Windows XP on modern mobo

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consolegamer

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I'm considering building a PC based around a Haswell/Broadwell processor, and I have an old copy of Windows XP enterprise lying around. Needless to say, I'm not crazy about spending $100 on Windows 8 if I can use XP, so my question is this: would a Haswell/Broadwell mobo be compatible with Windows XP? I have a $100 mobo budget if that helps.
 
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The simple and easiest answer is yes and no.

Intel dropped SATA AHCI XP driver support for Haswell. However there are unofficial modded drivers out that might allow you to do it which I have not tested.

Also for Intel HD Graphics there is no XP driver support for the HD 4200 integrated GPU and higher which usually come with Haswell CPUs. The Intel HD 4000 found on Ivy Bridge CPUs was...
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photonboy

photonboy

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Is that a copy of XP that is transferrable to a new computer or has never been used before?

Regardless, the answer is YES, I just went to a random Haswell motherboard site (Asus Z87 Gryphon) and it lists drivers for XP.

*Having said that, I don't recommend it due to the lack of XP support by Microsoft now which can make viral/malware infections much more likely. You also may find driver issues for peripherals.

Finally, if your copy of XP is 32-bit you are limited to 4GB total memory which includes the DDR3 System memory and the video memory.

If you don't play games at all, then your best solution if 32-bit is to get 4GB of DDR3 memory and setup your system to use 512MB of that for the video memory used by the CPU's iGPU.

Perhaps get the G3258 dual-core CPU.
 
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Calvin7

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Intel 8 Series chipset motherboards do not support Windows XP.

This statement is false -> Regardless, the answer is YES, I just went to a random Haswell motherboard site (Asus Z87 Gryphon) and it lists drivers for XP.

There are no drivers listed! Specifications list:
Operating System Support

Windows® 8.1
Windows® 8
Windows® 7

 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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What you said:
"I'm considering building a PC based around a Haswell/Broadwell processor,"

Building a new PC based on that CPU line will be ~$700-$1000. Just the CPU is ~$200.
A new Windows 8 license is ~$90. Hence, around 10% of the whole.

Now...if you're not building a whole PC, the equation changes. But you did say "building a PC".
 
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consolegamer

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Intel Celeron G1820= $50
MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard= $50
Kingston Blu 4GB DDR3 1600 RAM= $40
WD Caviar Blue 1TB= $50
I got a case, PSU, and optical drive as gifts, and I have a USB mouse and keyboard lying around. I'm not building a <i>whole</i> PC, but it would only be around another hundred bucks if I were.
 
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TigerTechnician

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The simple and easiest answer is yes and no.

Intel dropped SATA AHCI XP driver support for Haswell. However there are unofficial modded drivers out that might allow you to do it which I have not tested.

Also for Intel HD Graphics there is no XP driver support for the HD 4200 integrated GPU and higher which usually come with Haswell CPUs. The Intel HD 4000 found on Ivy Bridge CPUs was the cut off for XP driver support.


[Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge method]

The easiest and best way to get XP running on a modern motherboard is to go get a Z77 motherboard. I can guarantee you the Z77 has SATA AHCI drivers and Intel HD graphic drivers for XP. I've built several passive HTPCs using this chipset and have had no problems.

I've installed XP, Vista, and 7 in a MultiOS boot system and I love the flexibility. It is better to install XP first then newer OS after or XP will overwrite the bootloader for the newer OS.

The reason Intel dropped support for XP is because Microsoft stopped supporting it on April 8th, 2014.

Insert the XP CD and set it to boot off this drive first.

Install the SATA AHCI drivers either by using an external 1.44MB floppy disk with the copied drivers to the root directory of the A:.

Quickly hit F6 when it asks if you have any 3rd party drivers to install.

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oDT40ewh90


Alternative method:
Use nLite to slipstream the SATA AHCI drivers into a hard drive folder and then burn this to a CD.

To install from a hard drive folder it must be done from DOS which may be beyond the skill set of most people using computers today.

After XP has finished installing, install the latest Intel HD graphics driver for XP.

Reboot.

Now you should have video and if you are using HDMI you will also have audio.

Install all other drivers for other devices such as the Chipset, onboard audio, network and wireless, et cetera.



[Haswell / Broadwell method]

Now, if you want to really try to get it running on Haswell, you will face a few obstacles.

You have to locate a modded SATA AHCI driver for your Chipset which aren't officially from Intel.

Or if your motherboard BIOS has a setting for IDE compatibility mode you might be able to install it without problems.

You have to get a discrete graphics card that has XP driver support.

Next you will have to get make sure your onboard audio has XP drivers or if not you will need to get a dedicated sound card to get sound.



[Decision Time]
Now if you've decided the method that works best is to stick with my suggestion and get the older Z77 Ivy Bridge.

These are getting harder to find but here is one still with abundant supply on Amazon.

Gigabyte LGA 1155 DDR3 1600 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS GA-Z77-HD3

http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-1155-Intel-Motherboard-GA-Z77-HD3/dp/B00APZXYGM/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1406391318&sr=1-7&keywords=z77+motherboard:

$105 Free Shipping and tax where applicable.

