How to Format Vista to XP

[ipost007]

I have a Laptop.its already Vista OS.But when power on message come boot failer.I need to clear Vista and want to install XP.
When i try to install Xp its give message Can't fine Hard drive.
How can i fix this problem ?

 

[Hefemeister]

what laptop do you have? You either need the sata drivers for windows install as xp does not have native sata support or look into bios to see if it has ide emulation mode for your sata ports.

 

[KSoD]

You have a SATA Hard Drive which XP Does not have the drivers for. So you will need the make and model of the laptop and hope that the manufacturer has made XP Drivers that they released to their website.

 

[ipost007]

Vista to XP

Dear friends
I'm tring to Foramat (Vista to Xp) Accer Laptop.but there Error "No hard disk Found".
pls help me.how van i format?

 

[Alvin.C]

Re: Vista to XP

Hi,

What laptop do you have? Does it have a SATA hard drive?

In order to install Windows XP on a SATA hard drive, and format a SATA hard drive during the Windows XP setup process, 'AHCI/SATA native mode' (or similar setting) needs to be disabled in your BIOS. Alternatively, the setting may be named 'SATA Legacy mode/support', in which case, you'll want to enable it.

Windows XP does not have built in support for SATA hard drives. To get round this, most systems allow the SATA drive to operate in 'legacy' mode (or non-native mode), essentially falling back to the older technology which Windows XP has in-built support for - PATA/IDE hard drive emulation.

There's nothing particularly wrong with the hard drive operating in legacy mode, as it works, but you'll get better performance if your hard drive is operating in SATA native mode, since it can utilise the beneficial features SATA has to offer.

There are a number of ways to get a SATA hard drive operating in native mode in Windows XP. The easiest way is to provide a 3rd party storage controller driver during the installation process, but this requires the user to obtain the driver on a floppy disk, and most laptops these days do not have floppy disk drives.

A third way, which takes time and the knowledge, is via a process called slipstreaming. This is done within Windows on another machine.

Another way of getting your hard drive to operate in SATA native mode in Windows XP, is by uninstalling the PATA/IDE storage controller driver in device manager, downloading and installing the SATA storage controller driver, restarting your computer, re-enabling 'SATA native mode' in the BIOS, then booting into Windows XP, after which the SATA storage controller should be functioning in SATA native mode. A number of users, including myself, have successfully enabled SATA support this way. This method is somewhat risky however, as accidentally installing the incorrect storage controller driver may render Windows unbootable. Also, it's not heavily documented, and documentation which does exist is mostly for Intel storage contollers.

 

[patonb]

Re: Vista to XP

Also note that if it's as brand new laptop, there might not be any XP drivers.

 

[ipost007]

Re: Vista to XP

Thanks for your reply.My laptop is accer.how can i desable sata mode by BIOS?

Hi,

What laptop do you have? Does it have a SATA hard drive?

In order to install Windows XP on a SATA hard drive, and format a SATA hard drive during the Windows XP setup process, 'AHCI/SATA native mode' (or similar setting) needs to be disabled in your BIOS. Alternatively, the setting may be named 'SATA Legacy mode/support', in which case, you'll want to enable it.

Windows XP does not have built in support for SATA hard drives. To get round this, most systems allow the SATA drive to operate in 'legacy' mode (or non-native mode), essentially falling back to the older technology which Windows XP has in-built support for - PATA/IDE hard drive emulation.

There's nothing particularly wrong with the hard drive operating in legacy mode, as it works, but you'll get better performance if your hard drive is operating in SATA native mode, since it can utilise the beneficial features SATA has to offer.

There are a number of ways to get a SATA hard drive operating in native mode in Windows XP. The easiest way is to provide a 3rd party storage controller driver during the installation process, but this requires the user to obtain the driver on a floppy disk, and most laptops these days do not have floppy disk drives.

A third way, which takes time and the knowledge, is via a process called slipstreaming. This is done within Windows on another machine.

Another way of getting your hard drive to operate in SATA native mode in Windows XP, is by uninstalling the PATA/IDE storage controller driver in device manager, downloading and installing the SATA storage controller driver, restarting your computer, re-enabling 'SATA native mode' in the BIOS, then booting into Windows XP, after which the SATA storage controller should be functioning in SATA native mode. A number of users, including myself, have successfully enabled SATA support this way. This method is somewhat risky however, as accidentally installing the incorrect storage controller driver may render Windows unbootable. Also, it's not heavily documented, and documentation which does exist is mostly for Intel storage contollers.