Re: HP Pavilion a752n - installing XP to SATA from IDE CD-ROM

Let me add also that I have installed XP SP2 (Dell version) on SATA drives in a
large number of Dell boxes (anywhere from 4 year-olds with 865/875 chipset and
original SATA to modern 900-chipset systems) that I refurbish and sell, never
with a problem even close to what you've described. In a few systems, I have
installed SATA drives, when the original system had a PATA drive with a single
SATA connector. For good measure, I have done the same with later model
IBM/Lenovo desktops.

Whether Asus created this mess for you or HP did it, the problem does not speak
well for either of them. Installation of XP SP2 on a SATA drive should be a
no-brainer with the right chipset and motherboard BIOS. The motherboard in this
system has an Intel 915 chipset, so the BIOS must be FUBAR.

One last question: Does HP have any restore CD/DVD available for this system?
Maybe there is some secret stuff on an HP restore CD... Ben Myers

On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 23:11:01 -0500, Thomas Hedden
<tdhedden@MAPS_ON_comcast_NO_SPAM.net> wrote:

>Here is the status of this problem.
>
>On closer examination of the HD and its SATA
>cable, I realized that the SATA cable was
>not supplying power to the HD. The cable was
>only blocking the SATA power cable connection
>so that a legacy power connector could be
>used without danger of a SATA power connector
>also being connected (the HD can be damaged
>if both types of power cables are connected
>at the same time). This might explain why
>the computer only could only see the HD when
>the legacy power cable was connected to it.
>
>I gave up on the on-board SATA and bought
>a PCI SATA controller card that came with
>a driver disk. I connected this card and
>a SATA power cable to the SATA HD. Then,
>I inserted the Windows XP installation
>CD-ROM into a CD-ROM drive and booted off
>it, and, when the Windows XP Setup program
>started, pressed F6 to point the Setup
>program to the drivers on a floppy drive.
>The Setup program seemed to run normally.
>It found the HD and asked me to partition
>it. I deleted all existing partitions,
>created a new one containing the entire
>disk (about 120GB), and watched the Setup
>program copy the necessary files to this
>partition. When it finished, it asked me
>to remove the floppy disk and said it
>would reboot. I removed the floppy disk
>and the CD-ROM, and let it reboot. When
>it rebooted, it could not find the HD.
>It prompted me to reboot and select a
>boot device. When I did so, the boot
>menu did not contain the HD: the only
>possible boot devices it contained were
>the floppy drive and the two CD-ROM/DVD
>drives.
>
>I tried booting from the Windows XP
>installation CD-ROM again, but it just
>wanted to start the installation process
>all over again: it did not continue
>the Setup process further along.
>
>This computer still does not see the
>SATA HD, even after Windows XP has
>successfully installed to the SATA HD.
>
>Does anyone have any ideas what is
>wrong or what I should try next?
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Tom

Tom,

The totally annoying part of dealing with HP Pavilion systems is the near
complete absence of good solid and thorough technical information. For example,
is there anything in a user guide to explain Onboard PATA/SATA configuration
[enhanced mode][combined mode]? There is some possibility that a comparable
Asus motherboard may have a manual that explains the BIOS setup options in some
detail.

The second most annoying thing is the sparseness of drivers. Sometimes there
are no drivers at all. Other times, there are drivers only for the
factory-installed OS, leaving people on their own for OS upgrades and
downgrades.

I would ask if HP Pres Mark Hurd is listening, but I am 100% convinced that HP
made a conscious policy decision to market, sell and support Pavilion (and
Presario) systems as home appliances, rather than computers. As far as I am
concerned, this is a perfect example of lipstick on a pig. No matter what,
computers and their software are infinitely complex devices, not appliances,
especially with Microsoft's steady guiding hand on operating system development.

.... Ben Myers

On Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:26:27 -0500, Thomas Hedden
<tdhedden@MAPS_ON_comcast_NO_SPAM.net> wrote:

>Hello Ben,
>
>Thanks for your messages.
>
> > The only things that comes to mind are to revert
> > back to the original configuration, using a 4-pin
> > Molex to SATA power adapter, ...
>I think that I could try disconnecting the SATA
>power cable and connecting a legacy power cable.
>
> > ... then possibly change a configuration option.
> > Your original posting showed:
> > Onboard PATA/SATA configuration [enhanced mode]
> > If there is something called "legacy mode" or
> > "emulation mode", try it.
>If I remember correctly, the other option is
>"[combined mode]". I think I tried it once before,
>but I'll experiment with some of these BIOS
>settings again.
>
> > Otherwise, I think I would sell the system in
> > whole or in part and move on to something more
> > friendly...
>I might, but I think I'll try installing Linux
>on it before unloading it. It had Linux installed
>on it already, which worked, and I wiped it out
>to install XP. (I would have wiped it out anyway,
>since I would want a clean system.)
>
> > ... I have installed XP SP2 (Dell version) on
> > SATA drives in a large number of Dell boxes ...
> > and never with a problem even close to what
> > you've described. ...
> > Whether Asus created this mess for you or HP
> > did it, the problem does not speak well for
> > either of them.
>Agreed. I like Dells, too. I've never had any
>problems with them.
>
> > Does HP have any restore CD/DVD available for
> > this system?
>I don't have one, since I bought this system
>used. I'll have to check Ebay: maybe I can find
>one there.
>
>Thanks again for your suggestions. I'll fool
>around with it some more and let you know what
>happens.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Tom