still suspect a bad cable somewhere since you seem the be able to do some things with the computer. Does the Microsoft disk even try to format the drive with the command prompt? If you are using a recovery Dell CD it will not work sometimes with Drives made after the cd was made.The Recovery CD doesn't have any information on newer drives so it just refuses to see them. Then you need to use a regular retail Windows CD to install the system.

SRX660
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#3
pocketsk

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not sure how to go into bios... when i turn it on the HD does spin. when i press F2 during boot up to enter the "system setup" and scroll down to the "drives" tree the hard drive is recognized as on and connected to Drive 0: SATA-0. It says "drive is controlled by system BIOS". If I press F12 during boot up to enter the "boot menu" I am given the option to run "hard drive diagnostics". When I run that, it recognizes the drive and says "pass" next to it. In the same "boot menu" I am given the option to boot from the hard drive or the dvd-rom drive. If I choose the hard drive I get a blank screen with a blinking cursor and nothing happens. When I choose to boot from the dvd-rom with the windows disc in it, I get to a screen where it says "To set up Windows XP now, press ENTER." When I press enter, it says "Setup did not find any hard drives connected to your computer."
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#4
SRX660

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Ok, i went looking at the dell website and found 2 pdf files on the 9100.

http://support.dell....d_documentation

From reading the owners manual it looks like you have a BTX computer system. The problem with these early XP systems is that you needed to have the SATA HD drivers incorporated into the XP CD to install on the computer. Usually you got a floppy drive to install the SATA Raid drivers ( it was a weird time for sata drives)But dell did not usually have a floppy drive.

So you are left with making a Windows XP CD with Sata driver's built in the CD.

Here's the tutorial i used to install XP on a BTX computer i built.

http://news.softpedi...-F6-47807.shtml

Read it carefully and you should be able to make a SATA XP cd that will install on the Dell.

Dell Sata Intel Matrix storage drivers are here.

http://support.dell..../...tid=&impid=

Be sure to read the installation instructions for the application and drivers files.

SRX660

Edited by SRX660, 05 February 2010 - 05:06 PM.

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#5
pocketsk

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thanks for all your help and time but i've run into another snag. I followed the tutorial and got nLite and I followed your link to the dell drivers and downloads page. When I downloaded the Intel Matrix driver file (R99740.exe) and ran it, it requires i insert a floppy to write the drivers onto. i don't have a floopy drive. i suppose i could go to kinko's or something and make a floppy then copy the files off the floppy back to the computer then onto a thumb drive to bring home...?
i found another site which gives complicated instructions for doing this another way. does this seem right to you? http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=414
thanks again for all your help.
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#6
SRX660

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Well, its been over a year since i've messed with a BTX computer but i don't remember having any problems slipstreaming them into the windows system CD. It may have been because i was using Intel drivers instead of a manufacturer's drivers.I also think i just put the drivers in their own folder in the "C" drive instead of on a floppy drive.

Yes, the tacktech website is another method to install the drivers, and it looks like it would work.

SRX660
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#7
pocketsk

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i went to kinko's and did the transfer, brought it home and integrated the drivers onto the xp disc with nlite. When i chose to boot from that disc, I pressed F6 to choose to install the drivers and when prompted to press "S" chose them, it tells me it cannot find a floppy disc drive on my computer and does not allow me to do anything else. It seems it will not allow me to use this method of bypassing the lack of a floppy drive. I'm just about fed up and am ready to give up and try using vista instead, though i hear this is a bad idea. I wish I could figure this out...
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#8
SRX660

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Since you have the intel 945 chipset, have you tried the intel ACHI drivers?

http://downloadcente...s...75&lang=eng

Or these from rapid share

http://rapidshare.co...Driver.zip.html

Never give up is my motto. That is why i learned how to install XP on a BTX computer. Yes, i went thru the hassle to find the proper way and a year and a half later the customer is still happy with the computer.

http://www.digitgeek...ers-into-xp-cd/

Heres a maximum PC slipstream method.

http://www.maximumpc...XP-installation

Just keep reading and i think you will get it.

SRX660
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#9
lotus4669

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I know this is an old thread, but I just came across this very same issue and after doing lots of digging on google, I found a method that works flawlessly. I figured I would register in hopes this info will save someone else a lot of time. I tried EVERYTHING, including all the nLite methods. None of which worked for my situation. In short this article shows you step by step how to add drivers for intel sata controllers to your installation CD so that they load "without" using the F6 option during setup. The author asked people to link others to the article, rather than copy and paste the info, so out of respect, that is what I'll do:

http://www.tacktech....ay.cfm?ttid=414
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