quick SATA HDD questions

im building my computer in three days, and I will use one SATA 160GB HDD for everything. I have read that sometimes the SATA drive wont be recognized by windows when I will install the OS, and I am scared of this happening. Then I read that you have to install drivers for this, would I do this in the BIOS if it doesnt detect it, or what would I do to install the SATA drivers? and what are the chances that my HDD wont be detected by windows to install the OS?

If you need drivers it is during the windows install. When it says press F6 (I think, one of the F keys anyway) to install 3rd party raid controller drivers (something to that effect) press f6 and have a floppy with the drivers on it ready.

More than likely you wont have to, but if you do its at this page.

k thanks a lot!

and if i dont have a floppy drive with the build, can i configure a USB drive to act as a floppy and put it on that?

and a little off topic, but the partitioning and formatting of the drive is done during the windows setup, correct?

http://www.windowsxphome.windowsrein...whdd/part1.htm

If the motherboard has USB floppy support you chould not have a problem, if you have a problen you can try this
When adding a driver by pressing F6 and using a USB floppy drive, the device driver loads initially, but after the first reboot during the install the floppy drive is no longer recognized by the system and the driver fails to load.
Cause:
The initial DOS USB floppy driver used is not available after the first reboot. Configuring the USB floppy as a Mass Storage Device allows an available driver to be used.
Solution:
Have the USB floppy connected when the system is started.
In the system BIOS:
1. Advanced

a. Floppy Configuration
i. Floppy A: set to Disabled
ii. Onboard Floppy Controller: set to Disabled

b. USB Configuration
i. USB Mass Storage Device Configuration (this option is not present unless a USB floppy is connected)
ii. Set Emulation type to Floppy

Press F10 to Save settings
Reboot

so i take my USB mass storage device and do this to set it as a floppy, and if i have the driver files on the mass storage device then it recognizes it and im good to install? or are you talking about a USB floppy drive, and not just a mass storage device?



thats great, thanks

If you have your floppy disabled in your bios since your not going to have one, more than likely it will pick up your USB floppy. Just look aroud in the bios and see if it has a enable USB floppy support and enable it!

i am not using a USB floppy, just a USB flashdrive. so can i configure the flashdrive to act as a floppy in the BIOS?

Unless things have changed recently, no it would have to be a floppy.

As far as I know its not going to work with a flashdrive