New Computer - Need help!

[Abui]

Originally Posted by RidetheRAAM4

Ok, new problem if anyone has ever heard of this before.

So I turn it on to install windows XP professional with service pack 2 (32-bit version) and it wont install.

I had a pioneer DVD player that had a SATA connection and I couldn't even get to where you get to press enter to install windows. Switched that out with the same DVD player but with an IDE connection and then I could get to where you press enter. (with the SATA DVD drive the error that it would show was one saying that no hard drive was detected)

So now I go to install windows and it says that I have no hard drive (my HD has a SATA connection). I tried plugging in my external hard drive (USB connection) and it detected it and would let me install windows on it.

So would you say this is a problem with windows XP? I have heard of drivers not being installed and needed to install them from a floppy (which my motherboard can not use).

Or is it a problem with the SATA connectors on the motherboard? Or is it a problem with the hard drive?

I am getting sick and tired of going to frys and returning components that don't work. And I am mad that I spent a lot of money and cant get it to work. So far everyone has been dumbfounded with my problems.

(I'm running XP on SATA drives - homebrew)

As eveyone says go through basic BIOS setup and see the the drive is detected. BTW is the SATA power from the PS connected to the drive?

[LBmtb]

Originally Posted by CPATCRASH

Is that smoke I smell????

I did that once in my PC building days. Like Pat - these worries are behind me now that I'm one of the Apple faithful.

About the hard drive . . . like vandeec said make sure the jumpers on the actual drive are okay. Check inside the bios. If the bios doesn't see it then windows won't. I would also double check the connections to the hard drive (sata and power), etc etc.

[CPATCRASH]

Originally Posted by LBmtb

I did that once in my PC building days. Like Pat - these worries are behind me now that I'm one of the Apple faithful.

About the hard drive . . . like vandeec said make sure the jumpers on the actual drive are okay. Check inside the bios. If the bios doesn't see it then windows won't. I would also double check the connections to the hard drive (sata and power), etc etc.

Or just by a Dell. That way you can spend hours on the phone with tech support instead of hours by yourself trying to fix it. One thing a PC teaches you is patients!

[mntbiker12]

OP, even though there are some knowledgeable computer folks on STR (JT for one), you should be looking for help on a dedicated board - I suggest forums.anandtech.com. It's the only place I go for computer help and advice. Now I'm pretty handy building computers, but every now and then I'll run across something I can't figure out and someone on there always seems to have an answer.

Check it out and good luck. Once you get past the tricky spots, nothing beats building up your own computer. It's like building up your own rig and customizing it the way you want it.

[Abui]

Originally Posted by mntbiker12

OP, even though there are some knowledgeable computer folks on STR (JT for one), you should be looking for help on a dedicated board - I suggest forums.anandtech.com. It's the only place I go for computer help and advice. Now I'm pretty handy building computers, but every now and then I'll run across something I can't figure out and someone on there always seems to have an answer.

Check it out and good luck. Once you get past the tricky spots, nothing beats building up your own computer. It's like building up your own rig and customizing it the way you want it.

I thought we were in data gathering and problem isolation mode. There's been nothing esoteric yet.

[RidetheRAAM4]

Thanks guys, I got it all going. I think it was something with the SATA drives. I had a version of XP my buddy gave me with the SATA drivers already on the CD. I could see it installing the SATA drives on the one my friend gave me vs. not installing the SATA drives on the real version.

I ended up going to windows vista anyways. It would only let me use 2G memmory instead of my 4G on XP. And so far all of my old games and stuff that shouldn't work on XP, do work. I have not seen any compatibilty issues that so many people complain about yet.

[Abui]

Originally Posted by RidetheRAAM4

Thanks guys, I got it all going. I think it was something with the SATA drives. I had a version of XP my buddy gave me with the SATA drivers already on the CD. I could see it installing the SATA drives on the one my friend gave me vs. not installing the SATA drives on the real version.

I ended up going to windows vista anyways. It would only let me use 2G memmory instead of my 4G on XP. And so far all of my old games and stuff that shouldn't work on XP, do work. I have not seen any compatibilty issues that so many people complain about yet.

You can only use 3 GB on any 32 bit system.

[RidetheRAAM4]

Originally Posted by Abui

You can only use 3 GB on any 32 bit system.

It shows that I have 4GB on the windows vista. Am I only using 3GB though? I figured it would have only sown 3GB if I was only using 3GB. It is actually windows that recognizes it, not just the bios.

[Abui]

Originally Posted by RidetheRAAM4

It shows that I have 4GB on the windows vista. Am I only using 3GB though? I figured it would have only sown 3GB if I was only using 3GB. It is actually windows that recognizes it, not just the bios.

You're getting 3GB. The 4GB is a lie. My desktop and laptop report 3GB accurately.

Explanation

Microsoft says we just changed what we report