Hard drive issue

[sm76]

Hi Forum

I am new to the forum and don't know exactly where to post. I have a lenovo R61i laptop for quite sometime now. Few days back it stops working with message appearing that it requires a recovery console to start with. I don't have any manufacturer CDs with me so i have downloaded windows xp and burnt it as a bootable cd. 

It picks up the bootable cd but i got a message that there is no hard disk in the machine.

Windows XP Professional Setup

Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer.

Make sure any hard disk drives are powere on and properly connected to your computer, and that any disk-related hardware configureation is correct. THis may involve running a manufacturer supplied diagnostic or setup program.

Setup cannot continue. To quit Setup, press F3.

I thought probably i have crashed my hard disk and to check that i have run the HDD diagnostic test which says that there is a problem with the hard drive.

I have ordered a new hard drive but the problem persists though the new hard drive passed the HDD diagnostic test. I got th same message as shown above and not sure now where the problem is.

I would appreciate if someone could help me in fixing this problem.

Thanks

Shahid

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor · Accepted solution]

in your bios under hdd, change the ACHI mode to compatibility mode.

Your XP Pro installation disc doesn't have native support of the SATA
controller.

[sm76]

Thanks, It works.