Downgrade HP laptop from vista to xp

[ShadoWolf]

Hello

I have had enough of Vista on my hp laptop so I have decided to downgrade it to XP, and I have run into problems which everyone else seems to have. It has to do with the SATA driver. I have streamlined my XP CD with the HP SATA driver using nlite but this still hasnt helped.

I have read on the hp website that "Computers built for Windows XP use native-ATI technology to control hard drives, while Windows Vista uses native-Serial ATA (SATA) technology" and that "The BIOS on a Vista computer is configured for a native-SATA environment and it cannot recognize ATI drivers"

Is this correct? In which surely this means I will need to replace the Bios with the XP compatible one on their drivers page? Im fairly sure that this would be the case but I just want to be sure before I go ahead and flash the bios just in case there is somthing I am missing?

[ShadoWolf]

Sorry, just relised this is prob in the wrong forum. Mods.... please move if needed

[BobF64]

My guess, ok stab in the dark, is that they are refering to the mode the SATA controller is in.

Its probably configured for AHCI mode, which Vista has drivers for, but XP doesnt.

Providing the drivers at install time should work, or seeing if you can change it in the BIOS to use EIDE instead of AHCI or RAID mode.

[ShadoWolf]

Is there no way to get XP to run the hdd in AHCI mode then? because I can change the vista bios to IDE and it works fine, I just wanted to get it to work in AHCI mode. But if XP can handle AHCI then what there is no point me doing anything then?

[BobF64]

Yes.

When installing XP, note must be an install not some sort of recovery thing, you can press F6 at a certain point and provide the AHCI controller drivers on a floppy, assuming you can find them.

[Meaker]

upgrade to 7 instead?

[ShadoWolf]

Should it work if I install Windows with the HDD in IDE Mode then install the driver and change it back? because even if I do that I still get the blue screen of death when it trys to load Windows

[scaryjim]

I've done this with a HP lappy recently. It is indeed an issue with native SATA vs. native IDE mode, but it's just a single setting in the BIOS (can't remember exactly which one I'm afraid!): you can change it, save and restart, and the install should work fine.

One thing to watch though - you may need an XP SP2 install disk as well; I've had issues installing XP on laptops and sometimes just changing to a different service pack install disk works (my old Dell C600 wouldn't install from an SP2 disk, but had no problems from my older (no SP) disk!).

EDIT:
Sorry, looks like I cross posted (the problem of forumming at work!) and you've already done this - just ignore me

As to installing in IDE mode than switching, I suspect XP would need to put the AHCI drivers in the boot sector of the disk so it could load them prior to booting the OS - presumably if you install them after you've installed the OS it can't do this (in a similar way to once you install Windows onto a drive on a SATA controller you can't then change that controller to RAID mode... (made that mistake once...)).

[BobF64]

Should it work if I install Windows with the HDD in IDE Mode then install the driver and change it back? because even if I do that I still get the blue screen of death when it trys to load Windows

Sometimes.

Theres at least 1 guide on this forum about changing from IDE to AHCI mode after installation.

It involves installing XP, SP2 at least I think, followed by installing the required AHCI drivers, and only then changing the mode in the BIOS.

Of course, you could just live with it in IDE mode, you might not even notice.

[ShadoWolf]

Yeah, i might have to. I streamlined the sata driver on the xp disc and it installs fine but when it goes to run windows for the first time i get the BSoD no matter what sata mode the bios is in.

[Meaker]

Let me try that again.... upgrade to windows 7.

[ShadoWolf]

I have no plans on moving to windows 7 yet. XP does me fine. plus that would mean buying another windows and that would cost.

Does anyone know if XP would have issues running on a laptop with a "vista bios"? Not sure what the difference is between the vista bios and the xp bios is but hp seem to think there is. Its just I keep getting BSoD when trying to install things, and somtimes the setup program just stops, no confirmation that the software has been installed and no errors.

[aidanjt]

If you want the 'install xp on ahci without a floppy' option, use nlite to integrate the ahci drivers for your controller.

[ShadoWolf]

i have tryed that but it didnt work. still get bsod when loadin xp if in ahci mode. what i want to know is if there is any difference between the "vista bios" and the "xp bios"

[aidanjt]

No. You might have picked the wrong driver integration method. You need the 'F6 floppy' drivers which has the TXTSETUP.OEM file in them for nLite to consider doing do the right thing.

Is there any particular reason why you're downgrading to XP anyway?

[ShadoWolf]

that is the driver I used, it does hav the txtsetup.oem file in it, would I need to select this file to integrate it aswell? or should it integrate it when i select the .inf file?