Sata hard drive installation vista

I just put a computer together and it would not see the driver from USB, I had to install an old floppy! Probably not. The reason you can't install Vista on it in the first place is because the setup program doesn't have the driver to use the drive.

It will probably fail because there is no driver to get beyond the boot. Also, because the installation was done on the IDE port, it is unlikely the SATA drivers would be on the drive since the installer didn't need them.

Is there any particular reason you can't just keep both the hard drive and the DVD drive on the IDE port as slave and master? Your answer is yes when you install it and computer boots you can install its driver. The whole point is speed if it is an old drive that the hardware is PATA you are bound to whatever speed it has or at the most and even if you connect it to SATA you would not be able to get speeds of or As I mentioned before windows will not take the driver from cd or USB even though it sees it, it has to be a floppy and you have to press F6 to ask for the floppy.

I just checked your motherboard spec, it does not have a floppy connection you're stuck! Check the motherboard manual see what they suggest. Contact Us VideoHelp Top. All times are GMT The time now is All rights reserved. Latest tool updates. DVDFab K-Lite Codec Pack Standard Video Thumbnails Make XMedia Recode 3.

You may need to confirm that you have enough space inside your computer tower to physically mount the new hard drive. You should also check to see if you have an available SATA port on your motherboard where you can plug in the new hard drive.

Ensure you have a spare port to connect your new hard drive into. Again, you can skip this check if you are simply replacing your existing hard drive. Once unplugged, you can open your computer tower by unscrewing the screws which hold the side panel in place.

These may be thumbscrews or you may need to use your screwdriver. Be sure to ground yourself by touching some exposed metal on the computer case. This will prevent the risk of static from damaging your internal components. It will usually be a SATA cable, shown below:. Most hard drives will have the option for both Molex or SATA power connections, and you can use one or the other as you like.

The two different types together look like this:. You can then secure it in place using screws installed through the outside of the mounting rack into the side of the hard drive. Time to close up your case, power on, and get to configuring your new SATA hard drive for use. Refer to our next guide in this series for a walk through of configuring your new hard drive.

You now know how to plug a SATA hard drive into both your motherboard and power supply so that it is ready to be used. The next step is to configure the new hard drive in your operating system so that you can actually use it. Learn more SATA is the new standard for connecting components inside of your computer. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet?

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Related Articles. Author Info Last Updated: October 18, Method 1. Power down your computer. Turn off the power switch on the back of the case and remove the side panel. Most cases have thumbscrews, but older cases may require the use of a screwdriver to open.

Many cases will require you to remove both panels in order to secure the hard drive, though some have removable housings. Ground yourself. Before you begin working on the interior of your computer, make sure you discharge any electrostatic charge you may have.

If your computer is still plugged into the wall with the switch off , you can touch any of the exposed metal of the case to discharge. You can also touch a water tap to discharge your electrostatic charge.

The safest way to work inside of a computer is to wear an antistatic wrist strap while working on the computer. Find the hard drive bay. The location will vary depending on the case, but it can typically be found beneath the optical drive bay. If you are upgrading or replacing a hard drive, you should see one already installed. Disconnect the old hard drive if replacing. Locate the HDD you wish to replace and disconnect each of the two cables coming out from the rear of the drive.

If you are adding storage to your existing configuration, you should leave the original hard drive installed where it is and skip down to Step 5. Notice that the cable on the left is insulated and has a wider connector than the other.

The flat, red cable on the right has a smaller connector. Disconnect each from the drive by pulling gently on the connectors. Remove the old hard drive. The method for securing the HDD into the drive bay will vary somewhat from system to system, but it typically requires two small screws on each side of the drive that hold it in the bay.

Remove the screws and slide the old HDD out from the drive bay. The old drive has now been removed. Insert the new hard drive into an empty bay. If your case permits, try to maintain some space between the new drive and any existing drives to help promote airflow and cooling.

Be sure that the metal side faces up and the black, plastic side faces down. Also verify that the two SATA connection ports in back of the drive are accessible.

Secure the drive. Secure the drive into the drive bay by inserting two screws into each side of the hard drive through the corresponding holes in the drive bay.

Make sure to only use short screws designed for hard drives; if the screws are too long they could seriously damage the hard drive when it is running.