Unable to install XP 64bits on new HP desktop

[manolain]

I just bought (7 days ago) a HP Pavillion 6580, with its basic configuration is the following:

Core 2 Quad Q9300 (Y) 2,5 GHz (95 W)
Socket 775
Intel G33 Express
Asus IPIBL-LB
RAM: 4Gb DD2 PC-6400
500 GB - SATA 3G (3,0 Gb/s)

To my deep dissapoinment, preinstalled with Windows Vista.

Here are all the specifications:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01324212&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=3787188

This is what it particulary says about RAID:
# Onboard RAID controller: ICH9R
# Selected Benicia models ship RAID-ready (For Spring 08, only selected CTO models will ship RAID-ready)

I want to duplicate memory up to 8Gb, in order to install a very memory demanding application.
I would like to use the computer as a PC desktop computer too, but its main function will be as a server for this application

(if necessary, I can leave it only for that, and use a different computer for Office, mails and internet surfing).

So I took my Windows cd's, and what I thought it was to take me just a sunday to be completed, it has become my worst nightmare with computers ever!!

The first problem came with an 0x000007b error (embebbed in one of those familiar and so loved blue screens that only Windows can offer) after all drivers were loaded by the windows CD setup program. After lot of researching, I found out this was due to missing SATA drivers.

These were the possible solutions I tried to apply:

- Changing at Bios, the parameter "SATA controller mode". I had three possible values: IDE, RAID or ACHI. RAID was selected, and I changed to IDE.

- Load SATA drivers. The desktop is not coming with floppy disks unit, so I had to manage to include the SATA drivers on the windows installation CD, following this tutorial ( http://news.softpedia.com/news/Install-Windows-XP-On-SATA-Without-a-Floppy-F6-47807.shtml ), that was very helpful (These are the SATA drivers that I used:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?os=228&softwareitem=pv-66631-1&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&product=3787188 ).

In both cases, result was the same: everything seemed to work OK, as I reached blue screen showing all partitions in your PC, so you can select where to install new system (I can even see an USB external hard disk unit!!!). I chose the one containing Vista, and pressed on formatting the unit, in quick and normal mode. In either cases, I was unsucessful. The process bar

jumps from 0 to 20, and then directly to 100, showing this:

Setup was unable to format the partition. The disk may be damaged.
Make sure the drive is switched on and properly connected to your computer. If the disk is a SCSI disk, make sure your SCSI devices are properly terminated. Consult your computer manual or SCSI adapter documentation for more information.
You must select a different partition for Windows.

So then, I moved to try to Install Windows Server 2003. Adding again the SATA Drivers with nLite, I could not reach

partitions screen. When cd tried to load the SATA drivers, I got the following:

The device associated with the following device driver will not work correctly on this computer: iaStor.sys.
The device driver is not compatible with the x86-based version fo Windows your computer is running.
This device driver may be required to complete Windows Setup.
Please contact the device manufacturer to obtain drivers compatible with the x86-based version of Windows.
Press any key to continue.

Until here all the facts. I am starting to doubt that I made the good choice with HP Pavillions for my purposes. Two weeks

ago I bought a different model (basically, same like this one, except for the processor that was Intel Quad Q6600) and I had

exaclty THE SAME PROBLEMS!!!
I returned to the shop, thinking it was a faulty unit....but I am afraid HP in general is faulty!!!

Now I wrote all this long chain of regrets and disgraces.....can PLEASE anybody help me??
Thanks a lot!

 

[Shadow703793]

You probably need to install the RAID drivers with "F6" option, nLite some times doesn't work. Also try wiping everything in the drive with KillDisk.

 

[milesmcever]

I ran into this same problem with the iastore and also with the error it through at you but I was loading 32 bit xp back on a box(so yes it did not say not compatable with x64) but finally I gave up after finding many people that had the same issue and ghosted the old hard 80 gig hard drive to the new 500 gig, also this was a Dell pc. May be a dumb question but why afaid of vista did it not have the x64 version, i have tried the server 2003 route but many programs would not run under it and I did run XP x64 for a while and even tried the swaping of the server 2003 kernal it always ran good but I have had many less problems under Vista Ultimate 64 which is running on 3 of my computers as I type.

 

[GhislainG]

Are you trying to install XP 64?

The Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver update compatibility doesn't list Xp (64-bit). Have you tried with the drivers available at http://downloadcenter.intel.com/filter_results.aspx?strTypes=all&ProductID=2101&OSFullName=Windows*+XP+Professional+x64+Edition&lang=eng&strOSs=109&submit=Go%21?

 

[nukemaster]

Did you try Vista at all?

