Compaq nc6320

[Compet]

Trying to install a new 320GB Hard Drive and when trying to load Winows XP as a clean install, receive message that no HD exists to install to.  Does anyone know a work around?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Go into your BIOS and in the device configuration menu, change your SATA Native Mode from enabled to disabled.

Then install XP as you expected.

When done, you should install the SATA ACHI driver so you can enable the SATA Native Mode setting again for better performance.

Here's how:

1. Install the chipset driver first & reboot:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=0&...

The following steps are used for installing AHCI drivers in Windows XP operating system installed using the IDE mode.

2. Download AHCI driver from downloadcenter.intel.com then extract the files to a folder you name. Put the folder on your C: drive and remember where you put it so you can browse to it .

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?a​gr=Y&DwnldID=19599&lang=eng

3. Right-click the My Computer icon, click Manage, select Device Manager

4. Click the + symbol beside IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers , this would show the devices under this category.

5. You will find the Intel native SATA storage controller driver installed.

6. Right-click one of the Serial ATA storage controllers listed, and click Update Driver .

7. In Welcome to the Hardware Update Wizard, select No, not this time. Click Next .

8. Select Install from a list or specific location (Advanced) . Click Next

9. Select Don't search I will choose the driver to install . Click Next

10. Click Have Disk

11. Click Browse

12. Select location: c:\folder you saved ACHI drivers to.

13. Select iaAHCI.inf

14. Click Open

15. This will list several SATA AHCI Controllers. From this list, select Intel® ICH7 SATA AHCI Controller (I am not sure as the the specific one if there is more than one (Pick the one that is closest to the name of the controller in your device manager). Click Next.

16. The Update Driver Warning will be shown. Click Yes

17. The driver will install, and completing the Hardware update Wizard appears. Click Finish

18. You can find the updated controller in the device manager.

19. During restart, press the F10 key and boot to BIOS setup utility . Go back to your device configurations sub menu and change the SATA Native Mode back to Enabled, save settings there (F10) and upon exit, save changes and reboot.

Now, the SATA driver is successfully installed and the desktop will boot into Windows with SATA Device Mode set to AHCI.

Paul