HUGE problem trying to install windows...

I just got my 74gb Western Digital Raptor (SATA), and I can't seem to be able to install windows on it. When it loads up and says "press f6 to install 3rd party drivers" I mash the hell out of F6, and it just ignores me. I've tried like 4 different keyboards, and it simply wont acknowledge that I pressed F6. So I continue on and a little later it says it doesnt recognize the drive and finally allows me to install the SATA drivers off the floppy. Now when I go to select where I want to install windows, it wont let me choose the raptor. I get a message saying "windows-xp cannot be installed on this.." when I choose it, which is because It's not in any file format. Normally, with any other harddrive, when I would select to install windows on it, it will format it...here it does not. I dont even get an option to format my sata drive. I'm confused as hell...any help is appreciated.

Ok, when you press F6, it has to finish loading all the kernel extras, so it won't immediately go into the driver installation page. You should get that page before you have to do any other input though.

Download and burn System Rescue CD and then boot from it. Once you get a command prompt, type run_qtparted, then select your mouse. Once in qtparted, try making a partition on your SATA drive. This is a way to isolate the problem, to make sure it's Micro$oft Windows instead of the drive. What drivers are you trying to load? You have to load the drivers for your SATA controller AND the raptor drivers to get it to work. Is this on that NF7-S in your sig?

Absolute Zero said:

Ok, when you press F6, it has to finish loading all the kernel extras, so it won't immediately go into the driver installation page. You should get that page before you have to do any other input though.

Download and burn System Rescue CD and then boot from it. Once you get a command prompt, type run_qtparted, then select your mouse. Once in qtparted, try making a partition on your SATA drive. This is a way to isolate the problem, to make sure it's Micro$oft Windows instead of the drive. What drivers are you trying to load? You have to load the drivers for your SATA controller AND the raptor drivers to get it to work. Is this on that NF7-S in your sig?

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yes I'm using the NF7-S and the floppy with SATA drivers that came with it. I didn't realize that there is another set of drivers just for the raptor (got OEM). Maybe thats the problem. Where can I get them?

I've never used a raptor on windows, only Linux, and it required a module be compiled in the kernel for me to get my raptors to work. Of course, Daisy (my machine) is a fickle beast that seems to have a mind of her own. It's really a love/hate relationship.

If any of u have installed a raptor on an abit nf7-s, please tell me how.

Hmm...are u sure those drivers even exist? I cant seem to find any on the western digital site.

They were linux drivers, and I didn't get them from the ATI site. Disregard my mentioning the raptor drivers. Sorry about that.

Ok I was able to format the raptor in windows from another harddrive. Installed windows on it and a few other programs. However, when I rebooted, it prompted me to insert a cd...even though it didnt use the windows cd, It would not boot into windows without it in. Anyway, after I put in the cd, I'm given the option of what drive to boot xp on (the raptor or the other harddrive), and I'm able to select the raptor. Now, I reformatted the other harddrive (to use as my data one), and now I can't boot into windows with my raptor at all. I tried setting the boot device to SATA, hdd-0, hdd-1...and it still wont boot. It asks for me to insert a cd, and when I do, it says NTSFR or something is missing and to restart.

nm, problem solved.

For the sake of curiosity, what was it?

Absolute Zero said:

For the sake of curiosity, what was it?

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the only way i could format the raptor in ntsf was through windows on my other drive. then i had to unplug my ide drive in order to install and boot into windows on my sata drive (I could plug the ide drive back in once windows is installed on the raptor).