You should just need the F6(linked above) disk for XP 64 then it will install and work fine. Yes you need a floppy for that

 

[tcsenter]

- Changing at Bios, the parameter "SATA controller mode". I had three possible values: IDE, RAID or ACHI. RAID was selected, and I changed to IDE.

- Load SATA drivers. The desktop is not coming with floppy disks unit, so I had to manage to include the SATA drivers on the windows installation CD...

Drivers are NOT required for storage controllers using IDE mode, only for AHCI or RAID mode. Create a different CD but do NOT integrate any Intel storage drivers. Make sure the XP 64-bit or Server 2003 64-bit install disc includes Service Pack 2. XP 64-bit and Server 2003 64-bit use the same Service Pack, but Server 2003 32-bit has its own Service Pack. You can use the NLite program to integrate the Service Pack with the installation source, then burn back to CD (but NO drivers added!)

Some of the OEMs are using special boot loaders to support the system recovery partition and other functionality, which can interfere with clean OS installation. Use a DOS utility (from bootable CD) to completely wipe (zero fill) the hard disk and all partitions. Then try installing Windows again (create your desired partitions, format, so on and so forth).

 

[manolain]

When I said this:

These were the possible solutions I tried to apply:

- Changing at Bios, the parameter "SATA controller mode". I had three possible values: IDE, RAID or ACHI. RAID was selected, and I changed to IDE.

- Load SATA drivers. The desktop is not coming with floppy disks unit, so I had to manage to include the SATA drivers on the windows installation CD,

I meant that I tried these solutions separately, so: first changing the controller mode with a normal CD installation, and then, levaing RAID controller with a new CD installation including drivers.
In both cases: the same problem, unable to format:

Setup was unable to format the partition. The disk may be damaged.
Make sure the drive is switched on and properly connected to your computer. If the disk is a SCSI disk, make sure your SCSI devices are properly terminated. Consult your computer manual or SCSI adapter documentation for more information.
You must select a different partition for Windows.

Yes, I am trying to install XP 64bits, as I said, I am planning to use 8Gb RAM memory, and for that, I need a 64bit operative system.

My application does not run in Vista, so my computer is totally useless at the present moment

Thanks guy for your help!!!!

 

[nukemaster]

What app does not run on Vista?

I do not think XP 64 will run any 16 bit apps. The same goes for Vista 64. Other then that, i have come across nothing that does not run(WEll, fine... NERO 6, but it was due for an upgrade).

 

[manolain]

What app does not run on Vista?

I do not think XP 64 will run any 16 bit apps. The same goes for Vista 64. Other then that, i have come across nothing that does not run(WEll, fine... NERO 6, but it was due for an upgrade).

Believe me nukemaster, my application does not run in Vista. It has nothing to do with nero or any other home applications....We are talkign about totally different things.....

It is a development application, very demanding, and it is only supported for Server 2003 (but I tried installations on XP and worked, but nobody was able to install it on Vista

 

[gamerk316]

What app does not run on Vista?

I do not think XP 64 will run any 16 bit apps. The same goes for Vista 64. Other then that, i have come across nothing that does not run(WEll, fine... NERO 6, but it was due for an upgrade).

16 bit apps run fine in any M$ OS except for Vista. Thats one reason my company refuses to "upgrade", as all our custom programs (around 10-15) will not run on it.

 

[tcsenter]

When I said this:
I meant that I tried these solutions separately, so: first changing the controller mode with a normal CD installation, and then, levaing RAID controller with a new CD installation including drivers. In both cases: the same problem, unable to format:

OK, that wasn't clear from your post. At any rate, if you select IDE for the controller mode, you don't need to press F6 during SETUP or supply any third-party drivers. However, the installation media may need to have the Service Pack for Windows XP 64-bit (Server 2003 64-bit), if your install disc does not already integrate any Service Pack.

Also check in BIOS for processor features such as C-State or C-6 State, EIST, and CPUID Max Value and set to DISABLE (if available). The C-States and EIST can be enabled again after the OS is installed with the latest chipset and driver support, but CPUID Max Value should always be DISABLED for Windows 2000 and later OS.

There is a newer BIOS update for this model, but you'll need Windows Vista to install it, unless you are familiar with decompressing the HP SoftPaq to get the BIOS ROM and using an alternative flash utility. It appears you may need this BIOS if you plan to run 8GB, as the release notes include:

- Resolves issue with the system hanging when 7GB of RAM is installed.

Lastly, it may be required to wipe the disk of all data and partitions, to eliminate any custom bootloaders that HP may be using to support the recovery partition or other functionality. Or, you may need to either purchase a system that HP (or Dell) still offers with Windows XP Professional (and thus supports), or build your own! You can build an equivalent system for the same or slightly more.

