# Solved: Server 2008 no hard drive detected



## hito_kiri (Mar 27, 2009)

I bought a new hard drive because the one in my computer was too small. I also had to buy a SATA controller card because I don't have SATA 3.0 support on board. That hard drive is not the biggest issue though (I have a driver disk for the SATA controller too). I have an Ultra320 SCSI drive (the small one) which I plan to put all the OS installations and Program files.

I am trying to "upgrade" from XP Pro x64 to Server 2008. I first tried installing XP again but it could not detect any hard drives. I would like to use Server 08 and I figured it would at least have support for the Ultra320 controller on the motherboard, but it doesn't.

Also, unfortunately, this computer has not been supported by Sun for a while so all the drivers are for XP. The U320 controller is made by Adaptec so I thought I might find the drivers for Vista from them. No luck. I did download what was available.

I used Vlite to slipstreme the necessary drivers into the ISO (I don't have a floppy drive). This still didn't work. I haven't tried it with XP, but have a feeling nothing will change, plus I want to use Server 2008. Server 2008 apparently lets you take the install disk out and put in a driver CD. I put in the driver disk from Adaptec and it says there are no drivers on it.

The funny thing is that Linux, with it's supposedly bad driver support, detects the U320 SCSI drive fine, so I know the drive is fine (despite the fact that I am using it right now).


Any help would greatly be appreciated, I have been trying to install this new hard drive for about a month.


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## srhoades (May 15, 2003)

Does the SATA card you bought have Server 2008 drivers?


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## hito_kiri (Mar 27, 2009)

Yes, I actually just found them a little while ago which will help some. I also figured out that the card wasn't being detected because the 133Mhz PCI-X slot I had it in isn't functioning properly.

The main problem though is the Ultra320 SCSI drive which is connected to the motherboard is not being detected in either XP or Server 08. I searched for Vista drivers for the on board SCSI controller (also Adaptec) but I couldn't find any. The Sun driver disk only has XP drivers so I can't use them for Server 2008. Windows installation seems to not detect the SCSI drive at all. I must be able to find a way to get XP Pro x64 running since it is installed on the computer now. I would prefer Server 2008 though. If my friend can run Vista on his old computers (older than this one) I should be able to get Server 2008 working.

Update: I just tried starting the installation in windows (not booted from disk) and it detected the SCSI disk. But when I booted from the disk it doesn't detect it still. I don't get it.


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## hito_kiri (Mar 27, 2009)

Just wanted to say that I have come to a solution. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but I am just going to install Windows in a virtual machine running in Linux.

I have gotten fed up with screwing with Windows trying to install it natively since it can't seem to detect any drivers on anything and Vlite doesn't seem to want to integrate the drivers (though I doubt it will make a difference). I know for sure I would never buy Server 2008 especially not to run an actual server. And the problem is with all Windows not just Server 2008. It is pretty sad that an OS that costs several hundred dollars doesn't have the drivers a free one does.

I only need Windows for the few Windows specific games and applications I run any ways so It's not a big deal to run them under wine or in a virtual machine.


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