Install windows xp on windows 7 64 bit laptop

Most likely, you can't, because the drivers needed to do this simply do not exist.

You will need a driver for the Windows first stage installer for your specific motherboard because Windows XP came out before SATA even existed, and after that you will need XP drivers for the rest of the hardware in your computer. There is a very strong possibility some or all of these drivers simply do not exist. Further, if any of this seems daunting and/or bewildering to you, then you will undoubtedly run into further issues as you go.

You would be much better served upgrading to Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate so that you may take advantage of Windows 7's XP Mode. Alternatively, if you have a legitimate XP install CD, you could install it into a VM like VirtualBox yourself.

Hi,
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/8790/dual-boot-your-pre-...
You'll have to slipstream the SATA driver and the SP2 or SP3 into the XP kit using nLite.

cl-scott is correct. Even if you do slipstream the sata drivers into the windows disc, the drivers for the machine itself will not exist. So you'll be able to install it, but not really use it.

+1 for clscott

You'd be better off to run XP in a virtual machine (either with Ms Virtual PC or Sun VirtualBox, both are free). Or maybe the simpler XP mode would solve your problem if it's just one software that bothers you.

And don't forget that Microsoft will drop support for Windows XP by 2014... So XP will be slowly going away... You'll be 4 versions behind, XP is an old OS that was released in 2002. Since then Vista, 7 and 8 were released.

In any case I've been able to make almost every older software work under Windows 7 so I'd be curious to know why you need XP?

I thank you all for your valuable responses. The only reason I wanted to get XP running alongside Windows 7 is because, this is my work laptop and some office tools don't work with windows 7. That's why, I wanted to have XP so that the tools can work. I don't want XP as my main OS.

I have another important question. Will the windows XP run as 32-bit on virtual mode on my 64-bit windows 7 operating system? SInce, the laptop is 64-bit, so I was wondering if the windows xp can run as 32-bit on virtual mode.

Short answer: Yes. Somewhat longer answer: XP was a 32-bit OS, so just running it as a guest OS on a 64-bit host OS will not magically change that.

Thank you Scott and others for your valuable input.
I am in the process of installing the virtual box to run windows XP. Well, I have come across a situation where it talks about disk image files. Which one would be a preferred option amongst VDI, VHD, VMDK, and HDD?

Sorry for the late answer. I guess you probably already chose one by now. I would recommend VMDK because it is the most used format and is compatible and transferable from one virtual platform to another (Virtual PC, Virtual Box and VMWare all support VMDK).

I "slipstremed" the AHCI drivers in to my XP Pro SP2 x64 disc as well as all the drivers for my acer 7740G Core i 3 laptop and am using XP Pro SP2 x64 very successfully on my laptop as the only O/S