16 bit apps run fine in any M$ OS except for Vista. Thats one reason my company refuses to "upgrade", as all our custom programs (around 10-15) will not run on it.

16-bit apps are NOT supported on any 64-bit MS SKU, be it Windows XP, Server 2003, Vista, or Server 2008. 16-bit apps ARE supported on all 32-bit SKUs, including Windows Vista. Microsoft is even doing hotfixes for 16-bit app compatibility on 32-bit Vista:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/933662

However, there are cases where Vista simply is not compatible with all components or aspects of a 16-bit app, such as:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926657

 

[manolain]

Thank you all guys for your answers

Also check in BIOS for processor features such as C-State or C-6 State, EIST, and CPUID Max Value and set to DISABLE (if available). The C-States and EIST can be enabled again after the OS is installed with the latest chipset and driver support, but CPUID Max Value should always be DISABLED for Windows 2000 and later OS.

There is a newer BIOS update for this model, but you'll need Windows Vista to install it, unless you are familiar with decompressing the HP SoftPaq to get the BIOS ROM and using an alternative flash utility. It appears you may need this BIOS if you plan to run 8GB, as the release notes include:

tcsenter, I could not find at all those BIOS options you mention here, actually, BIOS menus are quite simple and with only a few options and menus

I updated the BIOS with the newer version you quoted, but there were little change to the surface

I thought about installing partition magic on current Vista installation, and create a total new partition there. Then, I will try to install Windows Server 2003 SP2 32bits there, I will let you know if it works!!!!

Thanks again for your help!!

 

[manolain]

OK, I set the disc mode to IDE in the BIOS, and I were able to delete the partition containing Vista, create a new one, and installed Windows XP SP2 32bits on it
I then swapped to RAID mode in the BIOS...but Win XP cannot boot. Is that normal? How can I run it with RAID enabled?
Thanks!!!

 

[GhislainG]

You normally set RAID mode in the BIOS before installing the OS and use F6 to load the drivers from a diskette at installation time. You'll have to repair your installation, but first make sure the RAID drivers are on a diskette as you'll need them when you press F6.

 

[tcsenter]

OK, I set the disc mode to IDE in the BIOS, and I were able to delete the partition containing Vista, create a new one, and installed Windows XP SP2 32bits on it. I then swapped to RAID mode in the BIOS...but Win XP cannot boot. Is that normal? How can I run it with RAID enabled?

You're killing me already with changing the controller mode. You can't change controller modes from IDE to RAID/AHCI after the OS is installed, at least not easily. There is a way to proceed but you need to change the controller driver in Windows prior to changing the controller mode in BIOS, and it isn't always successful.

Use NLite to create an install CD with F6 drivers integrated, then install with RAID mode set in BIOS, but don't use the HP drivers. Use the drivers from Intel:

32-bit Windows - ALL

64-bit Windows - ALL

 

[manolain]

pffff...........this is being so difficult!!!!!

I could install Win XP 32bits including RAID drivers.

Once the system was installed and booted, I had these problems:

- Fan noise: With Vista installed, when I just switched on the computer, the fan was very noisy, as it was working a very high speed. Once Vista was up, it went totally silent, it was fantastic!!!

- I cant install drivers for Video and Ethernet. I downloaded all drivers in the Asus website for Win XP (HP only offers them for Vista) in this URL: http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=P5K-VM But it did not work. How is this possible????

Do you have any idea that could help on this? Thanks very much!!!!

 

[GhislainG]

Try downloading the drivers for each device from their manufacturers' site. You bought a PC that doesn't officially support XP, therefore installing it is more difficult than it should be. While the motherboard is from Asus, it meets HP's specs and uses their BIOS. As long as you use Vista, it will work just fine. It should also work fine with Windows Server 2008.

 

[manolain]

Try downloading the drivers for each device from their manufacturers' site. You bought a PC that doesn't officially support XP, therefore installing it is more difficult than it should be. While the motherboard is from Asus, it meets HP's specs and uses their BIOS. As long as you use Vista, it will work just fine. It should also work fine with Windows Server 2008.

But it does not make any sense that, if I download drivers from Asus website, I try to install them (even manually, just looking for the .inf file) and it cant recognize video and ethernet drivers, does it?

 

[GhislainG]

If they are onboard devices, then it makes sense. Asus probably include only what's required for their own motherboards, but not necessarily OEM motherboards. The same holds true of most manufacturers. On the other hand, if you know what Ethernet controller is used, then the drivers from the manufacturer should support all motherboards and discrete cards built with around that controller. You really can't go wrong using the OEM drivers that usually are more recent.

