There is a question I have seen quite a bit regarding installing Windows on SATA hard disks and so I thought I'd answer it here. 

SATA hard disks (Serial ATA) are a new type of disk with smaller cables and faster transfer speeds, and they are starting to replace PATA disks (Parallel ATA) which have been out for years.  However quite a few people have trouble installing Windows on these disks.

Firstly, you can only install Windows on a SATA disk if you are using Windows 2000, or later (e.g. Windows XP and Windows Server 2003).  You cannot install windows on a SATA disk if you are using earlier versions of Windows such as Windows 95, 98 and ME.

Secondly, when you actually try to install Windows on a SATA disk, the Windows install program may not detect the disk.  To get round this, you'll need a floppy disk with the drivers on it for your SATA card.  This is usually provided for you by the manufacturer of your motherboard or SATA card but don't worry if you don't have it - you can download the files you need from the manufacturers website and copy them onto floppy disk.

What you need to do is start the Windows setup program, and then press F6 when it says on the bottom of the screen to press F6 to load additional drivers.  After a while, the Setup program will prompt you for the floppy disk and it will load the SATA drivers.  The setup program should then have no problem finding and installing windows on your SATA disk.

If you need additional help in this matter, please email me.  My email address can be found by clicking the envelope picture on the bottom right of this webpage.