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Can't find hard disk

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:06 pm
by jrmoffett
I am trying to install React OS latest version from CD in an old computer (circa 2001). I removed the current Windows 7 hard disk and installed a FAT32 formatted (blank) 139GB SATA hard drive. When I start the install from the boot CD it gets me to the page where I select the partition to install on but the error box pops up and says that the installer cannot find a hard drive. The drive is empty, and formatted for FAT32. It is on an old SATA controller on the motherboard, and it is the only hard drive currently installed. I have not been able to get the installer to recognize the hard drive. Any suggestions for how to get it recognized?

I read in one post that I should select IDE compatibility mode for the SATA controller, but I don't see that option anywhere in the motherboard BIOS.

Thanks very much.

John

Re: Can't find hard disk

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 8:39 pm
by mrmajik45
On the error message can you press TAB + K at the same time and give us the results when you type "bt" without quotes and press enter.

Re: Can't find hard disk

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 8:46 pm
by Reactions
You need to convert the disk to MBR mode. It's probably GPT formatted. Use the Windows partitioning tool to convert it. Also make sure it's listed as "online".

Re: Can't find hard disk

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 9:04 pm
by hbelusca
We should support SATA directly.

Re: Can't find hard disk

Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 9:08 pm
by Reactions
hbelusca wrote: Mon Mar 04, 2019 9:04 pm We should support SATA directly.
Works fine, doesn't it?

Re: Can't find hard disk

Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 12:42 am
by jrmoffett
Thanks for the input. This is an old computer I built back in about 2000, with XP for the OS. It was made with high quality components, so it is still working. I wanted to use it to test React OS and see how it handled older Windows software. In any case, I did a full format of the 140GB Seagate 10k rpm SATA drive with the Format32 utility and it is set as MBR and the only drive on the system. Could not get past the no hard drive detected error.

So I tried the Live ReactOS version burned to a disk, and it got through part of the setup and then gave a bluescreen. I tried again using debug mode and it got much further, but then just did a hard hang. It is all standard hardware (Asus motherboard, NVidia video, etc). I will try loading the Live version again and see what happens.

Re: Can't find hard disk

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2022 3:25 pm
by fredsassd
You seem to really like experimenting a lot if you're doing it on such an old computer.

Re: Can't find hard disk

Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2022 3:52 pm
by mrmajik45
fredsassd wrote: Fri Mar 04, 2022 3:25 pm You seem to really like experimenting a lot if you're doing it on such an old computer.
Well, for ReactOS's current state, it is recommended to use older hardware or else it might simply just... Not work without a VM.

Re: Can't find hard disk

Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 3:07 am
by jhonwask
I am having the same problem. There is no SATA MBR selection in the BIOS. It is a Gateway notebook from about 2007.

Re: Can't find hard disk

Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2022 12:17 pm
by EmuandCo
Not MBR. You look for IDE mode