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My XP install CD does not recognise my hard drive

GiovanGiovan Posts: 747
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in PC & Mac Hardware and Software #1
I am trying to re install xp home on a compaq 311c 1010sa netbook.

I have made a bootable ISO of an xp home sp3 disc and this loads up as normal. The computer came with xp home, by the way.

The problem is it does not find my hard drive and asks if I have any mass storage device drivers. I have put 3 different working hard drives in there and it won't recognise any of them.

So it seems the disc doesn't have drivers for the sata controller but it is a service pack 3 disc and this computer was made in 2009.

What can I do?:confused:

Comments

  • QuackersQuackers Posts: 4,830
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    #2
    XP does not understand SATA controllers without adding additional drivers, do you have a SATA compatability mode in the bios? The wording is different depending on machine, but a lot will have HDD/SATA mode with a compatable mode so XP can see it without anything being added.
  • GiovanGiovan Posts: 747
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    #3
    Quackers wrote: »
    XP does not understand SATA controllers without adding additional drivers, do you have a SATA compatability mode in the bios? The wording is different depending on machine, but a lot will have HDD/SATA mode with a compatable mode so XP can see it without anything being added.

    Thanks for replying.

    I finally got this sorted.

    The bios had no options whatsoever for ahci/sata/ide etc. It is a very basic bios.

    In the end I managed to find someone on an obscure forum with the same computer and the same problem. He linked to the nvidia chipset drivers. So I have had to extract the inf files from the exe on the invidia site and then rip the xp installation cd and use nlite to add the drivers to the cd and then re burn it to an usb.

    Never come across this before. I have installed xp on dozens of machines, from 2001 duron machines to recent windows 7 laptops.
  • NetizenNetizen Posts: 5,041
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    #4
    Recent, full-featured BIOS motherboards will have an option to emulate an IDE controller in place of the AHCI SATA. When the first SATA mainboards came out, this wasn't an option so the only way to install XP was to do what you did, or to own a floppy drive.
  • GiovanGiovan Posts: 747
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    #5
    Netizen wrote: »
    Recent, full-featured BIOS motherboards will have an option to emulate an IDE controller in place of the AHCI SATA. When the first SATA mainboards came out, this wasn't an option so the only way to install XP was to do what you did, or to own a floppy drive.

    I need to invest in an external floppy drive. I expect they are peanuts on ebay.

    To make matters worse, when I just got to the point of inputting the product key, it wouldn't accept it. I now realise, to my horror, that I have injected the drivers into the wrong ISO.:mad:

    In my confusion I have gone and used a retail iso and not the oem.

    So I have to go back and do the whole process again.
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