Cannot detect hard drive

[KennethF]

Hello all,

Recently I've built another computer, and I ran into an issue.

When installing windows, I successfully load the small drivers and what not, until it gets to the part where it prepares to install windows, and then I get a message telling me hard drive is not found. What the heck is that about.

Motherboard is Intel media series Dp35dp

Hard drive is a western digital 7200 rpm, 320 gig drive.

I really hope someone can help, I'm really getting frusterated.

Thanks all!

Kenneth

 

[KGB]

Ken,

What version of Windows are you trying to install?

BTW... Welcome to the Forums! :beer:

 

[KennethF]

Windows XP Pro

 

[sersh23]

First thing I'd do is install the disk on another PC and run some disk analyzer program or just scandisk on that hard disk. Is it a new disk? Was the partion/format process normal?

 

[KennethF]

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, this is a brand new hard drive, in fact, I went out and bought a second brand new hard drive because I was suspicious of the first, the same thing. I'm quite sure they are both working fine, my HDD light blinks. Also, it doesn't even get to the point of the partitions yet.

I went out and bought a new copy of windows XP Home, because I needed one anyway, as was just using the other one to install it and get it up and running. XP Home will now go on this one.

I'm still having the exact same trouble... Windows doesn't see the hard drive...Bios does!

So any further help on this I'd really appreciate, I'm at my wits end...

If any more info is needed I'll post it right away, because the only thing on my mind atm is fixing this.

Thanks!

KennethF

 

[PurdueRy]

Is SP2 integrated into the new install disc you bought? If not, then search google for creating a "slipstreamed" windows install.

 

[skillyho]

Just like PurdueRy said...make sure you get SP2 slipstreamed on the installer if you don't already have it. It would be difficult to find a genuine new copy these days that didn't have it but still. You can use nlite (google is your pal) if you've never done this. If you're still using SP1A Windows typically will not recognize various SATA HD's and do lots of odd things with drives bigger than 120GB.

Even though BIOS "sees" your HD as being an available device, check your RAID/SATA/IDE settings. Make sure to disable RAID and all that other advanced stuff in BIOS. If you have SP2 on your OS Installer disc and it still will not pick it up, make sure the SATA port is "on" not off (I've seen this happen on boards from Intel). It has to be a CMOS configuration issue.