[ricktendo64]

I have a 36 GB SATA and a 80 GB IDE drive and I was wondering how when I re-install windows do I make my SATA drive the main C:\ partition. The IDE drive always wants to be C:\

I goggled and found nothing helpful (other than disconnecting my IDE and reconnecting after install, but thats way too invasive, I install way too much to do this may damage it)

BTW my mobo is a Asus A8N-SLI (in case you know how to set the bios)

This post has been edited by ricktendo64: 16 January 2008 - 11:13 AM

[jroc]

I'm not real sure....but maybe you can go into your bio's and make the SATA drive the first boot drive..if you have a floppy maybe set the boot like:

1. Floppy
2. CDROM
3. SATA
4. IDE Drive <--or set it to none and eliminate all together during install.

[ricktendo64]

Nope, in my bios I have these choices for boot order/devices
Removable
Hard Disk
CDRom
Legacy LAN
Dissabled

[jcarle]

You cannot control the order of the controllers. The order is determined by the BIOS during POST. You can control the drive letter, but that is all.

The easiest method to ensure proper installation is to disconnect the IDE drive, install windows on the SATA drive and the connect the IDE drive after installation is complete.

This post has been edited by jcarle: 24 January 2008 - 09:44 PM

[neo]

I have the same config of HDD and I disable PATA HDD (40GB) during the installation and re-enable after installation.
I have also not found any right solution

[Daniel-J]

There should be jumpers on the back of each hard drive. You need to set one HDD as a MASTER and the other as a SALVE. I think the master will then automatically be C:\.

[PC_LOAD_LETTER]

SATA drives don't have jumpers.

[halaxa]

Hi. I'm not sure by this solution, but that's how I would try it: Be sure the SATA disk is connected to slot number 0. The PATA disk souhld be set as SLAVE and try to connect it to the secondary ide channel.

[Ponch]

Is there no way to disable the IDE before install (easier than physically disconnecting it) ?

[firefoxthebomb]

You may be able to disable the IDE drives in the Bios, but there is no way of telling it that would work unless you tried a reinstall. Even if you managed to change the drive letters, windows would not boot in your existing install because the registry in that install would be pointing to a different drive letter as well as all installed software.

[mara-]

I have the same problem, but in BIOS I can select my main hard disk, so in this way I can solve problem. Which motherboard do you have? If it is Asus, maybe I can help.

Cheers

[neo]

mara-, on Jan 17 2008, 11:35 PM, said:

I have the same problem, but in BIOS I can select my main hard disk, so in this way I can solve problem. Which motherboard do you have? If it is Asus, maybe I can help.

Cheers

its from MSI

[legionaire]

You should be using Windows PE to pre-install the SATA drivers. As a next step you can configure your drive letters as you want them using diskpart (command-line utility under WinPE).

Edit: There is actually no need to pre-install the SATA drivers. Just make your IDE drive "D:\" using diskpart. Normally, the SATA disk should then default to C:\.

This post has been edited by legionaire: 17 January 2008 - 11:50 AM

[jroc]

neo, on Jan 17 2008, 12:34 PM, said:

mara-, on Jan 17 2008, 11:35 PM, said:

I have the same problem, but in BIOS I can select my main hard disk, so in this way I can solve problem. Which motherboard do you have? If it is Asus, maybe I can help.

Cheers

its from MSI

there still should be a 'advanced' setting....setting the boot order is basic...but most people have more than one drive...I have a ASUS M2N-E SLI...and I have 4 drives....3 SATA and 1 IDE ATA 133...but I have a advanced menu where I can arrange the hard drives...move one up or down the list:

[mara-]

jroc, on Jan 17 2008, 07:06 PM, said:

neo, on Jan 17 2008, 12:34 PM, said:

mara-, on Jan 17 2008, 11:35 PM, said:

I have the same problem, but in BIOS I can select my main hard disk, so in this way I can solve problem. Which motherboard do you have? If it is Asus, maybe I can help.

Cheers

its from MSI

there still should be a 'advanced' setting....setting the boot order is basic...but most people have more than one drive...I have a ASUS M2N-E SLI...and I have 4 drives....3 SATA and 1 IDE ATA 133...but I have a advanced menu where I can arrange the hard drives...move one up or down the list:

That is exactly what I wanted to say, I just needed to look at bios to be sure where option is located.

Cheers

[jcarle]

What a lot of you are forgotting is that even though you can often set the boot order, it will not change the order in which Windows detects the controllers, which can sometimes be an issue for installing on a drive connected to a controller which is detected in a secondary or tertiary position.

[DeaDruiD]

migrate.inf is the key

[cyberloner]

having that problem before too... no solution... IDE always the 1st one...
same thing is happen to intel board as well...
sata harddisk is using stimulate ide mode and always second....

[Maxwellg18]

what i would recommand doing is if the install of windows is on the IDE hdd is use norton ghost and copying everyhting to the SATA hdd there is a good chance that the directory eill change because windows boot off of %system root% if the sys root is on the SATA it may change the drive to C:\ instade of it being D:\

if that don't work i'd follow everybody tip of unplugging the IDE hdd and install windows onto it

[jcarle]

Maxwellg18, on Jan 23 2008, 08:20 PM, said:

what i would recommand doing is if the install of windows is on the IDE hdd is use norton ghost and copying everyhting to the SATA hdd there is a good chance that the directory eill change because windows boot off of %system root% if the sys root is on the SATA it may change the drive to C:\ instade of it being D:\

if that don't work i'd follow everybody tip of unplugging the IDE hdd and install windows onto it

That's lot of work when simply unplugging the IDE drive is a garanteed solution. There are no BIOS settings to control controller detection order by Windows so the only way to force it to go on the drive you want is to make no other drives available. Also, note that disabling IDE in the BIOS will make the SATA controller become first and may cause the drive to become unbootable if you enable the IDE controller afterwards. That's why it's important to only unplug the IDE drive instead of disabling the controller as this will allow Windows to see the IDE controller as first, see no drives, detect the SATA controller as 2nd and install knowning that it's on the 2nd controller from the get-go.