Installing Win XP on P35 Chipset

[crd5000]

Well, my rig...
Mobo Intel P35DP (it doesn't have a connector for a floppy drive)
E6750 2.66 1333
2 gig's DDR2 667 Ram
250 Gb HDD
DVD Rom Unit
DVD Burn Unit
19" WideScreen Monitor
X850 XT PE 256mb (for 35 usd it makes it a very good choice for the moment)

Back to the bussines...
When trying to install Win XP SP2 there was always a message telling me that it coudn't detect the HDD (Checked Bios, it is detecting everything: Processor, Ram, DVD units and HDD) Well, after several times trying, i decided to put the HDD on my nephew's computer and install Win XP w/o the drivers. Back to my system, connected the HDD and turn it on, but when the XP logo appears, the system reboots, and it happened every time i tried it.

Having a copy of Vista (30 days sample) i decided to install it, and it was installed w/o problems, everything was perfect.

So (at last) my cuestion is ...
Can i install Win XP on this system? or,
there is a feature on P35 that only accept Vista?, or
there is something that i forgot to do?

Please Help!!!
I want XP and not Vista (I will need to buy Vista and I dont have $$$, yet)

 

[g-paw]

Check the hdd SATA connection,assume the hdd is SATA. Some mobo have connectors designated for RAID. Also connect to the first SATA connector, probably designated as 0. I'd disconnect the 2nd DVD ROM until after install. If ATA make sure it's set as Master on the first data cable and connected at the top of the cable

 

[crd5000]

sorry, forgot to mention it. the HDD is SATA
And it is connected on SATA0, i connected it on SATA1, SATA2, but it was the same situation

i'm going to unpluged one DVD (slave) and going to install WinXP in the second partition.

Thanks

 

[crd5000]

Well, after two nights in a row trying to install XP, again, it didn't work
Disconnected everything and connected just one DVD drive and the only HDD Sata on SATA0, and again, when XP finish loading the initial drivers, it says that doesn't detect an HDD unit and can't continue.
Pressing F6 doesn't work, pressing F2 for a recovery installation doesn't work either because there is not a floppy drive.

One thing that bothers me is that the bundle pack contains a floppy labeled:
Intel Matrix Storage Technology
RAID/AHCI Driver
for Intel Desktop Board
for Microsoft Windows XP and Vista 32-bit editions only
BLACK SATA CONNECTORS version 7.5.0.1017 D10285-002

I think this could be for the external SATA (Correct me if I'm wrong)
But I'm going to use it if I can found an External Floppy Drive and try, again, to install XP

 

[g-paw]

When installing Windows did you do a full NTFS format of the drive? Have you tried running the diagnostic/repair software from hdd mfg on a Floppy? Which brings up a huge question, why would Intel include a floppy disk for a board with no floppy connector? Still amazed at how assiotic some of these tech companies are, it's beyond stupid.

 

[crd5000]

in my rig? No. I couldn't reach that part.
There is a initial part when asks for F6 for Sata drivers (if there is a non-Intel Mobo) or F2 for Recovering, etc. and after that is the part when Installing asks you for a partition and a format NTFS, I can't do Windows go thru that. It stops before that saying that there is not an HDD connected.

I did that in my nephews computer, and it did a complete NTFS format and an install w/o problems, put back the HDD in my rig to finish the installation (mobo drivers, additional software, etc) but when XP logo appears, it reboots, and reboots, and reboots.

So, tired with that, I decided to install Vista (in my rig) in order to see if there was a wire connected wrong (or something else), but Vista did a complete installation w/o problems, thats why i can't understand.

 

[g-paw]

Possible you need the driver off the floppy although I didn't think this was necessary with XP SP2. Did you disable RAID in your BIOS?

 

[crd5000]

I really don't remember.
I just care about BIOS detecting everything (RAM, HDD, DVD's, Proc., GC)
Let me check that tonight, thanks

But, shouldn't be the same kind of problem when installing Vista?
I mean, Vista, like XP, loads several important drivers before beginning its installation, so, if Xp doesn't detect an HDD to be install, with Vista shouldn't be the same?

 

[g-paw]

I really don't remember.
I just care about BIOS detecting everything (RAM, HDD, DVD's, Proc., GC)
Let me check that tonight, thanks

But, shouldn't be the same kind of problem when installing Vista?
I mean, Vista, like XP, loads several important drivers before beginning its installation, so, if Xp doesn't detect an HDD to be install, with Vista shouldn't be the same?

You would think so but they are completely different OSs so they may very well handle the hdd differently but agree it's strange you can install Vista and having problems with XP. All I can think of is that it is some kind of SATA driver issue in XP or a BIOS setting given you're doing a clean install of XP

 

[crd5000]

Problem resolved...

All I can think of is that it is some kind of SATA driver issue in XP or a BIOS setting given you're doing a clean install of XP

Yep, it was that... the confusion was that there isn't an "enable" or "disable" thing, it is an option between IDE, SATA or AHCI, and SATA was logical to me, I was nerver thinking that it was for RAID, so, there are always something to learn about.

Thanks a lot !!!

 

[g-paw]

Problem resolved...



Yep, it was that... the confusion was that there isn't an "enable" or "disable" thing, it is an option between IDE, SATA or AHCI, and SATA was logical to me, I was nerver thinking that it was for RAID, so, there are always something to learn about.

Thanks a lot !!!

Glad you got it worked out.