installing XP pro over XP home

[blueviper42]

right now I have XP home on my computer. I got a copy of XP pro that I want to use now. The problem is, I have a SATA hard drive and no floppy drive to insert the drivers in for SATA. The way I did this when I installed home was taking apart my parents computer and connecting their floppy cable to my comp, and inserting the floppy drive into theirs because we couldnt get the floppy drive out to put it in mine(if you dont understand what I mean, in short it means I currently dont have access to a floppy drive for SATA drivers now). My question is, if I already have XP home installed, when I install Pro over it, will I need to re insert the sata drivers for pro?


Thanks, I know most of that was probably hard to understand.

[Knut]

Two suggestions:

1) Buy and use floppy drive $20.00 tops.

2) Google things like; “xp Slipstreamed sata� or
“xp Slipstreamed cd sata� or “xp Slipstreamed sata drivers�...

After doing 2, 1 may not seem so bad.

[andy_wh2000]

I don't know if this would work or anything. But I noticed the other day that my 128 mb usb drive showed up at startup as a bootable device. I'm just thinking that it might be possible to skip the floppy and use a usb drive instead. Especially since floppies tend to be out of date and you can pretty much buy a usb drive for the same price as a floppy drive. I'm not saying this will work but it just came to mind when I was reading your situation.

you shouldn't even need to use those floppys disk drivers for your sata, well maybe you do, what mobo do you have?
you sure its setup right in bios?........
You only need those driver if you're setting up a raid array it should just be "plug and play" yopur mobo should read the single sata drive as on an ide channel
Andy you cant use a usb drive or device (unless its a keyboard or mouse set to be used in bios) on start up. Even a USB floppy doesnt work only an IDE floppy for start up raid drivers (the F6 portion of an OS install)

[andy_wh2000]

Originally posted by BIOS@Dec 19 2004, 10:12 PM
Andy you cant use a usb drive or device (unless its a keyboard or mouse set to be used in bios) on start up. Even a USB floppy doesnt work only an IDE floppy for start up raid drivers (the F6 portion of an OS install)

I did a quick search on google and found this. http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~shaher/Bootable_USB.html
I also checked my bios(same ones) so I wasn't wrong in that my computer could do so.
But I'm sure your right that he can't.

Of course you can set your USB device (HDD) to be the one to boot up first in the BIOS priority list, but Im talking about a OS install and raid driver installation, which can only be done with an internal floppy device, but the bottom line is that he doesnt need drivers for a single sata drive, only if its a multiple drive array.
Its confusing because many MOBO companies "offer" two sets of drivers, one labeled for raid array, and often another set labeled for sata installation. But they are usually the same means to the same end.

[blueviper42]

to BIOS: Yes I do need the drivers for a single drive. Windows doesnt know what SATA is because it was before it, so it requires drivers for even one drive. I know this because I was forced to do this when I installed XP home. ANyway, I am going to get a floppy drive today, so its all good. BTW, I have never installed an OS without an expert helping me, what all is involved?

Im using one and I never needed drivers, I have a raptor and I plugged it in just like an IDE HD and bang, ready to go. Windows doesnt detect "SATA" it just reads the controllers (Ultra ATA storage controller) Windows has its own drivers for that, that I guarantee.

Originally posted by blueviper42@Dec 20 2004, 09:08 PM
BTW, I have never installed an OS without an expert helping me, what all is involved?

It's pretty much does it itself, the only things really to look out for, is the small things like keyboard layout etc...but this is all straight forward if you take your time. :thumbup:

You will be prompted for discs for your hardware :thumbup:

Any probs, give us a post