If you want a real basic HTPC system pair this motherboard with this best bang for the buck low end CPU.

It is a Celeron but it is quite powerful. I've underclocked this to 1.8GHz and run off a CPU core voltage of 0.60V to save energy. Contains the Intel HD 1000 integrated graphics with Windows XP driver support.

Intel Celeron G1620 2.70GHz LGA-1155 Processor BX80637G1620

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Celeron-LGA-1155-Processor-BX80637G1620/dp/B00B4BJY7E

$43

Now the only other thing you need is DDR3 memory 2GB or 4GB (3.2GB usable by OS).

Also this motherboard can handle up to 32GB DDR3 with 4 slots. So if you want you can get a single 8GB DDR3 stick to future proof for a later OS upgrade.

That should be it.
 
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TigerTechnician

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If you've already bought a Z87 motherboard and a Haswell CPU, then you'll just need Windows 8.

Comparing the two, your Haswell non XP will cost
$50 MB, $50 CPU, $100 Win 8.0
[$200] plus tax $220 at MAX


Z77 Ivy Bridge with XP
$105 MB, $43 CPU, $0 Win XP
[$148] plus tax $165 at Max


It's just cheaper and easier if you go with Z77 Ivy Bridge.

Unless you have some specific 64-bit software or need DirectX 10 and 11 support for games, but you can always install Vista, 7, or 8 later and dual boot between the two OSs.

The difference with Haswell, Broadwell, and later on it will be more difficult to do.
 
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isidroco

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The most difficult task is to get graphic driver working, xp graphic drivers from this site will work in any modern motherboard (at least it did in my H85): http://www.jetwaycomputer.com/NF9J.html
Easiest thing is to enable IDE compatible mode instead of AHCI (it is possible to integrate AHCI drivers to XP install CD with Fernando's method). And you will loose the option of USB3 if it's chip is intel. And no HDMI audio. Everything else will work.
 
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TigerTechnician

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Looks like you followed my alternate method for installing XP on a Haswell / Broadwell system.

What would be helpful for others is what devices you used.

What video card did you end up using?

What audio card did you end up using?

Network card looks like a TP-Link TG-3269 PCI Network card for $10 on Amazon.

You are the second confirmed Haswell user that successfully installed XP on a Haswell that I know of. However there has been no successful Haswell install with AHCI using unofficial drivers attempted yet. However the IDE emulation method I had originally used with a Sandy Bridge till I was able to locate the appropriate AHCI driver for XP using the F6 install method. As long as you have PCI slots in your computer or can locate PCIe cards that have XP drivers for the device then you may be able to do this beyond Cannon Lake unless Intel throws a monkey wrench or BIOS manufacturers drop IDE Compatibility mode from the BIOS. If this happens then you are basically screwed unless unofficial AHCI drivers are created for your chipset or you will be forever stuck with BSOD 7B error.

I plan on possibly trying a full XP Pro install on Skylake / Haby Lake / Cannon Lake in the future as DDR4 and 64GB will be a new memory maximum for desktop users. There might be a chance of 128GB on desktop systems making it even worth looking into. At the moment I'm running an Ivy Bridge loaded with 32GB of RAM, 28GB used as a Ramdrive.

I still recommend users choose the path of least resistance. Get a Z77 and an Ivy Bridge CPU and things will go smoother.

Are there any drivers that remained with yellow ? marks still uninstalled under Device Manager?



[Haswell / Broadwell method]

Now, if you want to really try to get it running on Haswell, you will face a few obstacles.

You have to locate a modded SATA AHCI driver for your Chipset which aren't officially from Intel.

Or if your motherboard BIOS has a setting for IDE compatibility mode you might be able to install it without problems.

You have to get a discrete graphics card that has XP driver support.

Next you will have to get make sure your onboard audio has XP drivers or if not you will need to get a dedicated sound card to get sound.
 
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dreamteam

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Calvin7 said:
Intel 8 Series chipset motherboards do not support Windows XP.

There are no drivers listed! Specifications list:
Operating System Support

Windows® 8.1
Windows® 8
Windows® 7
Click to expand...

do no trust on everything you see online regarding drivers support

sometimes they don't display drivers for XP because they want you to buy newer hardware and move away from XP

if you check out the GIGABYTE website you will realize that the chipset driver for the 8 series chipset is surprisingly the same exact version for XP and upper Windows editions

I can confirm it works perfect but the 8 series chipset was not meant for XP because it doesn't support IRST for example (not a biggie though)
 
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dreamteam

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TigerTechnician said:
Also for Intel HD Graphics there is no XP driver support for the HD 4200 integrated GPU and higher which usually come with Haswell CPUs. The Intel HD 4000 found on Ivy Bridge CPUs was the cut off for XP driver support.
Click to expand...


another false allegation ! the VGA HD 4600 driver works perfect on XP.

however I didn't find a working driver for the HD 4400 but it could be a OEM hadware issue unrelated to intel driver support
 
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