degustibus Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 They (Staples tech) said it couldn't be done -- and I'm about ready to believe them. Emachine EL 1210-09, shipped with Vista, but I want XP. Attempting installation, I cannot boot to XP, get a BSD. I replace the drive with another SATA, wiped. Still can't boot the installation CD. I put the drive on another computer, a Dell, install XP on the drive with no Dell drivers, just a vanilla install, and then try that drive in the EL1210. No dice. Xp is there, but it goes into a boot, exit loop... I'm thinkng there must be a hardware or bios block, but I can't figure it out. I've also tried to run several Linix Live CDs --none of which work on this machine --get an error--unable to open tty...... The only thing I've found that will work besides Vista is the PartEd live CD, which runs from Linux I believe, gives me a desktop, and a Firefox browser enables me to start the network and browse the internets -- the only OS I've been able to run besides Vista. I've never had this kind of problem downgrading to XP on other machines, as I say I'm stymied.....btw, Emachines tech support gave me links to XP drivers, but told me XP was not supported... well, of course, but I've never needed support for XP anyhow. So I've got the drivers, but can't install them because I can't get XP to run...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goretsky Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 Hello,It sounds like you may need to install some additional device driver software to allow Microsoft Windows XP to properly access the hard disk drive during installation. This is done by having the required device drivers on a floppy diskette and pressing the F6 key as soon as the installation begins to tell it additional device drivers need to be loaded.Did you extract the SATA IDE drivers from this package from Gateway's (eMachine's owner) support web site and have them available to install from a floppy diskette?Regards,Aryeh Goretsky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
degustibus Posted February 24, 2009 Author Share Posted February 24, 2009 Hello,It sounds like you may need to install some additional device driver software to allow Microsoft Windows XP to properly access the hard disk drive during installation. This is done by having the required device drivers on a floppy diskette and pressing the F6 key as soon as the installation begins to tell it additional device drivers need to be loaded.Did you extract the SATA IDE drivers from this package from Gateway's (eMachine's owner) support web site and have them available to install from a floppy diskette?I have that package (or a similar one for XP OS) -- I was trying to see how I could install those....no floppy drive of course on these new machines, (I'm not sure the drivers would fit on a floppy anyhow)....maybe I could put the drive back on the Dell and install the drivers to XP then move the drive back to the emachine -- nothing to lose except time....Still find it odd that I'm having so much trouble getting one of my Linux Live CDs to boot successfully -- I've never had a computer so resistant to another OS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Use Nlite to integrate the text-mode SATA drivers (and the chipset, video drivers) into your XP setup CD. You can find and download these drivers at Nvidia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
degustibus Posted February 25, 2009 Author Share Posted February 25, 2009 Use Nlite to integrate the text-mode SATA drivers (and the chipset, video drivers) into your XP setup CD. You can find and download these drivers at Nvidia.I'm not sure that solves the basic problem -- the emachine will not boot XPsetup CD, so there's no way to install drivers even if they're integrated. I removed the HDD and put it on a Dell -- was able to get XP installed. Then put the drive back into the emachine, where it goes into an endless loop, boot -->exit, repeat (n). XP will not start. I'm thinking about putting the drive back on the Dell, installing the drivers and see what happens. thanks for the suggestions -- this is the first machine I've had that wouldn't take another OS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkehoe Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Your first post mentions a Blue Screen of Death, aka Stop error. What is that error? It will probably tell us a lot.Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goretsky Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Hello,I would suggest using a USB external floppy diskette drive, if you do not have one, then perhaps you can mount a floppy diskette drive from another computer in the system? Regards,Aryeh Goretsky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzButt Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Just for giggles how is your eMachine using the SATA ports in BIOS? I don't think XP supports AHCI even with the drivers. Some of the new hardware might simply not support XP either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 I'm not sure that solves the basic problem -- the emachine will not boot XPsetup CD, so there's no way to install drivers even if they're integrated.The reason why XP setup will not load correctly is because it does not have the