# Setting up BIOS to boot from SATA hdd



## theinkman (Nov 26, 2004)

I have installed a WD Raptor on my system using a SIIG 3112 controller card, and I would like to use this as my boot drive. My comp uses an Intel 815EEA mobo, and I presently am booting from an older WD 40GB IDE drive. I was advised that to boot from the SATA drive, I needed to set up "SCSI" as a boot device in my BIOS. But, I don't have that option available. Here are the choices I have for boot devices:

Floppy
ARMD-FDD
ARMD-HDD
IDE-HDD
ATAPI-CDRom
Option ROM

I would like to do a clean install of XP on the Raptor, but I don't know which option to chose for a boot device. I know that when I install XP, I want the CD as a boot device. How do I specify the SATA drive for the install?
Any advice is appreciated.


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## crazijoe (Oct 19, 2004)

I would specify the CDROM as the first boot device. When XP starts the installation you will have to press F6 to load device drivers for the SATA controller card. The drivers being on a floppy disk. When the installation comes to formating the HD, the SATA drive should be listed with the drives.


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## theinkman (Nov 26, 2004)

*More*

Crazijoe-thanks once again for the help. My BIOS is presently setup to boot from the CD first, then the IDE drive which is the current boot device. Do I need to change this order before I do the install of XP, or is pressing F6 and installing the proper drivers from a floppy sufficient? I am planning on disconnecting the existing IDE drive before the new install of XP and using it for storage after. Should I remove it from the boot order? Thanks again.

theinkman


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## crazijoe (Oct 19, 2004)

I would leave that boot order you have (CDROM, IDE). But keep the WD 40GB disconnected from the system until you have the OS loaded on the SATA drive. 
My only concern is that you do not have any other options for boot devices listed. I have ran into this once on an older system where I installed a PCI IDE RAID card. I had 2 drives in an array and a spare drive on the MB IDE channel. after the OS was installed, on the RAID array, the system did not want to boot from it as long as the spare drive was hooked up. The only way I aleviated the problem was to get a firewire enclosure for the spare drive and take it off the MB IDE channels. Then it would boot off the array.


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## theinkman (Nov 26, 2004)

*How's this for a plan*

Crazijoe-here then is my plan:

1. Shutoff computer, disconnect power, and then disconnect the existing IDE drive.
2.Commence to install XP on the SATA, using the F6 key and installing the appropriate controller drivers when prompted.
3.If install of XP on the SATA drive is successful, try to reconnect the IDE drive, format, partition, and try to set it up as a "non-bootable" (storage) drive.

If you see any potential issues with this plan or don't think it will work, please let me know. I would like to keep the IDE drive to use on my system.

Thanks


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## crazijoe (Oct 19, 2004)

Looks good to me.


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