What's wrong with this brand new mobo??

[moot]

Hmm... Could I just stick those drivers on a USB disk?  Do usb disks not allow for the same boot functionality as floppies? I'm pretty sure I saw USB drives as option in the boot priority menus in the bios.

[Kermit de frog]

You have to use a floppy disk.
The Microsoft Software only look in floppy disk drives.

Or as MrRiplEy[H] said, you could borrow a copy of Win XP with SP2 from a friend and just use your Win XP Key.
Sata controller drivers are included in later Win XP.

And I'm sure you know, if you borrow a Win XP with SP2, make it's also matches which XP you have, whether it's PRO or HOME.

Nicely done with presenting your information btw.  Very organized and helpful to us who want to help you.

[drdeathx]

Call Seagate. I had the same problem and they fixed me over the phone. I kinda hardly remember but we did it through windows dude. Just put in my last reply what iremembered but I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.

[moot]

You have to use a floppy disk.
The Microsoft Software only look in floppy disk drives.

Or as MrRiplEy[H] said, you could borrow a copy of Win XP with SP2 from a friend and just use your Win XP Key.
Sata controller drivers are included in later Win XP.

And I'm sure you know, if you borrow a Win XP with SP2, make it's also matches which XP you have, whether it's PRO or HOME.

Nicely done with presenting your information btw.  Very organized and helpful to us who want to help you.

Eh.. thought it was pretty messy.. was typing it all up against the clock of computer lab closing for the night.  Thanks again.

Doc - It's not that I dont like the within-windows solutions, it's that I couldnt even get that far.

Gonna finish catching up on everything I couldnt do without a computer these last weeks, and then go for the install.. Hope it wont refuse to work once again.

[bongaroo]

Doc - It's not that I dont like the within-windows solutions, it's that I couldnt even get that far.

He really really wants to be right about something for once...but fails to read that your installing windows on a new machine.  High density...