Topic: SATA drive question

[FPF-SCM_TraceyG_XC]

I upgraded my computer again and added a nVidia 6600 AGP 8x video card, 128MB, a dual layer 16 speed DVD burner, and a Western Digital 160GB SATA drive.

Now, the question I have is this... how do I get the computer to recognise the SATA drive as drive C:. Currently it lists the following...

C: WD 120GB IDE HD
D: Lite-on Single layer 8 speed DVD Re-writer
E: Samsung Dual layer 16 speed DVD Re-writer
F: WD 160GB SATA HD

The bios seems to place the SATA drive after the IDE ports. There is an option in the BIOS to remap the SATA to an IDE port, however, you then loose the use of that port. I can also disconnect the IDE HD, and it will then boot from the SATA drive. For everything else though, it seems to insist on booting from the IDE drive first (I'd like to use the SATA drive as my boot HD for obvious reasons). I want to be able to do this without having to sacrifice an IDE port. The BIOS boot up option only specifies Hard Drive, it does not differentiate between IDE or SATA drives (maybe a BIOS update in the future will add this). I've already updated the BIOS to see if this would help (there was an update available).

Any ideas?

[wulf111]

if you are running XP right click on my computer select manage
then select disk management when that opens you can right click on the drives and select change drive letter
you will prorbably have to shuffle letters around to get them where you want and you will have to reboot a couple of times when changing the hard drive letters


i hope that answers your question

[FPF-SCM_TraceyG_XC]

Yes, I have Windows XP Pro. But will changing the drive letters in Windows cause the motherboard to boot from the SATA drive?

I had assumed that cvhanges to Windows would not affect which drive the motherboard boots from (since the OS has not been loaded yet).

[Monty]

Changing your drive letter in windows should not change the drive your computer boots from.

[toasty0]

Hot damn Tracy. I just looked up the SATA drive. Nice.

btw, I believe that windows by default now goes to drice "C" to boot unless otherwise set to do so. It used to be drive "A", the floppy first then "C".

As for your motherboard using the HD to boot, why would it? It should fire up from the bios. Maybe something has changed, but if you want you should be able to boot in DOS mode from the floppy, HD, or CD-ROM drive. Is there something I'm missing here? Otherwise, to bootup the currect OS it loads from drive "C" by default (now I'm repeating myself).

Jerry

[wulf111]

oh i guess i misinterprated your question sorry. you should be able to change the boot order in bios wich should be under the boot sequence tab but if there is no OS on the drive it will automatically go to the next drive that has an OS on it are you trying to make your SATA drive a new boot drive? are you trying to create a dual boot system? if so you will need to have an OS installed on it to boot to. or are you trying to copy over your OS to the new drive? in that case ghost or drive image can be used to make an image of your IDE hdd that you can put on your SATA drive. i hope im not confusing anyone just not 100% sure what you want to do


EDIT: it shouldnt really matter what the drives are in the bios just which drive has the OS on it. when installing windows you will have the option as to what drive you want to install it to

[E_Look]

I really shouldn't post here, as my memory of what I am about to say is kind of fuzzy, but when I installed XP Pro on a spanking new system, I either wired up the HD (it was SATA) to the wrong SATA controller (there were two on my mobo, one with the Promise chip and the other with the VIA) and it would not register as C:.  I think I had to redo the install with the drive connected to the other controller.

Anyway, I hope this was either innocuous or helpful.  (If it's screwy, tell me and I'll delete this!)

[Redshift the Kook]

I've got 1 SATA drive and 1 IDE drive but at the moment Windows is on the IDE so I boot from that. Obviously at some point I'd like to swap them over because it makes sense to have Windows on the faster SATA so I'd like to know the answer too.

As far as I know, SATA drives don't appear in the BIOS, at least not like the IDE hard drives. I think they're completly Windows driven which would explain why some people use a floppy to install SATA drivers.

Let me look at my BIOS and see if I can figure something out. 

[Redshift the Kook]

OK, in my BIOS, (I have an Abit AN7), there is an option in "Advanced BIOS Settings" that lets me choose, out of the hard drives connected, the boot order of them. It is not in the section where you auto-detect and configure IDE devices and it is not the option that allows you to choose whether to boot from a floppy, CD-Rom or Hard drive. It's a seperate option. If you don't have that option then I think you might need to upgrade your BIOS to a newer version.

[Javora]

I upgraded my computer again and added... a dual layer 16 speed DVD burner, and a Western Digital 160GB SATA drive.

