Windows XP forum: XP partial install?

XP doesn't know what SATA is, so we have to introduce the drivers for SATA from a floppy disk during the XP Setup/Install process.

Also, don't forget all the other drivers XP needs.

Mark

and you need these on a floppy disk for XP to find them. Otherwise XP doesn't install at all. Most other drivers can be installed after XP starts from the HD for the first time and configures the hardware for which it does have drivers. You add the ones XP does not have by introducing them after that. You begin with the chipset drivers and whatever else is missing follows next.

During the installation process, you are asked if you want to pre install any drivers. If you do, XP will only accept them from drive A: which is a floppy. XP will only look to drive A: so you need an internal or USB floppy. SATA drivers should come with your motherboard but will generally be on a CD. They need to be transferred to a floppy disk to work with an XP installation. Otherwise, to install XP without the drivers, you need to change your BIOS to have the SATA ports emulate IDE. The verbiage used varies from board to board. Some call it legacy. With the BIOS change, you can successfully install XP. It is possible to trick XP into installing SATA drivers later but it takes some finagling and I have been able to do this.

to make a driver disk for you. You'd need access to a PC with both a CD ROM and floppy drive. Finding this utility on a CD isn't always easy but some MB manufacturers are kind enough to help folks with XP by creating floppy driver disks for such as RAID and SATA. You might look for that on the CD.

XP won't do a partial installation either as it won't find a valid hard drive. I now have to think your BIOS isn't set correctly for SATA. It would say something about ACHI, enhanced, etc. Otherwise, if it was in IDE emulation mode it should allow a full installation. You need to check your BIOS to see how that port is configured.

Just a small trick to pass along. If a MB has both IDE and SATA ports, you can install XP on an IDE drive and install the SATA drivers from the CD ROM after Windows starts and goes through it's hardware detection and configuration routine. If the SATA ports are configured as such, you can install the drivers then. Once they are installed, you attach a bare SATA drive to the PC and boot it using cloning software. You clone the IDE drive with XP on it to the SATA drive. Then, shut it down, remove the IDE drive and restart the system. Voila! XP will boot from the SATA drive. It's an extra step or two but it works. I've done it several times.