I'm trying to install XP Pro SP2 on a laptop but it says the drive is not detected (it's SATA). How can I install the SATA drivers without a floppy disk? Ideally I would like to use a USB drive. The laptop I'm using is a Toshiba Portege M400-S4031.
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You can't. You either switch your system into IDE compatible mode (if possible) in the BIOS, upgrade to Vista/7, get a floppy drive & disc (USB drives often work), or slipstream the drivers onto your XP CD with another PC. Personally, I'd upgrade the OS. However, if you really want XP, I'd recommend slipstreaming SP3 & the SATA AHCI drivers onto a new CD with nLite. nLite makes the process very easy. | |||
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Best would be an OS upgrade like afrazier stated before. ;) If that isn't possible to you and you do not want to buy an USB floppy drive: most BIOSes have a legacy setting which emulates some IDE drive instead your S-ATA one. You current setting should be called AHCI or raid (if raid, try to switch to AHCI first), the legacy setting is usually called legacy or IDE. With a little messing around with registry and drivers you even should be able to install the S-ATA drivers lateron and switch back in BIOS, there are some manuals in the internet, but I can't help you with more details, sorry. | |||
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Standard Windows XP installation can only read SATA drivers files from floppy disc; on some laptop without floppy disk reader, i used an external usb floppy reader with success. It doesn't cost too much, and it's simple solution. | |||
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