Can't install Win Server 2008 on Acer Altos G320, it keeps asking for a driver. The Server currently has a HW RAID setup with two SATA disks and is running Win 2003.

Does your RAID SATA have a boot sector? Sounds like your trying to boot from a non bootable configured RAID.

A few questions:

1. Is this a new (clean) install? If so, have you installed the drivers for the RAID controller BEFORE you install the os? Most of the time Windows will ask for this as the os check your sysem. (You will see at the bottom of the screen "if you have a 3rd party controller and need to install drivers, do so now" or something to this effect.

2. If you already have an os on this system, (Server 2008) you may need to check the the HCL for SBS 2011 to make sure you hardware is correct for the install.

Good Luck
C2Solutions

you should not update the bios...the issue is the hard disk is on sata ...and you need a raid driver installed to detect the hdd...so ...either get into BIOS and under advanced features..look the place where the drives are detected..and select the hdd and look for a feature called AHCI ..and disable it ..and leave sata like ide..and save with f10 and restart ...after that the hdd will be seen ..
another way is to make a floppy disk with the raid driver on it (the one from the mothermoard drivers disk ) ..and when it ask you to press f6 for 3rd party software ...press it ..and insert the floppy ...it will pick up the raid driver and will go like a charm ..
if you do not have a floppy ..install a second cd drive ..and use a cd ..and after pressing f6 for 3rd party ..browse and point to the raid driver on the mobo driver cd ..

Hello,

Here is what you need to do to install XP on your laptop that came with Vista or Win 7.

If your hard drive is SATA (pretty much standard these days) you will need to search the manufacturer's site for a floppy disk SATA driver install package.* You will need a USB floppy drive for installing XP.
* Copy the SATA drivers (should be denoted as "F6 drivers" or similar) to a blank disk.
* Have the USB drive connected. It should automatically map as A:\.
* Go into BIOS and find a setting for ACPI Compatible and set on.
* Now install XP normally from the CDROM, and when it says "press F6 to install third-party drivers", press F6 and follow the options to get the SATA drivers from the disk.
* Complete setup as normal.

or

You can check the following link for more detailed info.

Thanks !!

Please rate the solution if it helps you.

Hello,

You may need to go into your BIOS and make sure it is reconizing your hard drive. If you do not see it, make sure you have the hard drive cable connected correctly and have the latest drivers installed for the drive. (IDE, SATA, SCSI, etc.) Once the BIOS see the drive, you should have no problem. Good Luck

C2Solutions

Copy RAID driver to mini diskette.
Boot server using Windows Server 2003 CD
The moment you see the blue setup screen press F6
After the setup runs for a little while it will ask you if you have any additional drivers you need to install
Then insert your mini diskette with the RAID driver and respond to prompts to load it.
Windows should no recognize the RAID controller and let you complete the installation.

you need your windows xp disc preferably slip streamed with SP 2 or SP 3 and then you should be able to install it onto your sata hard drive.

If you are having issues then you may need to extract the sata drivers onto a memory stick or floppy disk and press F6 before windows xp loads and specify to use the sata drivers which you can download from the motherboards manufacturers website generally as a zip file which you will first need to extract into a folder.

If that does not work using the memory stick you can use nlite to slipstream the drivers with your windows xp disc :

Nlite download

if you need more help post back

During setup you must specify any raid drivers that are required. Have the raid controller driver on floppy and insert when prompted.

actually there is no need to touch anything in hardware please do not touch ur hardware without any reason i know what eactly is the solution is now follow this :

Problem : When Windows XP was made there was no concept of SATA drives now ur drive is SATA and ur installation disc does not contain drivers for ur Hard disk thats why it is unable to find ur hard disk as it doesnt recognize it u need sata raid drivers on ur windows inst cd

Solution:

this specific model Aspire 4710 was shipped with vista OS and drivers now u are downgrading it to XP it depends on the installation disc if it is new one like SP3 included then u would have never faced this issue in ur case u should get a RAID driver from www.intel.com and then include them in ur copy of windows XP cd to load them at the startup of installation , so u need them in the first place to carry out installation, u have to do some job here download RAID DRIVERS from www.intel.com select ur board and chipset Mobile Intel® 945GM Express download SATA RAID DRIVERS and then download nlite a software used to integrate these drivers to ur inst disk , u can also include SP3 thru this software in ur current win xp cd

http://www.nliteos.com/

just download sata drivers from intel and nlite from the link and install the software integrate these drivers and burn ur cd incl them and then install normally as u were installing them earlier now it will recognize ur drive simple for more info how to do check this out

important tutorial links

http://www.zimbio.com/Laptop+Reviews/articles/10840/How+Integrate+Floppy+SATA+RAID+Driver+Windows

http://lifehacker.com/386526/slipstream-service-pack-3-into-your-windows-xp-installation-cd

pls let me know if i can help u more

During the Windows XP setup you will need to provide the RAID driver using a pre-formated floppy disk.
Windows will ask you if you want to provide additional drivers and give you the key combination to use to do that.