27 replies to this topic

[shadragon]

Hi Peter,

I doubt there is an chip programmed to not take XP. It is probably hardware related, IE the SATA hard drive. Took me a while but I found a reference. Try this article

See if it helps. Sorry for the delay. Awful busy this time of year.

Cheers.

S

[Cajun Diver]

Given that I have no way to recover from a hard disk crash and Microsoft and Toshiba provide absolutely nothing to help, I think I'll have to use Ghost to create a disk image. Back in XP days Stan Eker on this board gave me a copy of Ghost 2003, and I just hope it will run under Vista!

I misunderstood what you were looking for - I use Drive Image XML http://www.runtime.o...veimage-xml.htm. The private edition is free.

Some reviews of it:

http://download.cnet...4-10443230.html

http://www.pcworld.c...escription.html

[peterbj7]

Thanks - I'll give it a try. I've installed Ghost 2003, but I'm getting messages that it isn't compatible with Vista. Given how important it will be that it works properly, I'm a bit nervous about trusting it.

As to maybe the HD being the problem, I went over this problem with both Toshiba and Western Digital, who made both the original disk and the one I'd like to install. Toshiba weren't any help at all, but WD really were. They even phoned me back in the UK after they'd done some digging. They recommended I remove the HD completely and try to run XP from the installation CD. That gave exactly the same result - blue screen just after the installation process started. So whatever it is, it isn't the hard disk.

Both WD and a local "expert" here said they believe the motherboard won't tolerate XP, which tends to confirm what Toshiba told me bluntly, that this machine will not run XP. Whether it's a chip issue, one with the chipset, or perhaps something to do with memory, it is for all practical purposes insoluble. Something that Toshiba neglected to mention when I bought it, which is why I would never buy one of their products again - I just don't trust them. I do have in writing from Dell that their machines will run XP, and I will confirm that before I buy.

[peterbj7]

Try this article

This looks VERY promising. As I only have one working computer I'll swap out the existing Vista HD for a brand new unformatted one and try again to put XP on it, using the tips in that thread. At least I have a simple retreat route - just put the original HD back!

Though first I have to make my email database accessible other than through Vista/

I may be offline some time!

[uwfan]

I do have in writing from Dell that their machines will run XP, and I will confirm that before I buy.

Hey Peter, I don't know if this helps, but the school district I work for buys only Dells and part of the "package" is a downgrade to XP. I certainly prefer XP to Vista, but haven't a clue how they make the modifications... I just know our computers work. Thanks for sharing with all of us your computer challenges and possible solutions, I might some day even understand all the ins and outs that all of you techies are talking about.

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

I confirm what Heidi said.....all of the computers I purchase for work I now get only from Dell - both laptop and PC - specifically so I can get XP as the OS. They have me over a barrel in that only certain models qualify for the downgrade, though.

[shadragon]

I would tend to believe lack of drivers over a built in chip code. That does not feel right at all.

Anyway, let me know how you made out.

[peterbj7]

I would tend to believe lack of drivers over a built in chip code. That does not feel right at all

How can that explain the blue screen when I try to run XP from the install disk without a hard disk present?

[shadragon]

I would tend to believe lack of drivers over a built in chip code. That does not feel right at all

How can that explain the blue screen when I try to run XP from the install disk without a hard disk present?

If there is no where to install XP then it will gag and die because it "cannot get there from here". Try it with a multi-gig RAM stick in the laptop instead. What is the STOP error on the BSOD? Will look like 0x0000000A and there will be four numbers in that format. That will tell you exactly. A photo of that page would be ideal to fault find.

[SeaSeeker]

Hi all,
since you are on the topic....

I have a Dell desktop (had it since Fall 2005) and I'm very happy with it.
I have an HP Pavillion dv8000 laptop 17" with a full keyboard that I've been using as my primary business computer (I am an IT consultant) since Feb 2006. It has dual AMD Turion processors.

Now, when you are finished being totally scandalized by how out of date my equipment is...
when it's not broke don't fix it, I say.

I am aiming to purchase a new laptop early in the new year - the letters on the keyboard are rubbing off, so it may be time. I have been very happy with my HP and I'm thinking of staying with that brand. Any feedback or updated news you can share that may affect that decision?
Opinions on Intel vs AMD chips?

Thanks,
Tammie

[peterbj7]

I would tend to believe lack of drivers over a built in chip code. That does not feel right at all

How can that explain the blue screen when I try to run XP from the install disk without a hard disk present?

If there is no where to install XP then it will gag and die because it "cannot get there from here". Try it with a multi-gig RAM stick in the laptop instead. What is the STOP error on the BSOD? Will look like 0x0000000A and there will be four numbers in that format. That will tell you exactly. A photo of that page would be ideal to fault find.

I'm not trying to install XP, just run it from the CD. I've done that lots of times over the years. You don't have to have a hard disk to run Windows, though you do to do anything useful with it. But there's something in or on the motherboard which in this case seems to be preventing it.

[shadragon]

I'm not trying to install XP, just run it from the CD. I've done that lots of times over the years. You don't have to have a hard disk to run Windows, though you do to do anything useful with it. But there's something in or on the motherboard which in this case seems to be preventing it.

This is going to sound really dumb, but take the disk out of the drive, turn it 90 degrees, then reinsert it. Give it a try. I have seen disk read errors clean up on standard CD-ROM'S doing that.

[peterbj7]

Dumb is as dumb does..... I'll try that, though given the number of times I'v tried this I suspect I've already covered most angles.