SATA harddrive problem/question

from WinCustomize Forums

Hey guys

I've run into a couple of, for me, new issues/problems.
I've never installed Windows on a SATA drive, but have to now.
From what I've been able to learn from reading around the net, I need some drivers to go along with the installation. (Which I have found)
So far so good.

Question 1: Will this erase whatever content/data is already on the harddrive? (It's split into three partitions)

In any way, I'd like to backup the data already on the drive. It holds alot of pictures/parsonal photos/skin-images. So I plugged the drive in my other machine (running XP) but the drive doesn't appear as 'available'.
Again I turned to the net for more info, and from what I've read you must 'add it' to the system before is can be recognized by the OS - but this will erase any data on the drive.

Question 2: How can I backup the data then?!

Sorry if this sound kinda newbie-like, but I have no what so ever experience with handling SATA drives. I've up untill now been used to the good ol' IDE drives, which you can just chuck into any machine ;)

3,041 views 18 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Newbie……..

You don’t need SATA drivers.

Initialize the drive on XP machine.

Copy files to XP folder or make an Image and copy it to XP.

When you install Windows on Vista machine, it will only 'format/erase' the partition you're installing to. Name them so you hit the right one. 

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting yrag, reply 1

Initialize the drive on XP machine (it will erase nothing).
End of yrag's quote

By initialize, do you mean convert to 'basic drive'?
Cause then I get this message that all data will be lost on the drive.

Sins of a Solar Empire II
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Throw up a snapshot of Disk Management panel and Device Manager/ Disk Drives  so we're looking at the same thing.

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Sorry, but the text is in Danish....
('Fremmed' means 'forreign' - dunno what the proper OS term is.)

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Device Manager/ Disk Drives
End of quote

I need to see that.

If the drive shows in My Computer, right click and hit 'Mount'.

Failing that: Disk Management/right click Disk/ select "Import Foreign Disk"

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Device Manager:

The drive doesn't show in My Computer:

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Disk Management/right click Disk/ select "Import Foreign Disk"
End of quote

Do that.

Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The only options I get when rightclicking are
Convert to basic disc, properties and help.....

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Is this a bridge connection or did you hook drive directly to XP machine?

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

It's hooked directly to the machine, in just the same way as the other drives.

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

This might get uglier then you want. Boot into bios and enable SATA. The downside is if your machine sees it on the boot, Vista may detect a dual boot and re-write the MBR.

Exactly, how much "stuff" do you want to save?

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting yrag, reply 11
This might get uglier then you want. Boot into bios and enable SATA. The downside is if your machine sees it on the boot, Vista may detect a dual boot and re-write the MBR.

Exactly, how much "stuff" do you want to save?
End of yrag's quote

1) SATA is enabled in the BIOS. ('Vista' I guess you're referring to the drive label. It's just an old label from another system)

2) I mostly wanna save everything on the first partition on the drive. About 1.5 gig of various personal pictures/images.

 

Btw, if I do install XP/Vista on this drive, on the other machine (slipstreaming drives into the installation), this won't delete anything?
I'm so confuggled after having spent more or less three days straight "inside" two machines, that I just can't remember... hehe ;)

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

About 1.5 gig of various personal pictures/images.
End of quote

Burn it to a DVD before it burns you.

Btw, if I do install XP/Vista on this drive, on the other machine (slipstreaming drives into the installation), this won't delete anything?
End of quote
 

You're making me confuggled.....

No matter where you install any Windows OS (one per partition), it will destroy any data on the partition you're installing to, You will not lose anything on any other partition or drive......

 

Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top

use the recovery disc and place the image on c drive of  everything you have on that drive if it is not larger than 150gigs for the image itself. you have 175 gigs free on c now... it should read it if the bio see's it... the program has it's own drivers for defaults. It does not rely on windows to adapt... it will assign it's own drive letters ... be careful to see which drive is what by comparing sizes and folders as such.

good luck  

ps: check the mail...

Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top

You want to install windows on new clear SATA drive?

if yes, do next

unplug all yours drives, except new SATA drive( on this drive you will install windows).

don't forget remove jumper that limit speed of hard drive to 1,5gb (without this jumper SATA drive have speed 3gb)

it placed on back side of disk.

when you start install Windows you will have possibility to format and split new disk on several partitions

do not make system partition so big (180 gb) 30-40 gb for C it's the best variant I think, but it's up to you of cause

SATA and ATA disk almost equally if you not run SATA drive in RAID mode.

when you will install windows on new SATA drive, plug old ATA drives. and use all of yours files

may be my advice no for this event. but it's (unplug old drive with information before installing windows on new one) help you save all of yours precious data

Good luck!

Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top

deltree *.*

Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top

deltree *.*
End of quote

:rofl:

Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I are back in beesnes! }:) }:)

After fighting XP vs 'the lost drive', my ex bro-in-law directed my attention to Getbackdata from runtime.org and it did what XP couldn't do - read the drive. ;)
So I made full backup, 'whiped' the drive, slapped it back in the other machine, and XP is now happily being installed as I'm typing this!
:D

Now I have to get Vista installed on this machine ;)