Moving Windows from IDE to SATA hdd - Help wanted!

SpeedZone · Rated NC-17 Joined: 06 Apr 2008 Posts: 193

Calling all Big Bruin members to help me solve this mistery. Bang Head

I bought new SATA2 hdd and want to move my existing installation which is on IDE hdd to this new SATA2 hdd.

Here is what I did so far:

I made an image of IDE drive and restore it to SATA2 drive. That worked and still does, but SATA drive works in that IDE "simulation" mode...which is not what i want. If I change sata setting in bios to ACHI...drive wont boot (in that case BSOD pops up while loading and computer restarts). I read that best way is to do a new clean install of WinXP, but since i have lots of documents settings, emails,etc etc....on the current installation, I rather wouldnt do that unless thats the only way. I tried with F6 workaround (because otherwise the only way to get sata to work is to press F6 during windows installation (clean install) and load sata drivers from floppy). I read that this can be also done later with some small registry key to be added and later with installing that Intel's sata driver stuff (dont remember exact name atm). But when i tried that...and later set sata to achi mode in bios...drive booted but needed at least 5-10mins to get to windows...just like it was looking for something...or similar to when drivers arent loaded. Crazy

But when it loaded...everything worked fine...although in hdtune and/or hdtach...information bar about connection type was either empty...or shown to work as UATA7 or 8. Then i removed that stuff i added before, from the registry, uninstall Intel software...and set sata to disabled in windows...and it works now...but in ide mode again. Mad

Later I tried to do the following...to put 2 IDE drives in RAID0...install new windows there...and add this SATA drive as SATA. During windows I install IDE RAID drivers...and SATA driver...but later....when install was done...SATA drive still caused problems (was still in IDE mode and SATA mode didnt work at all).

Does anyone know whether SATA drive MUST also be connected when you install new windows (if you install it on IDE drive) or whether its enough to just press that F6 during install....install SATA drivers....install windows....and later connect SATA drive...and still get it recognized as SATA not as simulated IDE drive?

Also...is it possible to have IDE RAID0 and SATA drive together? Or could in that case drivers cause some problems between them?

One last thing...when i installed the windows on IDE RAID0 + SATA drive (which wasnt connected...and pressed F6...and first select IDE RAID0 drivers....then SATA ICH9 driver....later....when windows installed further...it only asked me to put in floppy with IDE RAID0 drivers and read from it (probably only then it installed them), but it didnt ask for SATA ICH9 driver anymore !? (could it be because SATA drive wasnt connected/on at that time (it's in external case connected via eSATA connection))?

Motherboard is GigaByte X38 with ICH9 southbridge (oh, and I later installed its own SATA drivers from CD too, but nothing changed...simulated IDE mode only Confused

).

What is best thing to do? Is there some short and simple way to get this SATA drive to work (as real SATA drive) with current windows xp installation on it (be it as the only drive in the system or together with 2 old IDE drives, i dont care...)...or is clean install of windows the only way?

(been dealing with this headache for last 2 days...and it really eaten all my nerves Mad

)

Thank You in advance for all your help/ideas/opinions. Wink

**Doctor Feelgood** · Posted: Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:18:27 Post Subject:

Seems like way more work and typing than should be necessary! Grin

What kind of drives? If one is a Seagate or Maxtor, get Seagate's Disk Wizard. It is basically a free copy of the important parts of Acronis (that only works if one of the disks in the system is their brand). Just clone it and reboot with the SATA drive as the boot drive.

Acronis is another good option if you wanna spend a few $.

SpeedZone · Rated NC-17 Joined: 06 Apr 2008 Posts: 193

I know I know....way too much...hahaha...I just wanted to write everything i know and did so far... Grin

And no and no...not maxtor not seagate...but 2 IDE's are WD and SATA is Samsung. Rolling Eyes

I already tried to find some similar "transfer tool" at both sites, but no luck.

And it's not a problem to copy/clone...that went fine...but problem is since normally windows XP dont install sata support drivers...and now...when i had it on IDE....when I cloned the drive to sata...there are no sata drivers installed in that winxp (and best way is to install them with new clean install)...so thats the main problem i see why i cant set new sata drive to work with all sata (achi) features as it should...and am only greeted with this simulated ide mode... Bang Head

p.s.
Unless this Acronis tool, everyone talks about, can add those sata drivers to existing win installation while cloning the IDE drive!? Which i doubt it can?! Or can it? Confused

SpeedZone · Rated NC-17 Joined: 06 Apr 2008 Posts: 193

UPDATE:

I solved the problem. I didnt knew that (maybe it is just my system?) you cant install SATA drivers (at least not to get them work properly later) with Windows XP SP2 CD that I have. Every time after clean install (together with SATA drivers), when Windows wanted to load for first time, BSOD with some error was shown at loading bar and computer restarted.

Finally (after some misterious loss of partitions - with VIP info on them - and after restoring them and copying all those important files), I got it to work. And the key to success was in original Windows XP CD. This reminded me that at some times you just cant rush things (because i wanted to save time by installing SP2 directly before). So, Win XP+SATA drivers=Success. King

Anyway...now all works...SATA drive+2 IDE drives in RAID0...and since they're all fast as he**...I am more than happy (AT LASTTTTTT Grin

).

Thank You once more for your help Dr.F. (and you can lock this thread/topic now if you wish). Wave