# Solved: Unknown Disk error



## WonderfulPete (Aug 29, 2001)

I've had a schlew of problems with a PC starting with a bad installation of Microsoft's Lifecame software leading up to a constantly crashing XP. 

I ended up getting a new hard drive thinking that was the problem but at the point of installing XP I get the same problem,

Once XP install starts up and I get to the 'partition screen' I get this as a choice of drives

Unknown Disk 
(There is no disk in this drive.)
Unknown Disk 
(There is no disk in this drive.)
Unknown Disk 
(There is no disk in this drive.)
Unknown Disk 
(There is no disk in this drive.)


Upon pressing enter I get a blue screen and can go no further,

A previous response to the same question on here was by

DoubleHelix 
07-Mar-2008, 09:40 PM #2 
"Bad hard drive, controller, etc." 

So, it can't be the drive as I got the same 'unknown disk' problem with a brand new drive. The power cable and sata cables are fine. If it is a controller - what exactly is that and how can it be fixed?


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## Kitch (Mar 27, 2005)

Did you load the SATA drivers at the beginning of the install (press F6)?


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## WonderfulPete (Aug 29, 2001)

You mean when it says "Third party party scsi or raid drivers"? if so, I F6'd and it went on to say "Setup could not find a floppy drive on your machine to load oem drivers from floppy disk. Set up was unable to load support for the mass storage device you specified. Currently setup will load support for the following mass storage devices

<None>"

And then I'm back to the problem at hand.


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Those drives you see are likely a card reader, which you shoudl disconnect before installing Windows otherwise your drive letters will be messed up, the C drive will be assigned to one of the card reader slots.

Most SATA controllers require you to press F6 and load the SATA/ACHI/RAID drivers in order to detect the hard drive connected to the controller. You must provide these drivers via floppy at the early stages of the install.

What computer or motherboard do you have?


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## WonderfulPete (Aug 29, 2001)

I didn't get to see any drives - the list of drives later in the XP installation are empty (Unknown Disk). I don't have the drivers for the Sata - would they be available on the Hard Drive Manufacturers site? or the MB's site and no floppy drive though there is a secondary cd drive, would that do?

It's a Gateway Computer says Pentium D on the front is a 3ghz I can't make out any markings on the MB - I have to disconnect this one to get into that so I find out later if I can.


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

The drivers go with the borad, so the drive wouldn't matter. They are from the board or computer manufacturer.

But what board model or machine model is it?

If you have no floppy, you need to make a new XP installation CD with the SATA drivers included.

Installing XP on a SATA drive
Install Windows XP on SATA without a Floppy 
Resolving "Setup did not find any hard disk drives" during Windows XP Installation

"Many newer BIOS allow an Alternate method for SATA . . Go into the BIOS and check the 'Sata Operation' setting, change it to 'Raid Autodetect/ATA' if it is not already. Now try to install XP (Verbiage will vary by manufacturer)" - Courtesy of *simpswr*.


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

If its a Gateway computer do you have the original Gateway CD's or DVD's? It may not have come with any but better to ask in case it did. And what is the model of the Gateway or the Serial Number? Should be a sticker on the front, side or back of the computer with this info.


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## WonderfulPete (Aug 29, 2001)

http://support.gateway.com/s//MOTHERBD/Intel2/WMEOEMD975XWT2G1/WMEOEMD975XWT2G1nv.shtml (Is the Motherboard)

The Model is FX510S. I'm pretty certain the original CD's are available (it's not my computer).


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

The original CD's will likely load without you having to make any disk to provide additional drivers and will install all the required drivers and preloaded software, that would be the best route to go.

But if you need the drivers or any support docs: http://support.gateway.com/s/pc/FX510_Series/1008695/1008695nv.shtml

You can also download the required files that need to be put onto the floppy disk from Intel by getting this download since I don't see it listed on the eMachines site: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...&OSFullName=Windows* XP Home Edition&lang=eng

If you don't have a floppy drive in the computer then that would be another reason to get and use the original or recovery CD's for the computer.

But to maybe even take a step back, does the BIOS see the new hard drive?


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## WonderfulPete (Aug 29, 2001)

Problem solved!

Like advised, I hooked an old floppy drive to another computer and put the Sata Controller drivers obtained from Gateway's site on there. Hooked up the Floppy to the problem PC and via the F6 at install managed to install the Sata drivers from there. Which inturn allowed the hard drive to be recognised. And finally XP is now installed problem free. 

Thanks for all the great advice, this site really is the best!!


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