Installing XP - Hard Drive not installed?!

shindb81 · 10-04-2006, 09:22 PM

Hi all.
Can you help me if you have the time to read this?

I just bought a used desktop. It is Dell Precision Workstation 370.

It's missing all manuals and even recovery CD, but Windows XP was installed and it worked fine. But then, I decided to make a new partition to store data, and used partition magic to do the job. The hard drive is 80GB, by the way.

Because I formated each partition, I tried to install Windows XP from the beginning.

And I have done this before on other computers..

Suddenly, on the installation screen, it says, "Hard drive is not installed on your system", and I cannot install Windows XP. I have installed Windows XP with this CD before.

I tried it changing the file system of the hard drive to both FAT32 AND NTSF system, and neither works.

So I thought then Partition Magic screwed up, so I used fdisk to just make it back to one partition. And I can't think of any reason why that shouldn't work, but it just doesn't work. The same message, "Hard drive is not installed in your system".

Weird! It was running just fine before. And strangely, when I was running the fdisk, deleting all partitions and creating a new one, it said the total space was 10GB when it was supposed to be 80GB. Then when I confirmed it, suddenly it said, "recalculating disk space" and showed 80GB back again.

At this time, I was thinking, there must be something wrong with this hard drive.

And another strange thing was...when I tried installing Windows 98 SE, it worked! Then I tried to upgrade it to Windows XP, and there comes the blue screen.

I need Windows XP on this computer, and don't know how to deal with this.

Oh, it's a SATA hard drive by the way. I've never used a SATA drive before. Could this be a problem? Do I need a new hard drive?

**Terrister** · 10-04-2006, 09:38 PM

Here are the drivers for your system. http://support.dell.com/support/down...&os=WW1&osl=EN

You will need the sata driver on floppy or cd to load windows.

When you boot from the Windows cd, it will ask you if need to load drivers. I think you hit F6. Point it to the sata driver and it should see the HD.

shindb81 · 10-05-2006, 12:15 AM

Terrister-
Thanks for looking it up for me.
Could you please direct me how to get that file? The link does not work.
Can I follow it from Dell homepage?
I really appreciate it.
But the thing is, when I load from windows, it doesn't even ask for anything. It just says Drive is not installed and that Setup will terminate..

**Fr4665** · 10-05-2006, 01:54 AM

go into your bios and look for the ide settings. usually you can adjust sata harddrives to function as normal pata aka IDE (with the ribbon cable) harddrives. this might solve th problem and let your computer see the sata harddrive as an ide harddrive wich doesnt require any drivers.

if that doesnt work wait until terrister posts back with some further instructions on how to make the sata drivers work for you

**Terrister** · 10-05-2006, 06:49 AM

If not, go here http://support.dell.com/support/down...=us&l=en&s=gen and input your service tag # or choose your model.

shindb81 · 10-05-2006, 11:43 AM

Thank you Terrister and Fr4665.
After much struggle, I was able to get the SATA driver on my floppy, and it did the trick.
Thanks!

**Terrister** · 10-05-2006, 03:06 PM

Glad you got it.

10-04-2006, 09:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
shindb81 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 3 OS: WinXP	Installing XP - Hard Drive not installed?! Hi all. Can you help me if you have the time to read this? I just bought a used desktop. It is Dell Precision Workstation 370. It's missing all manuals and even recovery CD, but Windows XP was installed and it worked fine. But then, I decided to make a new partition to store data, and used partition magic to do the job. The hard drive is 80GB, by the way. Because I formated each partition, I tried to install Windows XP from the beginning. And I have done this before on other computers.. Suddenly, on the installation screen, it says, "Hard drive is not installed on your system", and I cannot install Windows XP. I have installed Windows XP with this CD before. I tried it changing the file system of the hard drive to both FAT32 AND NTSF system, and neither works. So I thought then Partition Magic screwed up, so I used fdisk to just make it back to one partition. And I can't think of any reason why that shouldn't work, but it just doesn't work. The same message, "Hard drive is not installed in your system". Weird! It was running just fine before. And strangely, when I was running the fdisk, deleting all partitions and creating a new one, it said the total space was 10GB when it was supposed to be 80GB. Then when I confirmed it, suddenly it said, "recalculating disk space" and showed 80GB back again. At this time, I was thinking, there must be something wrong with this hard drive. And another strange thing was...when I tried installing Windows 98 SE, it worked! Then I tried to upgrade it to Windows XP, and there comes the blue screen. I need Windows XP on this computer, and don't know how to deal with this. Oh, it's a SATA hard drive by the way. I've never used a SATA drive before. Could this be a problem? Do I need a new hard drive?

10-04-2006, 09:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
Terrister Moderator Hardware Forum Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: West Georgia, USA Posts: 7,081 OS: Xp	Here are the drivers for your system. http://support.dell.com/support/down...&os=WW1&osl=EN You will need the sata driver on floppy or cd to load windows. When you boot from the Windows cd, it will ask you if need to load drivers. I think you hit F6. Point it to the sata driver and it should see the HD. __________________

10-05-2006, 12:15 AM	#3 (permalink)
shindb81 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 3 OS: WinXP	Terrister- Thanks for looking it up for me. Could you please direct me how to get that file? The link does not work. Can I follow it from Dell homepage? I really appreciate it. But the thing is, when I load from windows, it doesn't even ask for anything. It just says Drive is not installed and that Setup will terminate.. Last edited by shindb81; 10-05-2006 at 12:17 AM.

10-05-2006, 01:54 AM	#4 (permalink)
Fr4665 aka mr.fraggs Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA or Germany Posts: 2,965 OS: Win XP,Vista,Android My System	go into your bios and look for the ide settings. usually you can adjust sata harddrives to function as normal pata aka IDE (with the ribbon cable) harddrives. this might solve th problem and let your computer see the sata harddrive as an ide harddrive wich doesnt require any drivers. if that doesnt work wait until terrister posts back with some further instructions on how to make the sata drivers work for you __________________ I don't subscribe to threads please PM me if i miss a reply. ------- Everest SensorView Pro DriverCleaner how to fix your game

10-05-2006, 06:49 AM	#5 (permalink)
Terrister Moderator Hardware Forum Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: West Georgia, USA Posts: 7,081 OS: Xp	If not, go here http://support.dell.com/support/down...=us&l=en&s=gen and input your service tag # or choose your model. __________________

10-05-2006, 11:43 AM	#6 (permalink)
shindb81 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 3 OS: WinXP	Thank you Terrister and Fr4665. After much struggle, I was able to get the SATA driver on my floppy, and it did the trick. Thanks!

10-05-2006, 03:06 PM	#7 (permalink)
Terrister Moderator Hardware Forum Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: West Georgia, USA Posts: 7,081 OS: Xp	Glad you got it. __________________