Now, the question I have is this... how do I get the computer to recognise the SATA drive as drive C:
Any ideas?

TraceyG this is what you should do.  First:  Disconnect all the other drive(s) in your system except the SATA drive.  Second:  Format and install Windows onto your SATA drive.  Don't forget, if your motherboard needs third party SATA drivers to press F6 when asked and install those drivers from the floppy disk.  Third:  Reconnect the other hard drive(s) to the system.  Forth:  Go into Bios and set the boot order so that the SATA drive is the first hard drive to boot.

This does a couple of things for you Tracey, it saves time in that you know what drive you are working with.  You don't have to worry about formating the wrong drive and Windows will automatically set the SATA drive as the C: drive.  No muss, no fuss.  After that you can format and/or set the drive letter order of your other drives your leasure.  Just be sure not to install programs on to your other drives until after you set the drive order, Windows doesn't seem to like that too much.

Hopes this helps.

Matt

[Javora]

I'm going to combine both of your last posts into one responce as you have made some interesting comments in both posts.

I've got 1 SATA drive and 1 IDE drive but at the moment Windows is on the IDE so I boot from that. Obviously at some point I'd like to swap them over because it makes sense to have Windows on the faster SATA so I'd like to know the answer too.

As far as I know, SATA drives don't appear in the BIOS, at least not like the IDE hard drives. I think they're completly Windows driven which would explain why some people use a floppy to install SATA drivers.

Let me look at my BIOS and see if I can figure something out. 

Some are Windows driven, but some like my Asus P4C800-E Deluxe are not.  My motherboard has the SATA drivers setting on the chipset.  Thus I don't have to add SATA drivers from a floppy during a Windows install.  Look at my above post, that is the best way I have found to install Windows onto systems with combined IDE/SATA drives connected.  But if you have any other questions, please ask

OK, in my BIOS, (I have an Abit AN7), there is an option in "Advanced BIOS Settings" that lets me choose, out of the hard drives connected, the boot order of them. It is not in the section where you auto-detect and configure IDE devices and it is not the option that allows you to choose whether to boot from a floppy, CD-Rom or Hard drive. It's a seperate option. If you don't have that option then I think you might need to upgrade your BIOS to a newer version.

That is interesting, always thought that only Asus had the option to select the "Hard Drive boot order".  I and a couple of other people that I talk to thought that this was a Bios mistake that only Asus made.  IMHO the "Hard Drive boot order" function is a mistake and totally unnecessary.  But anyway, you need to set the boot order in both the Hard Drive boot order and the General Boot order.  The Hard Drive boot order should be set first, then the General boot order.  If you try to set the General boot order first than you may not see the Windows drive in the option list.

Thanks for posting that information, I would have continued to blame Asus for the Hard Drive boot order option when actually this is a industry wide issue.

[toasty0]

I upgraded my computer again and added... a dual layer 16 speed DVD burner, and a Western Digital 160GB SATA drive.

Now, the question I have is this... how do I get the computer to recognise the SATA drive as drive C:
Any ideas?

TraceyG this is what you should do.  First:  Disconnect all the other drive(s) in your system except the SATA drive.  Second:  Format and install Windows onto your SATA drive.  Don't forget, if your motherboard needs third party SATA drivers to press F6 when asked and install those drivers from the floppy disk.  Third:  Reconnect the other hard drive(s) to the system.  Forth:  Go into Bios and set the boot order so that the SATA drive is the first hard drive to boot.

This does a couple of things for you Tracey, it saves time in that you know what drive you are working with.  You don't have to worry about formating the wrong drive and Windows will automatically set the SATA drive as the C: drive.  No muss, no fuss.  After that you can format and/or set the drive letter order of your other drives your leasure.  Just be sure not to install programs on to your other drives until after you set the drive order, Windows doesn't seem to like that too much.

Hopes this helps.

Matt

Matt is correct. Do exactly as he says and you should be in bootup heaven.

Jerry

[The Postman]

That is interesting, always thought that only Asus had the option to select the "Hard Drive boot order".  I and a couple of other people that I talk to thought that this was a Bios mistake that only Asus made.  IMHO the "Hard Drive boot order" function is a mistake and totally unnecessary.  But anyway, you need to set the boot order in both the Hard Drive boot order and the General Boot order.  The Hard Drive boot order should be set first, then the General boot order.  If you try to set the General boot order first than you may not see the Windows drive in the option list.

Thanks for posting that information, I would have continued to blame Asus for the Hard Drive boot order option when actually this is a industry wide issue.

