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My First Encounter with this Migraine.....

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by rwbyshe9 3 views

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Am trying to rebuile a hard drive on a Gateway laptop that had Vista installed on it. Am trying to install XP Pro for them.

Here's the problem. The PC is set up so that it will not let XP recognize the hard drive. I contacted Gateway and they said "sorry about that, you're out of warranty".

So I said, sorry but this PC was not sold to me with the caveat that it would only recognize Vista. Again... you're out of warranty... sorry about that!!!

So they do tell me to install a SATA Driver Controller. It's a Western Digital card and I go there and they say... go to the MoBo manufacturer.... duh.... isn't that Gateway???

The also tell me to check with Microsoft about "slipstreaming".

Do any of you folks have any help to provide to me on this whole issue?

I would have thought that a simple "format" of the hard drive and a quick install of XP Pro would have long been done by now. Have been working on this for almost 3 days.

Any HELP would be appreciated.

Thanks!!!

18 replies

by thechas

It is best practice to always start an XP downgrade by verifying that you can find all of the hardware drivers.

For notebooks in particular, it can be difficult if not impossible to find XP drivers for the newest hardware.

As it is possible to order Dell and other systems with XP, it might have been a better option for the purchaser to have ordered a machine with known XP support.

If you can find the SATA driver, the next issue is loading it when installing XP.

Since very few systems have floppy drives these days, your only option is to create a "slipstreamed" XP installation CD.

There are numerous web sites and articles on how to slipstream. Including a couple of articles posted on the TR site.

Still, before you go any further with this effort, make sure you can get XP drivers for all of the hardware including the graphics system and the wireless.

If you cannot find XP versions of the drivers for the system, it is not going to work well anyway. You might be better off to get Vista back up and running and then walk away from this job.

Chas

by older mycroft

By definition you don't have any legs upon which to stand your ground.

[i]caveat[/i] - [b]A commercial principle that without a warranty the buyer takes upon himself the risk of quality[/b]. Clearly it does not apply in your case since you HAD a warranty, which has since expired.

Without knowing the model number of your laptop we cannot help you find out if an install of XP is possible.

by rwbyshe9

Firstly let me provide this which I omitted on my first installment:

Gateway laptop Model MT6840

2nd: I did download all the drivers for an XP install long before I blew away the hard drive the firs time.

3rd: My use of the word caveat was intended to be interpreted as follows:
caveat - a warning against

Sorry if my use of the word caveat "offended" anyone!

by rob miners

How To: Slipstream your XP installation

Download nLite

http://home.midmaine.com/~nlite/nlite/nLite-1.4.8.installer.exe

These are the steps that I took

Download the Sata Drivers from the manufactures web site. http://downloadcenter.intel.com/detail_desc.aspx?agr=N&ProductID=2101&DwnldID=12474&strOSs=All&OSFullName=All%20Operating%20Systems&lang=eng

Installed Nlite

Extracted Sata Drivers to a folder named Sata

Copied the entire XP CD to a folder named XPS

Ran Nlite and Browsed to the XPS folder, Next, next then selected Drivers and Bootable ISO click next

At the Drivers Tab click insert, single driver and navigate to the folder with the inf for windows XP.

Highlight it and select open and select next. Select Textmode driver and select the XP Sata driver and click OK.

Click next and Yes to apply changes, next and select Make ISO. Use Nero or similar to burn it to a CD.

Keep us informed as to your progress if you require further assistance.

If you think that any of the posts that have been made by all TR Members, have solved or contributed to solving the problem, please Mark them as Helpful so that others may benefit from the outcome. ;) :D

by rwbyshe9

This is the most comprehensive info I've seen so far on this subject.
I'm going to get going on this process right away. I've spent 3 frustrating days on this so far. I had never heard of this issue before and I'm not sure yet whether this is a Microsoft issue or a Gateway issue.
In either case neither company was willing to help.
Thanks again !!!

by Former member

Can run XP without a problem. As you have noticed, Gateway will not help you with XP.

One of the tricks I do is to use the Vista x32 drivers in place of XP. OEM's are often now checking for OS version and will not allow a Vista driver to install in XP.

