I gotta use a floppy to install Windows onto a SATA drive?

Ragnaros · 18 Apr 2006 at 18:14

Is this true? Windows won't recognise my drive so i need to install drivers using a floppy? I don't even have a floppy drive. Is there any way past it? The drive i'm buying is a Western Digital Caviar 250Gb.

~Ragnaros

BONES__69 · 18 Apr 2006 at 18:25

You don't NEED a floppy for anything anymore

It use to be the case that you NEEDED a floppy for SATA/SCSI drivers during installation (BIOS and TRUE DOS procedures can be done simply using a DOS boot CD)
However thanks to the superb nLite this is no longer the case as you can very simply and quickly slip-stream any needed drivers into your XP disc using that

http://www.nliteos.com/
..

tom_e · 18 Apr 2006 at 18:41

BONES__69 said:
You don't NEED a floppy for anything anymore
It use to be the case that you NEEDED a floppy for SATA/SCSI drivers during installation (BIOS and TRUE DOS procedures can be done simply using a DOS boot CD)
However thanks to the superb nLite this is no longer the case as you can very simply and quickly slip-stream any needed drivers into your XP disc using that

http://www.nliteos.com/
..

This is the way forward ive just done it for my SATA drive and it works a treat

humax · 18 Apr 2006 at 19:31

how dose this nLite work and were do you download it from ?

humax · 18 Apr 2006 at 19:33

ok scrap. that i found the download but how do u use it ?
:confused:

BONES__69 · 18 Apr 2006 at 20:46

humax said:
ok scrap. that i found the download but how do u use it ?

Well you install it and then follow the simple on-screen commands :rolleyes:

Have you actually tried using it?

cavemanoc · 18 Apr 2006 at 22:26

Thanks for that - will be using that for my media pc install shortly - finally, no need to start again everytime the system crashes!

humax · 18 Apr 2006 at 22:54

no. not tried using it yet it saying something about ( locating the windows installation file to customize )

rpstewart · 19 Apr 2006 at 09:31

Ragnaros said:
Is this true? Windows won't recognise my drive so i need to install drivers using a floppy? I don't even have a floppy drive. Is there any way past it? The drive i'm buying is a Western Digital Caviar 250Gb.

~Ragnaros

It may be that you won't even need drivers to install windows, most new mobos will allow you to set the SATA controller(s) to emulate normal IDE ports which the Windows install will recognise natively.

breadturbo · 19 Apr 2006 at 09:49

so if u do that will it slow it down?

Ragnaros · 19 Apr 2006 at 15:30

I integrated nF4 drivers into my copy of Windows so i hope it recognises my hd. If it doesn't i don't know what i'll do.

Dunky · 19 Apr 2006 at 15:43

As long as you're not using RAID, Windows XP will install fine onto a SATA drive on an nF4 motherboard without slipstreaming. RAID will either need the drivers slipstreamed or floppy disc'd for the install.