sata hdd not detected

Hey Peeps, need sum help. did a clean install of XP pro on my kids old msi k8n Diamond board and seem to be in a loop on procedure as OEM XP disk keeps trying to rewrite an OP SYS over the old one in the 640 partition. I cannot get the thing to get to the part with "splash" screen so I can input user data, authentication code etc. Its like it cannot see my serial HDD (samsung 640 OEM new) even tho it wrote the OS to it already...help a dummy pls !! :cry TUVM , Skip

 

:wave Welcome to Major Geeks! :major

I'm a bit confused... so you installed a new HD in your kid's PC. You successfully completed the full Windows XP install and got to the desktop. But now it doesn't load? I'm assuming you completed a full install because you said this: "wrote the OS to it already". However, the rest of your post sounds like the PC is not installing XP correctly; it sounds as if you're pressing a key every time the system reboots and says "Press any key to boot from CD". You only do this once. After the first time you see this, do not press any key again. Ignore it and XP will finish the install. If I'm way off base on this, then you'll have to explain yourself more clearly.

 

Hey Major Geek... tks for ans...yeah, sori iffn it was not tooo clear...I'm stumped too..(but probably unlike you, I'm just DANGEROUS with this stuff... usually know when to ask a book or a geek or whatever..like DO NOT PLUG THAT INTO THERE IFFN U DO NOT KNOW WHUT IT DOES...HA)...OKAY, have OEM copy XP PRO (new), have an MSI K8N DIAMOND with OEM Samsung SATA 640 (new) that (apparently) has the OS loaded onnit as it gets into a " loop " and won't let me get to the " radio buttons screen " so I can proceed...is this because the drive is SATA and this AMD board cannot see the serial connection (new cables...) ? The XP PRO DISK recognizes the drive and I believe, loaded the OS on the FIRST go around...but now, it will only warn me that there is already an OS on the volume and asks iffn I really wanna load another..sheesh...tried to take the serial drivers offn MSI board site and then load...balks at my DVD drive and sez their supposed to load from A: drive..well, I wud cannablize my compaq for one of those floppy gems, but the drivers just for serial are 16MB and floppy is 1.44..sheesh AGAIN !! I'm about ready to have my geek son (he's gud...) drop the phone with his Girlfriend he's just reconnected with to YAK WITH ME !! ANY help her is great and TUVM !! Skip