SATA HDD and VISTA and YOU

[Sponson]

So I got myself a nice Western Digital 750g 32mb SATA hard drive. After all, my current hd, salvaged from my old computer, is about 6-7 years old.
At its current age, and what I use it for (lots and lots of .psd's), this IDE motherfucker is making me paranoid its gonna blow any month now.

Naturally, being the retard I am at computers, realized I don't have a sata cable. I bummed one off my bro for free. Still being the retard I am, I realized my current power supply unit doesn't have a sata power cable, only ONE molex connector.

Does anyone have a molex to sata connector thing?
Am I even using the right terms?

Lastly, how do you install an os on a completely blank hd?

[Eschatos]

First question: No idea
Second question: Start up the computer, insert the OS disc, set BIOS so it loads from cd instead of hd, install.

[copulatingduck]

Newegg sells them

Usually you boot from the install disc, should be pretty explanatory from their.

[Sponson]

First question: No idea
Second question: Start up the computer, insert the OS disc, set BIOS so it loads from cd instead of hd, install.

HURGRAH

thats the part I dunno how to do, the bios part.

I talked with Blues, and I realized my psu sucks, so I'm getting a new one, and it will have the sata connector I need, along with the capability of supporting new video card upgrades and such.

so its down to the os problem.

[Eschatos]

[quote author=Eschatos link=topic=3251.msg96455#msg96455 date=1247263525]
First question: No idea
Second question: Start up the computer, insert the OS disc, set BIOS so it loads from cd instead of hd, install.

HURGRAH

thats the part I dunno how to do, the bios part.

I talked with Blues, and I realized my psu sucks, so I'm getting a new one, and it will have the sata connector I need, along with the capability of supporting new video card upgrades and such.

so its down to the os problem.
[/quote]

Just look at the screen that first appears when you turn the computer on and press whatever button it says gets you to BIOS.  Rearranging boot order should be extremely easy and obvious.  If you're still not sure, just find the instruction manual for your motherboard and look in it for how to do it.

[copulatingduck]

You shouldn't have to modify boot priorities to boot from CD, afaik CDROM is pretty much always higher than HDD

[Sponson]

blues says I need to find the drivers for my mobo, lan, and such bullhockey I dont understand it oh god I just spent another 50 on a psu

[Eschatos]

Your mobo should have come with an install cd.  If not, download the stuff off the manufacturer website.

[Blues]

You shouldn't have to modify boot priorities to boot from CD, afaik CDROM is pretty much always higher than HDD

Pretty sure default is A: > HDD > CD. I always just set mine to HDD>CD so I can't remember. Also awesome steam messages.

[copulatingduck]

idk, I swear everything I've ever had was a > cd > hd > network but now idk and I gotta go check. doesn't really matter tho since a fresh hd won't have anything on it to boot from

you only need a drivers disc if you want to use windows or mac :p

[Blues]

Since he can't even figure out boot priorities (no offense there buddy), I'd have to assume he's not going anything more complicated than those two, yeah?

Also thinking about it, I think you might be right and the default might be A> CD > HDD, and it's just that I always set it out of the box to HDD > CD. Really I can't remember now because it's habitual to just change it that way regardless and keep going.

[at0m]

I probably have a molex-to-SATA adapter floating around, if you PM me your address and I'll dig around in my closet and look for it.

Other people have answered your other question, although you may need additionally to install the SATA controller drivers at install time (that 'press F5 to install third-party drivers' prompt). Check the manual for your motherboard for information.

[[fr31ns]Karrde]

Make sure you find the right drivers.  The initial release of vista is fucking retarded with it's SATA support.  I have several upgraded versions of the SATA drivers for my laptop, yet only one specific release would work for whatever reason.  And it only took the drivers after partitioning the HD.  Windows 7 better have support straight outta the box x.x

[Sponson]

got the new psu, formatted the sata just fine.

Only problem is when I boot the computer, with vista in the cd drive and the cd drive to boot first, it gives me a dos screen and then thats it. I can't run it manually on this shitted-up XP.