As stated above, use nlite to install the sata drivers. However, Gateway most often includes the sata drivers as a translation in the bios.

by rwbyshe9

Yep, you're totally correct. Gateway played Pontious Pilat with me and washed their hands of any responsibility. Even when I questioned them about selling a PC without telling folks that it's basically not backward compatible, all they told me is "it's not our problem".
I was never a Gateway fan before this and will dissuade anyone that ever asks me about PC's from purchasing anything from Gateway.

I rebuild and repair lots of PC's for friends and family and support small businesses also and have never run into not being able to remove Vista and install XP.

Something new for me, and 120 Excedrin pills later..... lol

Thanks

by rob miners

repartition the drive to remove the Vista remnants. Then you should be good to go.

Keep us informed as to your progress if you require further assistance.

If you think that any of the posts that have been made by all TR Members, have solved or contributed to solving the problem, please Mark them as Helpful so that others may benefit from the outcome. ;) :D

by rwbyshe9

Did that... doesn't help this issue at all. One would think that it would though.
Thanks for responding.

by ozi eagle

Hi,

Try taking the HDD and installing it in another PC, as drive C:.
Wipe the drive, FDisk and format.
Install XP on it, in this other PC.
When the PC goes into reboot after copying the files turn the PC off and replace the HDD in the original PC. Boot.

This is when XP installs its drivers, not when installing from the CD.

Herb

by breezer85

1)Boot into the BIOS and look for a drive configuration (or similar) option.
2) There should be listed SATA Native and Auto (or similar) select Auto mode.
3) Reboot, insert XP let it run through
4) DELETE and Vista partition and create a new one for XP, format etc.
5) Continue to install.
New PC's and Laptops with SATA & Vista have a Native mode for Vista installs, a real bugger! I have it numerous times!

Please let me know how you get on with this, I would like to know that i've actually helped someone out. Call it Satisfaction!

by rwbyshe9

The BIOS that Gateway has installed on this laptop lists the HD but there are NO OPTIONS to change any of the settings on the HD.

I will go back there again an look it all over once again though.

Thanks for your help. Will let you know how I do with this.

by thumbsup2

This isn't a new issue. It's a user issue where the user doesn't know what they're doing. The fact you've never heard of it doesn't make it someone else's issue.

Drivers are needed for various kinds of hardware any time you install an OS, period. It's been that way since PC's hit the market. Sometimes, generic drivers are included in the OS just to get you up and running. Sometimes not.

It's not a Gateway issue, since the computer is out of warranty. They don't have to help you and they don't have to provide drivers for their systems to run an older OS. Especially when you can find out what hardware was used to build the system, then usually download drivers from those manufacturers. Remember, Gateway doesn't manufacture the components like motherboards and hard drives. They just assemble them into a 'system'.

It's not a MS issue, since they've never provided SATA drivers in older versions of the OS.

.

by rwbyshe9

If I were to take your statement about MS never providing SATA drivers with XP installations as true, then I think I could agree with you on this point....

However, my personal PC came equipped with SATA drives and it came delivered with XP Pro. There has never been any issue. Granted my PC is not a Gateway.

However, I don't fully agree with you about Gateway since neither the original packaging nor the manuals state/identify the fact that this PC will ONLY run Vista as an OS as delivered. That in my opinion is a sleazy retail practice and I'm sure there must be some financial agreements (like licenseing prices) between Gateway and MS not to make these statements outwardly.

At the least, Gateway should provide within their support web pages the instructions, drivers, software links, etc. so that one can set it up and use XP, Linux, etc., etc. etc. This is especially true since MS has agreed to continue to allow PC manufacturers to deliver their PC's with XP installed.

Well, is it legal? I would assume that under the proverbial "buyer beware" clauses built into the laws that a law suit wouldn't fly. However, under the concept of "good business practices", it's really a sham on Gateway's part. It is their end product and it is being delivered with significant limitations on the retail market.

So I personally think your defense of Gateway is slanted and totally without consideration of the knowledge of the average user/buyer.

That's JMHO!

by Former member

What I did was an interrupted install.

Install the HD in another machine as the primary drive and start an XP install, at the point the XP reboots the first time power down (do not let XP reboot). All the drivers are now available. Install the HD back into the 6580 and continue the install.

Rottsa ruck.

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