Shuttle also has this feature. My AV40 has had it from 10/01 in the second version of the Bios.

[jualdeaux]

Instead of reinstalling, couldn't you just alter the boot.ini and have it point to the SATA drive?

[Redshift the Kook]

I'm going to combine both of your last posts into one responce as you have made some interesting comments in both posts.

I've got 1 SATA drive and 1 IDE drive but at the moment Windows is on the IDE so I boot from that. Obviously at some point I'd like to swap them over because it makes sense to have Windows on the faster SATA so I'd like to know the answer too.

As far as I know, SATA drives don't appear in the BIOS, at least not like the IDE hard drives. I think they're completly Windows driven which would explain why some people use a floppy to install SATA drivers.

Let me look at my BIOS and see if I can figure something out. 

Some are Windows driven, but some like my Asus P4C800-E Deluxe are not.  My motherboard has the SATA drivers setting on the chipset.  Thus I don't have to add SATA drivers from a floppy during a Windows install.  Look at my above post, that is the best way I have found to install Windows onto systems with combined IDE/SATA drives connected.  But if you have any other questions, please ask

OK, in my BIOS, (I have an Abit AN7), there is an option in "Advanced BIOS Settings" that lets me choose, out of the hard drives connected, the boot order of them. It is not in the section where you auto-detect and configure IDE devices and it is not the option that allows you to choose whether to boot from a floppy, CD-Rom or Hard drive. It's a seperate option. If you don't have that option then I think you might need to upgrade your BIOS to a newer version.

That is interesting, always thought that only Asus had the option to select the "Hard Drive boot order".  I and a couple of other people that I talk to thought that this was a Bios mistake that only Asus made.  IMHO the "Hard Drive boot order" function is a mistake and totally unnecessary.  But anyway, you need to set the boot order in both the Hard Drive boot order and the General Boot order.  The Hard Drive boot order should be set first, then the General boot order.  If you try to set the General boot order first than you may not see the Windows drive in the option list.

Thanks for posting that information, I would have continued to blame Asus for the Hard Drive boot order option when actually this is a industry wide issue.

That's pretty interesting Javora. I've literally just upgraded my system to an Abit AV8-3rd Eye, (bought it today with an Athlon 64 939 3000+), and upgraded to the latest BIOS, (19), and it still has that function in the softmenu. Only now it shows SATA drives in the IDE setup option as IDE 2 slave and master. In other words it is showing the two SATA ports as extra IDE ports giving me 6. Obviously they are not IDE ports and SATA drives don't have slave and master settings as the have their own data cables, but I guess it shows up that way just to reassure you that the BIOS has picked them up. *shrugs* I guess that's the way it should have been all along.

Also the ""Hard Drive boot order" option seems to work properly now, showing both my IDE and SATA hard drive and allowing me set the boot order exactly. Actually I had no idea it could be done your way so at least there are more options but the way this new BIOS is I think it could be very simple in the future.

Another amazing thing today was I managed to replace a motherboard without having to reinstall Windows! Now that's a fricken first, lol. (Thank you God  ).

As for poor Tracey, I guess all she can do is pray a good BIOS update comes along for her Motherboard or try one of the other suggestions here. Good luck Tracey. 

[FPF-SCM_TraceyG_XC]

I have a Gigabyte GA-8IG1000 Pro motherboard. The BIOS has the normal boot up option, but no option for specifying which hard drive to boot from.

Thanks for all the responses, from what I can gather then, if the motherboard finds an OS on the IDE drive, it will boot up from that first, otherwise it will look on the SATA drive.

What I might try doing is just copying the contents of the IDE drive to the SATA drive, disconnect the IDE drive and check that it works. Then reconnect and format the IDE drive.

[Javora]

I have a Gigabyte GA-8IG1000 Pro motherboard. The BIOS has the normal boot up option, but no option for specifying which hard drive to boot from.

Thanks for all the responses, from what I can gather then, if the motherboard finds an OS on the IDE drive, it will boot up from that first, otherwise it will look on the SATA drive.

What I might try doing is just copying the contents of the IDE drive to the SATA drive, disconnect the IDE drive and check that it works. Then reconnect and format the IDE drive.

That is interesting that your motherboard does not have a hard drive boot order menu.  Hmmm, I guess that this hard drive boot order menu is not industry wide but maybe dependant on what company wrote the Bios drivers.  I'm glad to know that, in case I ever have to help someone along with this type of thing in the future.

