Sata drive install woes

compunoob · May 15, 2008, 08:02 AM

I use an Asus M2N E SLI mobo which is compatible with the newer Sata 3GB HD's. I recently bought a 640GB WD HD. I have formatted and installed windows xp home 5+ times and it just wont go. Every time it goes to boot it blue screens with an unmountable boot volume error. The crazy thing is it formats and installs windows fine (as far as I know) I looked at every setting in my bios and have tried different sata ports on the mobo. The bios recognizes the drive fine. When I install windows Using the floppy disc to load the raid and sata drivers it recognizes the full volume of the drive also. If I dont load the drivers it sees the drive as a 130gb drive. WTF am I doing wrong? Is it just a bad drive most likely? WD tools shows that the drive has no errors on it.

**Vikingod** · May 15, 2008, 08:18 AM

Have you tried a different SATA cable? Also, have you tried to install the drive without a RAID configuration?

compunoob · May 15, 2008, 08:19 AM

The only thing I didn't try was a different cable as the drive is brand new and the cable was never used. I never used it in a raid array just loaded the drivers as when It pulled up the drivers on the floppy it said reccomended. I posted this question on another forum and the cable thing was never suggested. Last night I paid to have it sent back to. I am so tired of screwing with this 1 drive. I don't know if I should just let it go back or try another cable. I dont know if I can be refunded for the ups. I sure wish I would have remembered this site for helpful answers before jumping the gun =(

Reformatting and trying 1 more time with a different cable.

compunoob · May 15, 2008, 08:59 AM

Is it bad to let it format while I am at work and then come home and try to finish the install?

**ChaosMinionX** · May 15, 2008, 01:30 PM

This happens when your BIOS isnt set up correctly.....

Theres usually settings for IDE/AHCI/RAID in BIOS.... you probably just need to change one of the settings to get it to boot.

compunoob · May 15, 2008, 05:32 PM

Well it still doesnt work so I am forced to send it back. I have looked all through my bios and there is nothing like you are saying chaos for AHCI etc. The motherboard is an Asus M2N E SLI Nforce 500 chipset and I am almost positive AHCI is not even supported with it. The only Bios options I have are as follows for the Sata:
Extended Ide Drive Auto or none
Access mode Auto or Large
then under Ide function set up I have
on chip ide channel 0 enabled or disabled
on chip ide channel 1 enabled disabled
ide dma transfer access enabled or disabled
sata port 1&2 enabled disabled
sata dma transfer enabled disabled
sata port 3&4 enabled disabled
sata2 dma transfer enabled disabled
ide prefetch mode enabled disabled
then i have raid settings that go as raid enabled disabled

that is everything i can find that pertains to the ide and sata settings.
does that help?

pepiman · May 16, 2008, 01:01 PM

guessing either it isn't your primary boot hard drive, or it's on AHCI when you don't have the intel matrix storage driver installed....

***temeteus82*** · May 16, 2008, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pepiman

guessing either it isn't your primary boot hard drive, or it's on AHCI when you don't have the intel matrix storage driver installed....

He has nVidia chipset so I guess no intel drivers are needed

It sounds that you have some issues with nvidia sata drivers. Is your XP disc without SP2/3? Since the normal install disc won't support drivers larger than 120Gb. You would need slipstreamed XP install disc.

compunoob · May 16, 2008, 07:22 PM

Well I tried to make a slipstream CD and it was a failure. I am loading the drivers off the cd by using the "Make Disc" program. Hoping that it was a bad drive as I sent it back and have another 1 coming. When it gets here I will post goings on. I know I was doing everything right as the bios recognized it properly as did windows at format and install.

***temeteus82*** · May 16, 2008, 11:09 PM

Hey get nLite for slipstreaming and for integrating drivers. It does all the hard work for you and will burn the disc

The_Neon_Cowboy · May 16, 2008, 11:14 PM

My 2 bits, sounds to me what happens when the proper SATA drivers aren’t
Loaded from a disk during the beginning of the XP install.
(Selecting IDE emulation in the bios eliminates the need for those drivers)

compunoob · May 17, 2008, 07:20 AM

I dont have an IDE emulation in bios. I left everything as default.

I was using Nlite to make the disc. I followed a walk through but all I have is an upgrade CD. I know someone with an sp2 windows install but I dont think I can use my own CD key can I? I would love to use a slipstream cd but just couldnt do it right for some odd reason. To many options confuse me. I guess I could try again with SP2 instead of SP3 slip. I am just kind of leary as it almost seemed to me like that was the problem. A bad slipstream install goofed it up. Is that even possible? I would love to just make the disc with only sp2 on it. I know enlite was asking a bunch of questions and I dont know if its ok to leave the defaults or if u are supposed to change anything.

compunoob · May 23, 2008, 06:57 PM

Well replacement drive got here and the new drive is giving me the unmountable boot drive error. I have no idea WTF to do.

Tipstaff · May 24, 2008, 01:14 AM

As someone mentioned earlier your entire problem revolves around the fact that the bios is setup to treat your SATA controller as a Raid controller. You need to change this so that it is in PATA or IDE mode. However, you may still need a floppy (more commonly referred to as an "F6 Floppy") that has the drivers for your controller on it, or you will need to make a slipstreamed CD that has them included. In any case, try this first:

Go into the bios, and move to the "Advanced" tab/section. In there is a listing called "Onboard Device Configuration". Inside there select the option that says, "NVRaid Configuration". Inside there you want to set the first option, "Raid Enable", to Disable. Save your settings, reboot the machine, and start the install of the OS as normal. If you need to this is all referred to in your manual on page 4-29.

BTW, be sure to disconnect any non important USB devices, especially memory card readers. If your computer comes with a built in memory card reader be sure to disconnect it from the motherboard. All you want hooked up is your keyboard, mouse, speakers, and monitor.

compunoob · May 24, 2008, 01:30 AM

my mouse is a usb mouse should I unplug it? I have raid totally disabled. It has never been enabled throughout any of my tries unless I set it so as trying to get it to work. The only other thought I have is that my CD drive is noisey so this time around I am trying my DVD writer which is in alot better shape. I seriously appreciate the help I am getting. Thank you all very much.

compunoob · May 24, 2008, 10:08 AM

Still the same error nothing seems to work. How the hell can this be? Does it matter that I am using an upgrade CD? I am going to borrow an upgrade CD that has SP2 on it already as my disc is old and see if that helps or matters. I would never in a million years thought that doing something like adding a hard drive could cause this much problem. It is absolutely stupid. I would get asus tech support but they are closed on sat. I am 1 big sad panda =(

compunoob · May 24, 2008, 01:14 PM

Well it turns out my XP CD must be bad as I used a friends with sp2 installed on it and my rig is now working. I dont believe it.