 

[manolain]

I cant believe after so much effort, and after being so close to the end....I may be give up because of the LAN adapter!!!!

This is becoming better!!!

I could donwload drivers from NVIDIA website for graphic, and the problem about VGA controller and the fan noise were solved at once. It seemed that the media accelerator was the one responsible for the noise. Once I installed proper drivers, it was sorted out.

Then, the only thing left is LAN adapter, and I was not able to install it. I checked ASUS website to locate drivers for LAN adapter:
http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=542&l4=0&model=1690&modelmenu=2

As you can see, they say there that they use Marvell LAN driver. I looked for it in Marvell website, and I found it:
http://www.marvell.com/drivers/driverDisplay.do?driverId=202

But when I tried to install controller, it failed.

Then I went to HP to try with Vista downloadable drivers:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=pv-60425-1&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&os=2093&product=3787188

But I saw there were for Realtek!!! So you were very right ghislaing, although the Asus specs were showing the built-in device, this one was following HP specs!!!

I went to Realtek website, looked for LAN drivers, and it worked!!!

So at this point, I DO HAVE MY COMPUTER WITH XP SP3 32BIT INSTALLED working in SATA mode and all controllers sucessfully installed!!!!!

Next steps are to create new partitions to install Windows Server 2003 32bits (I assume same drivers I used for XP will be valid on this too) and a smaller one to install SUSE. Its time to begin experiencing with Linux!!!!!
I hope I will not have any problem configuring multime OS boot.
Do you know if I can have three operative system in the same machine?

I will let you know my progresses. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your help and assistance guys!!!

 

[tcsenter]

- Fan noise: With Vista installed, when I just switched on the computer, the fan was very noisy, as it was working a very high speed. Once Vista was up, it went totally silent, it was fantastic!

Edit: OK, it was the NVIDIA graphics card. Glad that is sorted.

- I cant install drivers for Video and Ethernet. I downloaded all drivers in the Asus website for Win XP (HP only offers them for Vista) in this URL: http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us&model=P5K-VM But it did not work. How is this possible?

Because you don't have an ASUS P5K-VM, you have an OEM HP motherboard manufactured by ASUS under contract. Here are the drivers for the devices in your system (according to the HP specs):

Intel Chipset INF Installer <-- Install First

Intel GMA 3100 Display Drivers (only if using onboard graphics):
For 32-bit XP/2003
For 64-bit XP/2003

NVIDIA GeForce 9500GS Drivers:
For 32-bit XP/2003
For 64-bit XP/2003

Realtek HD Audio Drivers for 32-bit and 64-bit XP/2003

Realtek GbE LAN Drivers for 32-bit and 64-bit XP/2003

Intel Matrix Storage Manager (ALL XP/2003/Vista)


Some of these drivers or applications may require (or benefit from):

.NET Framework 1.1 SP1 (from Windows CD x:\DOTNETFX\SETUP.EXE)

.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (includes 2.0 and 3.0)

Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Runtimes:
for 32-bit XP/2003
for 64-bit XP/2003

DirectX November 2008 Updates

 

[manolain]

tcsenter, this is just amazing!!!

 

[tcsenter]

What happened to 64-bit?

 

[manolain]

What happened to 64-bit?

I found some applications not working properly in 64bits

These are my plans, let me know your opinion:

C: this will hold Windows XP 32bits for my personal use: office, internet......nothing very heavy. Some video processing sometime.....but not too much. I think that 3,2Gb RAM will be enough for this. Anyway, in the event I would like to move to XP 64bits,... would it be possible to upgrade to 64bit, or will I have to delete all what I configured and installed for XP 32bits?

D: Windows Server 2003 32bits. This will be for my development application, that is not supported in 64bits Windows architectures. I heard that with Server 2003 with SP2, although the maximum accessible memory will be 3,2Gb, this limit will apply PER PROCESS, and not the sum of all processes running. My application, when executing your developments, it does it with a very high level of parallelism, so if that is true, that will be perfect to me

E: I will try to install Linux SUSE on it, as I said, its time to start experiencing with Linux...who knows...maybe one day this one passes to be the system located in C: , hahahaha

what do you think about this approach?

 

[GhislainG]

Windows Server 2003 Enterprise will use all memory. Windows Server 2003 Standard will only see 3.x GB. Visit Microsoft to make sure that the 3.2GB is per process applies to Windows Server 2003 Standard.

I run Windows Server 2008 64-bit and VMware Server 2.0 on my development server. For me that's best because I can run a few OS at once and simulate the environments that I need. Another solution is VMware Workstation on Vista 64, but my preference still is the free VMware Server.