The motherboard will load whatever OS it finds first as it travels down the boot order list.  Be it from a floppy, CD drive, or whatever hard drive you specify Bios to look to first.  Here is the tricky part, I have a front removable hard drive bay in my case connected to IDE Secondary Slave.  If I remove (or swap) the drive that is currently in there.  Then I have to go into Bios and reset the hard drive boot order so Bios will look for the SATA drive that I have Windows loaded on.  At one point I had four hard drives loaded on my system, two IDE and two SATA.  Any time I swapped a drive via the removable drive bay, the Bios would reset itself to the default boot order.  Which is why I have to change the hard drive boot order every time I swap or remove a hard drive.  The default boot order as follows and I pretty sure this is for all motherboards:

IDE Primary-Master
IDE Primary-Slave
IDE Secondary-Master
IDE Secondary-Slave
SATA 1
SATA 2

So the only way I could get away with swapping/removing hard drives without changing the boot order in Bios would be to keep the OS loaded onto the IDE Primary-Master.  Confused yet??!?   

As for copying the contents from the IDE drive to the SATA drive.  It might work but you may have to change or rebuild the Master Boot Record.

Hope this helps.

Matt

[Redshift the Kook]

The thing is Tracey, when you reconnect the IDE hard drive won't the motherboard just boot from that again? 

[Demandred]

Weird... My SATA drive worked just fine out of the box as drive C in Windows... even when I had to change it from the nForce controller to the secondary one because SuSE 9.2 doesn't like nForce much. Motherboard: Gigabyte K8NSNXP-939.

[FPF-SCM_TraceyG_XC]

The thing is Tracey, when you reconnect the IDE hard drive won't the motherboard just boot from that again? 

Hopefully, once the IDE drive is formatted and no longer contains an OS, the BIOS will continue looking for one until it reaches the SATA drive.

[FPF-SCM_TraceyG_XC]

I have a Gigabyte GA-8IG1000 Pro motherboard. The BIOS has the normal boot up option, but no option for specifying which hard drive to boot from.

Thanks for all the responses, from what I can gather then, if the motherboard finds an OS on the IDE drive, it will boot up from that first, otherwise it will look on the SATA drive.

What I might try doing is just copying the contents of the IDE drive to the SATA drive, disconnect the IDE drive and check that it works. Then reconnect and format the IDE drive.

That is interesting that your motherboard does not have a hard drive boot order menu.  Hmmm, I guess that this hard drive boot order menu is not industry wide but maybe dependant on what company wrote the Bios drivers.  I'm glad to know that, in case I ever have to help someone along with this type of thing in the future.

The motherboard will load whatever OS it finds first as it travels down the boot order list.  Be it from a floppy, CD drive, or whatever hard drive you specify Bios to look to first.  Here is the tricky part, I have a front removable hard drive bay in my case connected to IDE Secondary Slave.  If I remove (or swap) the drive that is currently in there.  Then I have to go into Bios and reset the hard drive boot order so Bios will look for the SATA drive that I have Windows loaded on.  At one point I had four hard drives loaded on my system, two IDE and two SATA.  Any time I swapped a drive via the removable drive bay, the Bios would reset itself to the default boot order.  Which is why I have to change the hard drive boot order every time I swap or remove a hard drive.  The default boot order as follows and I pretty sure this is for all motherboards:

IDE Primary-Master
IDE Primary-Slave
IDE Secondary-Master
IDE Secondary-Slave
SATA 1
SATA 2

So the only way I could get away with swapping/removing hard drives without changing the boot order in Bios would be to keep the OS loaded onto the IDE Primary-Master.  Confused yet??!?   

As for copying the contents from the IDE drive to the SATA drive.  It might work but you may have to change or rebuild the Master Boot Record.

Hope this helps.

Matt

Not confused at all, makes perfect sense. I think Western Digital has a HD copy utility somewhere that can transfer the OS from one WD HD to another. Since both my drives are WD, I assume it would update the MBR as well. Will see what happens.

[Javora]

Hopefully, once the IDE drive is formatted and no longer contains an OS, the BIOS will continue looking for one until it reaches the SATA drive.

Or it will be like my system and halts when Bios hits the first hard drive.  That however is just a simple Bios boot order change and in a case like yours, it should be a one time thing.

Not confused at all, makes perfect sense. I think Western Digital has a HD copy utility somewhere that can transfer the OS from one WD HD to another. Since both my drives are WD, I assume it would update the MBR as well. Will see what happens.

Yes all major hard drive manufactures have this type of utility and that should work.  Good luck.