[EXidE]

I am due delivery of components for my first PC build tomorrow morning and reading forums in extra readiness i noticed that SATA HDD have to have SATA controller drivers loaded from floppy during winXP install.
This prompted me to worry..
In my embracing of all things most advanced i have stupidly done 3 things.

1. Got a SATA HDD
2. Got a SATA Optical drive
3. Got no floppy drive

Ok once the laughter has pettered out please just confirm or refute my question

Do I need to buy both a Floppy drive and a non SATA Optical drive to ensure hassle free winXP installation?

Thx for laughing with me and for the help.

[jmh547]

most new motherboards will allow microsoft to detect the sata drives w/o a disk. But raid is probably a different story

[EXidE]

Motherboard is an ABIT AW9D-MAX

I did read that if the mobo has the controller chip on it for SATA then the drivers dont need to be transferred to windows I presume this is why newer boards are ok?

[ErikD]

I installed XP from a SATA DVD-RW on an Abit AW8 without problems. As mentioned RAID might (most likely) require extra drivers during install if you wish to use it as a RAID array. That will require a floppy as other than slipstreaming that is the only way to include drivers. If RAID isn't important I haven't had any issues using SATA with RAID disabled in BIOS.

[EXidE]

Thx alot for the help I have no intentions at present to use RAID so your info will save me the trouble of buying a floppy and a non SATA optical drive.

Waitin for the delivery guy now

[klingens]

Look into nlite. You can make a custom XP CD that has all the drivers needed onboard, including SATA

[enkrypt3d]

just as long as the sata controller is nvidia, and you have both the optical and hard disk plugged into the same controller, you will not need any extra drivers. This works for XP64 & XP32

[EXidE]

Well my first ever build went without a hitch thx to all the info i have gathered from these forums..

I had no problems installing WinXP pro from my SATA DVD drive onto a SATA HDD and the installed the RAID drivers once xp was up and running.
Abit AW9D-MAX mobo

Thx for all the help

[K15]

I did not install any SATA drivers for my install, but it's not RAID. If it's not RAID, Windows treats the drives as regular IDE drives and doesn't care any different. With RAID, I know you used to need to load drivers, not sure what the deal is now. But you only have one HDD? Don't think you can RAID then
I also don't use floppy drives anymore. Flash drives are just too convenient to worry about stupid floppy drives.

[Oroka Sempai]

I want a SATA burner :'( But I am not willing to pay that much for a burner right now

[JustChill]

Use nlite. Make a copy of the install disk with all the drivers you need on it. Its called slipstreaming and it is a sinch..... ohhh and nlite is free and there is more than enough info on how to do this on the web (google) but if not than PM me

[Captain Helghas]

Originally Posted by Oroka Sempai

I want a SATA burner :'( But I am not willing to pay that much for a burner right now

I still like to think that it's a conspiracy of mobo manufacturers to rid us of IDE.

[K15]

Originally Posted by Captain Helghas

I still like to think that it's a conspiracy of mobo manufacturers to rid us of IDE.

I am proud to be a part of it then, IDE cables need to die, die NOW

[Oroka Sempai]

Originally Posted by K15

I am proud to be a part of it then, IDE cables need to die, die NOW

Yeah, even a bundled IDE is bulky... I am sure most of you have had your fingers in those really small HPs from the late 90s, not fun working around bulky IDE cables tucked in a tuna can.

[snafumaster]

I have to say, the days of floppies are not dead yet. Getting real close. Me with my three thumb drives of 512, 1GB and 2GB. I still install a floppy drive most of the time it makes things like bios updates much easier IMHO. I think you can get one new for about five to ten bucks. However, being that I do a lot of work on laptops, I find it very easy to just use a USB Floppy drive. Mostrelatively modern MoBos support them and I haven't seen a new one that doesn't in a while.

As fo your current issue, as it has already been stated, if you'r not using something like a PCI SATA or a RAID controller, you'll most likely have no problems with your install as far as drivers are concerned.

Originally Posted by K15

I am proud to be a part of it then, IDE cables need to die, die NOW

Originally Posted by Oroka Sempai

Yeah, even a bundled IDE is bulky... I am sure most of you have had your fingers in those really small HPs from the late 90s, not fun working around bulky IDE cables tucked in a tuna can.

I haven't baught a PATA HDD in some time now. They're so 98...LOL