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W2K can't find my ATA Controller!!

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5 replies

by whatnetever

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I am trying to install W2K on an ATA-100 hard Drive that is connected onto a "Promise ATA 100 Onboard controller" ASUS A7V-133 MB. I have already installed Win98 on C, and would like to install W2K on D. However, when I tried to do so, W2K cannot find a partition to install on, even though D is formatted and ready. I have nothing connected onto the 2 IDE regular channels. What could be a problem? Looks like W2K is unable to detect the ATA controller...

Thanks

5 replies

by thechas

Check out this page at www.winoscentral.com

http://www.winoscentral.com/windowsxp/error-asus.php

Since XP was built on the W2K core, it looks like it was a legacy problem.
I say was, because the "gold" version of XP does include a Promise Driver in the setup boot files.

3 options:
1. Temporarily connect the drives to the ATA66 interface as the article suggests.
2. Modify the boot floppy to include the W2K Promise driver.
3. Start with an XP startup floppy set.
I don't know if this will work, but you could try booting from floppy with the XP floppy startup files. (you can download the file to create the floppy set from Microsoft)
And then run setup from your W2K CD.

I have 2 of these ASUS boards and like the drive flexability.
I have my system drive on the Promise primary.
A hot-swap bay on the secondary.
My CD-ROM on the ATA66 primary (as slave)
My CD-RW and DVD drive on the ATA66 secondary.

Just a side note, I was not able to get mine to boot with a CD drive as Master on the ATA66 Primary.

Chas

by adeal

The Promise controller (like on the Tyan motherboards) requires it's own driver for W2K to load - just like setting up a SCSI drive. You'll need to download it (or hopefully the "magic" floppy disk came with the motherboard.

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