Windows xp onto a windows 8 machine

[vetrox]

First of all HI!

My grandfather has a few computers in his home all running xp as he wont cope with anything else any more (he's just too old now at 86) He likes to think he's still quite savvy when it comes to computers and he decided to replace one of his smaller ones.

So he went out to a local electronics store and bought a pc and asked me to plug it all in. I warned him it had windows 8 on it but showed it to him anyway. Nope, he wants it gone and wants xp on there as that was the best operating system they will ever make (in his mind)

So wiped the hardrive, removed all the security settings on the motherboard, set it to boot from cd/dvd drive, popped in the windows xp disc as normal but it gets to the end of its inital loading (where it tries to boot into the installer if that makes sense) and gives me that blue screen physical memory dump.

So i put the hard drive into another computer and installed xp onto the hard drive that way. Plugged it back into the new pc but it wont boot windows at all, not even into safe mode. It will show the windows loading screen for maybe a second then blacks, and the computer restarts.

Im no computer techniccian but with the help of the internet pretty much everything is possible. So my main question is, are windows 8 machines (prebuilt machines you find in the shop) motherboards compatible with windows xp? It may just be a corrupt install onto the drive but i want to get as much info as possible before i go back there on tuesday.

He must have a machine that boots straight into windows xp. He just wont cope with opening a virtual box with xp whilst in windows 8. He can just about manage to switch his tv from the dvd player to the sky box! He wont really use the computer other than maybe play freecell but he just likes to feel like he's still in the loop.

Thanks in advance,
Nick

 

[strollin]

Check to see if you can change the SATA controller in the BIOS to ATA mode instead of AHCI mode. XP does not have SATA controller drivers which the new machine certainly has.

While a machine built for Windows 8 does not necessarily mean it won't run XP, the issue is that you may not be able to find all the necessary drivers needed. Check the mfrs website to see if they have XP drivers for video, sound, mobo chipset, LAN, etc...

 

[vetrox]

Check to see if you can change the SATA controller in the BIOS to ATA mode instead of AHCI mode. XP does not have SATA controller drivers which the new machine certainly has.

While a machine built for Windows 8 does not necessarily mean it won't run XP, the issue is that you may not be able to find all the necessary drivers needed. Check the mfrs website to see if they have XP drivers for video, sound, mobo chipset, LAN, etc...

I remember being able to change the sata mode and i remember it being ahci. I will certainly have a look at that.

The only drive he needs is wireless. He only needs the most basic of basics which is why im hoping i might still be able to get it to work

Thanks

 

[Joe C]

The pc may have secure boot enabled in the bios, which would prevent anything but windows 8 from installing. you can turn this option off within the bios. The board may require drivers (chipset?) that XP does not have, You can always try running XP in a virtual machine so your grandfather will still be happy with it

What brand name and model number is this new pc?





.

 

[KSoD]

Before you even worry about secure boot or if you have SATA ability, do you have drivers?!?

Meaning do you have Ethernet Drivers, Sound Drivers and other such drivers that help the machine operate? They will be on the PC original manufacturer's site. But I can bet you a million that they will not be listed as no manufacturer today is making drivers for a 12 year old OS.

So even if you get past the secure boot difficulty, even if you get past the SATA Drivers hurtle, you still will not have a fully functional machine. It is unlikely that XP will have drivers for the other devices and you will not find them anywhere. Making the machine pretty much useless since you wont have full use of it.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it is the full honest truth. It is not likely you will get XP working on a machine built this year.