how can i install win XP on Aspire M3640 with SATA HDD

Get the drivers onto your box, then use nlite to stream the drivers onto an XP disk. obviously you need to duplicate your XP disk, but provided your licence is valid that isn't an issue.

I do this for all the machines I build these days, because it makes the end-user's life (and mine if they need a reformat in future) much easier.

You need a floppy disk with the SATA drivers on them. Thats the only other way. Go to another computer, get the SATA drivers and then it should have a program to make a disk with the drivers on it.

Once done you start the XP install and press F6 when it says to load any thrid party drivers. Insert the floppy and load the driver and you are set. Enjoy.

Why can't you just install Win XP the normal way?
Pop CD in CD drive. Follow instructions on screen. Done.

I don't see why you need special SATA drivers or a special way to install Win XP?

The M3640 uses an nVidia 630i board. I had the 630i board, and I installed both XP and Vista just using the CD/DVD, normally. http://acer.com/products/desktop/asm3640.htm

So, what is wrong with putting the CD in the drive and running the Win XP install from the CD?

SATA HDD? Yeah, that is becoming the norm for HDDs.
Go into your BIOS, and setup so you can read off a FLASH DRIVE or get a USB floppy drive. Find the SATA drivers or even go to nVidia's site and see if they have SATA drivers for the 630i board, and download them and put them on your FLASH DRIVE and/or floppy drive. During install of Win XP, when it asks if you need to load any drivers, hit any key and load SATA drivers.

The thing is, I have a 630i board, and both Win XP and Vista recogonized the HDD during install. I am not sure why you got the "blue screen" during install. Unless it's some crazy Acer prioperitary thing.

Well, that's my point.
I have (not using now) a 630i board, and it installed WinXP without needing a driver disk for the SATA drive.

That is why I am confused why the OP cannot install WinXP on his system. It should just install normally. Unless of course, ACER did something to the BIOS or something to prevent the install, but that would be very...unusual.

Did you contact ACER, and see if they had an answer? I know it's not the best idea, especially dealing with customer service and all that, but if ACER is preventing a clean install of XP, that would be kind of a problem, I think.

Hi,

As far as I can see, the Acer Aspire One (A150) has no settings in BIOS to change the SATA, (yes I looked in the Main menu where it would normally be).

I also have the same issue where the hard drive won't get detected because of the missing drivers (I think). And when trying to install XP, (slipstreamed Nlite version with SP2 added) I get the blue screen of death. Tried so many times to understand why this happens, and think I either need to update the BIOS version, (so I can change the SATA settings) or install SATA drivers from a third party - which you can't do as the Acer has no floppy drive, (and I have no external floppy to attach via USB).


Any help on this would be really apprecited - I hate Linux, Ubuntu... etc etc.!