I have a western digital 750 gb sata hdd, their site doesn't have any vista drivers, and many people are saying it doesn't need drivers.

I have the cd as first boot and the ide as a second boot
it spends a few minutes on the cd and then boots into the normal hdd

[at0m]

got the new psu, formatted the sata just fine.

Only problem is when I boot the computer, with vista in the cd drive and the cd drive to boot first, it gives me a dos screen and then thats it. I can't run it manually on this shitted-up XP.

I have a western digital 750 gb sata hdd, their site doesn't have any vista drivers, and many people are saying it doesn't need drivers.

I have the cd as first boot and the ide as a second boot
it spends a few minutes on the cd and then boots into the normal hdd

it should spend some time on the CD and prompt you with 'press <a key> to boot from CD'. I can't remember which key, probably enter, F5, or F8. If you don't press anything it won't boot from the CD :x

[CaffeinePowered]

[quote author=Sponson link=topic=3251.msg98369#msg98369 date=1247715686]
got the new psu, formatted the sata just fine.

Only problem is when I boot the computer, with vista in the cd drive and the cd drive to boot first, it gives me a dos screen and then thats it. I can't run it manually on this shitted-up XP.

I have a western digital 750 gb sata hdd, their site doesn't have any vista drivers, and many people are saying it doesn't need drivers.

I have the cd as first boot and the ide as a second boot
it spends a few minutes on the cd and then boots into the normal hdd

it should spend some time on the CD and prompt you with 'press <a key> to boot from CD'. I can't remember which key, probably enter, F5, or F8. If you don't press anything it won't boot from the CD :x
[/quote]



With any mobo, if it detects a bootable CD/DVD, it says 'press any key to boot from CD' and will wait a second, if you do nothing it goes to the next device on the list (usually the HDD).

When you start booting the XP installer it will have a message on the bottom that says press F5 to load third party drivers, you can take this opportunity to load the SATA drivers for your motherboard.

[Sponson]

[quote author=Sponson link=topic=3251.msg98369#msg98369 date=1247715686]
got the new psu, formatted the sata just fine.

Only problem is when I boot the computer, with vista in the cd drive and the cd drive to boot first, it gives me a dos screen and then thats it. I can't run it manually on this shitted-up XP.

I have a western digital 750 gb sata hdd, their site doesn't have any vista drivers, and many people are saying it doesn't need drivers.

I have the cd as first boot and the ide as a second boot
it spends a few minutes on the cd and then boots into the normal hdd

it should spend some time on the CD and prompt you with 'press <a key> to boot from CD'. I can't remember which key, probably enter, F5, or F8. If you don't press anything it won't boot from the CD :x
[/quote]

It doesn't prompt shit. Though Ill try it with all the fkeys first.

It didn't work. No prompts, no key worked, I hit f8 to specifically boot the cd drive and it was the same deal, after a while it just boot up into xp.

[copulatingduck]

Here's a dumb question: is this a legitimate install disc? If not, perhaps it's not actually bootable? And if you get tired of your system booting from HDD, just completely remove the HDD from boot options. It will probably make diagnosing/fixing the problem quicker.

[at0m]

Here's a dumb question: is this a legitimate install disc? If not, perhaps it's not actually bootable? And if you get tired of your system booting from HDD, just completely remove the HDD from boot options. It will probably make diagnosing/fixing the problem quicker.

I was actually wondering the same thing.

Putting the ISO file onto the CD/DVD is not the same as burning the ISO to CD/DVD. ;o

[HeK]

With any mobo, if it detects a bootable CD/DVD, it says 'press any key to boot from CD' and will wait a second, if you do nothing it goes to the next device on the list (usually the HDD).

It's the software on the CDrom it's self that provides the 'Press any key to boot from CD' prompt. Most bootable CDs just boot without user interaction, provided that the boot order is correct.

For most modern BIOS', there should be a boot menu option displaying during POST. In most cases it is F12, but may differ.
In any case, as long as a CD/DVD device is detected, it will give a CDRom option in the boot menu, regardless of the contents of the disc.
If the disc is not bootable, the bios will either give a 'no boot device' error, or simply pick the next device on the boot order.