Formatting Laptop Problem

I having a problem when I wish to reformatting my Laptop. I currently using windows XP SP3 and can't reformat to windows XP SP3. Then I reformat it into Windows Vista Ultimate. There is no any problem to reformat it into Windows Vista Ultimate. I really need Windows XP to perform some of my works. So I need to reformat it into Windows XP. Anyone who expert can diagnose my problem. Below is the problem occur when I wish to reformat my laptop into Windows XP.

Windows XP Professional Setup

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

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

Setup cannot continue. To quit, press F3.

where do you see that message at? are you trying to run windows setup from inside of Vista?

Try this:
Place Windows XP Disc into CD tray

Reboot computer into BIOS (usually by pressing F2 a few times as soon as you turn the computer on)

Set BOOT SEQUENCE:
1. CD/DVD drive
2. Hard drive

Save changes and exit

run through the screens to accept the license
choose the partition you want to format (usually will only be one)
delete it first to free the space
create new partition
press enter to install windows XP SP3 on the new partition
choose the full format option

let the disc do its job.
I'd link a youtube video - but you don't have access to it

this is because your hard disk is sata and the cd does not have sata driver inside it. what ypu need to do is make a new xp boot cd and put the sata driver in it.
you can do that by using a software named nlite.

actually i face the same problem b4....

when start your computer, press F2 to enter the bios setting, go to MAIN setting, change the option at SATA mode to IDE mode (the default mode cannot run with window for SATA hard disk laptop), save change and exit, then continue to reformat work...ok..shud b no problm now!!

wah..really!!!
i also face the same problem...
ok...i will try it...
laptop ku syg....sedia utk di format...

Admin wrote:actually i face the same problem b4....

when start your computer, press F2 to enter the bios setting, go to MAIN setting, change the option at SATA mode to IDE mode (the default mode cannot run with window for SATA hard disk laptop), save change and exit, then continue to reformat work...ok..shud b no problm now!!

ahhh... I did not consider this possibility as I still use IDE myself. Now I recall that you can press a button when the bottom of the screen says "press XYZ key to install third party RAID drivers" - you can have those on a floppy diskette (assuming the computer has a floppy drive). HOWEVER... if you are not using a RAID setup, should not have to do this - a notebook generally only has ONE sata drive and therefore no need for RAID setup. Check in BIOS to ensure you do not have raid configuration enabled - it is pointless with only one drive. I've actually downgraded two different laptops (for customers) which have SATA drives from Vista to XP.. all without issue, following the method laid out in my first post.

I'm inclined to think this is more the issue of the Vista Ultimate's version of NTFS not being recognized by XP disc. Which you can see a similar problem here:
http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showthread.php?t=147861

i m not sure my way works in this case o not...but sure works for fresh new laptop (SATA harddisk) with free OS (if U wan instal window XP), bcos the default setting just works for window vista.

actually... come to think of it, you and I were pretty much saying the same thing - I quoted the wrong post for some reason. SATA uses RAID array to create a single large volume out of multiple drives, and that is the only reason you would need a third party driver to install XP (this was in reference to rionix post above)
basically we said the same thing in different ways. I'll go check mom's lappy and see what her BIOS tells me (its never been touched by us yet). I can edit this post to let ya know how its set.

edit.. apparently her BIOS has no option for drive type settings (SATA-RAID/IDE) - undoubtedly because there is only one drive in there and its not a necessary option to have.

spikejones and admin,

I'm really thanks for your help for giving me info about this. But I'd like to tell you all of the things both of you teach us do not work at all. I still unable to downgrade it to window xp. Do you know what is my laptop problem?

I have mentioned in my question, that is when I reboot and wish to "ENTER" and formatting my laptop with XP SP3 CD, it failed and come out with a message as stated HERE.

Now I just wish to know what is the problems and teach me step by step on how to downgrade or need to use any third party software to downgrade it and install window xp?


P/S: please do not repeat the same procedure as mentioned by other poster(s) in this forum. Give the opinion if you know and do not simply reply without any knowledge(s) since I notice that some poster give useless info by saying ' agree; wah..really!!! or bla...bla..." Please stop this!

okay.. if you have exhausted all the options presented in this thread, check the method I mentioned in the other thread you made about converting NTFS - FAT32

THAT may be your issue.

The reason why you are facing that problem is, Windows XP by deafult got no embedded sata driver. Because of that, Windows XP installation process unable to find your hard drive.

There is two way for you to solve your problem.

1.) Load sata driver during installation

There is two way to load the sata driver

i) using floppy disk, the procedure is the same as installing windows using raid.

you must have the sata driver for your notebook.

i) embed the sata driver into your windows XP installation CD. Use nlite software.

2.) Configuring Bios

For Acer Laptop, there is an option in your bios either SATA mode or IDE Mode. Change it to IDE Mode

For HP/ Compaq Laptop, please disable sata native mode in your bios configuration.

For other's brand i'm not sure.

find the xp cd that can be use for sata....

zicron21ck wrote:find the xp cd that can be use for sata....

aku pon ade trfikir cara nie jugak...

tp nape window xp sp3 masih blom update ngan driver SATA ke.??

Admin wrote:

zicron21ck wrote:find the xp cd that can be use for sata....

aku pon ade trfikir cara nie jugak...

tp nape window xp sp3 masih blom update ngan driver SATA ke.??

CD windows XP secara defaultnya mmg takde skali driver sata walaupun cd SP3. Untuk embed driver sata dalam cd windows XP, ko boleh guna software nlite. Aku biasa buat, semua driver chipset sata aku masukkan sekali. So kerja jadi mudah. PC tak pakai sata pon boleh guna jugak.

idealmy wrote:The reason why you are facing that problem is, Windows XP by deafult got no embedded sata driver. Because of that, Windows XP installation process unable to find your hard drive.

There is two way for you to solve your problem.

1.) Load sata driver during installation

There is two way to load the sata driver

i) using floppy disk, the procedure is the same as installing windows using raid.

you must have the sata driver for your notebook.

i) embed the sata driver into your windows XP installation CD. Use nlite software.

2.) Configuring Bios

For Acer Laptop, there is an option in your bios either SATA mode or IDE Mode. Change it to IDE Mode

For HP/ Compaq Laptop, please disable sata native mode in your bios configuration.

For other's brand i'm not sure.

go ahead and try that thai before you try doing the reformatting like we talked about on skype. I may be missing something here. you should be able to go online to your laptop manufacturer website and locate the sata driver.

it may just be something different with your machine and the two that I worked on ... who knows.
edit: *hangs head in shame* I told a lie it seems (at least for one of the machines) I just checked with Everest on my mom's machine which I thought was SATA.... It's actually ATA (IDE). ooops.

That said... the above mentioned methods are most likely what is going on. Especially since I reread your opening post and it looks like you already had XP on there and tried to reinstall from XP - XP and it didn't work for the same reason you have now. That wouldn't present a difference in filesystem types like I was originally under the impression of.

Well... at least you now have a Linux distro to play with