dave1962

Your correct the picture is just a copy from the site you directed me to.

Hi I sometimes get to this screen http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPpro3setup.jpg and the next message I get is the disc can't be accessed, yet another time (like now) it says windows cant be installed as there is no hard drive detected,

sorry, but just tried again and am back to no hard drive detected.

Sorry I'm a bit thick but not sure what you meen, is there a way to tell ?

Thanks again eveyone, I have managed to get to the partition screen, but after I press "c" to create partition I get the message (set up cannot access this disc), once again any advise is welcome I'm tearing my hair out now.:confused: p.s I'm sending these messages off the laptop in case anyone wondered.

Thanks for advice Kelly, but I have watched the drivers being installed and the sata drivers are there.

Thanks for your reply, but I don't think i explained properly... the hard drive is a replacment for the dead one therefore doesn't have an operating system installed so i can't get to control panel. the error accurrs after set up has apparently installedthe drivers but then says windows will not be installes because there is nohard drive. hope this helps better.

32g Sorry in my haste i didn't check what i'd written, it's a 320gb sat hard drive.

new hard drive Hi, Guys,I hope it'sokto carry on where we left off?. I have bought a new hard drive ( sata hitachi 32g) it is recognised in bios but not found when i try installing xp ? message reads windows could not be installed because no hard drive was found, make sure it is properly connected etc, any advise is welcome Thanks.

hdd Hi, the connection i changed is there are four ports on the motherboard only one is used for the hdd, hdd is second on list at moment how do i change it ? sorry for being thick.

Thanks again Will do, the one thing I have done is swap connections on motherboard. Thanks everyone for you Birthday wishes.

BIOS Dont know what I did but I have managed to get into BIOS set up if that will help, i wont turn pc of till I get a reply.

Thanks Thanks for your speedy response, I havn't changed anything, software or hardware, the other two messages read Auto Detecting Pri Master ...APTI CD-ROM Pri Slave APTI CS-ROM

Hi, I have a mesh pc with a sata hard drive, I was useing xp media edition sp2 I believe, all of a sudden my hard drive disapeared. when I start up the pc all i get is a black screen with the intel logo in the bottom right hand corner, and the writing "press del to run.set up. press TAB to display BIOS POST Message, if i press del the screen freezes on Entering set up the last line is Auto Detecting 3rd Master...., if i unplug the hard drive it will go into set up but will not detect hard drive, I have felt the drive and as far as I can tell it is running, but wont do anything if the drive is plugged in, I am very unknowledgeable so please talk in newbie language,any help will be much apreciated.

Hi, just to introduce myself, my name is Dave, I don't know a lot about computers so please be patient with me, I work as a for a world wide pharmacuetical company, in a chemical processing plant. I found you guys through desperation, as you will see when I start posting for help..... Glad I found you.