SATA drivers it needs. You can load those drivers on a floppy and by pressing F6 when setup starts OR you can integrate those drivers (the ones you are supposed to put on a floppy) in the setup CD so you dont have to use a floppy/press F6.The alternative is to connect the disk to the Dell machine and update, in Device Manager): (1) the storage controller drivers to Standard Dual Channel PCI IDE Controller and (2) the graphics controller (under System devices) to PCI standard host CPU bridge.When prompted to restart, do not restart until you have updated the two devices. Shut down and connect the drive to the eMachine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus K Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Hello,It sounds like you may need to install some additional device driver software to allow Microsoft Windows XP to properly access the hard disk drive during installation. This is done by having the required device drivers on a floppy diskette and pressing the F6 key as soon as the installation begins to tell it additional device drivers need to be loaded.Did you extract the SATA IDE drivers from this package from Gateway's (eMachine's owner) support web site and have them available to install from a floppy diskette?Regards,Aryeh GoretskyOn my rather new rig I went into the BIOS and set SATA for IDE mode. No need for RAID and AHCI, and the system runs fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
degustibus Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 Your first post mentions a Blue Screen of Death, aka Stop error. What is that error? It will probably tell us a lot.KevinStop: 0x0000007B (0xF78DZ524....etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillD Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 (edited) You know, I ran into the same problem with not being able to get a SATA drive to boot (altho the BIOS could see it) when I assembled a new computer using an ASUS mobo back in the fall.I got disgusted so I partitioned it with FAT 32 partitions C, D, and then put my 3 Linux partitions beyond that (EXT3) and installed PCLinuxOS (after running live, which it did fine), and with LILO installed in the MBR, it then could "see" the C partition eventho there was nothing there, and I was able to install XP.Never did figure that out, but if by some happenstance you have a live Linux CD, or are up to coping with a weird approach, I pass this on for what it is worth; not much probably, but it might work in your case too . . .Of course, you may want NTFS partitions for XP, but the same scheme should apply; the only reason I used FAT 32 (not recommended generally for XP) is because it is easier to "see" from Linux.Bill Edited February 28, 2009 by BillD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
degustibus Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 You know, I ran into the same problem with not being able to get a SATA drive to boot (altho the BIOS could see it) when I assembled a new computer using an ASUS mobo back in the fall.I got disgusted so I partitioned it with FAT 32 partitions C, D, and then put my 3 Linux partitions beyond that (EXT3) and installed PCLinuxOS (after running live, which it did fine), and with LILO installed in the MBR, it then could "see" the C partition eventho there was nothing there, and I was able to install XP.Never did figure that out, but if by some happenstance you have a live Linux CD, or are up to coping with a weird approach, I pass this on for what it is worth; not much probably, but it might work in your case too . . .Of course, you may want NTFS partitions for XP, but the same scheme should apply; the only reason I used FAT 32 (not recommended generally for XP) is because it is easier to "see" from Linux.BillI have a FAT32 C: partition (I use several old dos programs -- my main reason for wanting XP rather than Vista.)I mentioned earlier --I have not been able to get a Linux Live CD to run on this machine (unable to load tty error) except for a parted utility CD. (won't run PClinuxOS live...) This drive runs XPpro vanilla on a Dell Vostro 200. So XP is there and installed. (So is Windows 7 Beta--which I installed on the emachine just to see if I could get another OS on this emachine....so it's locking out XP I did get an XP Intel chipset, ran the installation when I had the drive hooked up to the Dell, but when I moved it back to the emachine, no dice, got into an exit loop every time the boot manager offered a choice between Win7 and XP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
degustibus Posted February 28, 2009 Author Share Posted February 28, 2009 (edited) On my rather new rig I went into the BIOS and set SATA for IDE mode. No need for RAID and AHCI, and the system runs fine.No such setting in the emachine bios...... Edited February 28, 2009 by degustibus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkehoe Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Stop 7B means it's not seeing the hard drive. Aside from any solutions involving the Dell you have 2 choices, both of which have been mentioned already:1. F6 with drivers on a floppy disk.2. Slipstream drivers into your XP CD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
degustibus Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 (edited) Stop 7B means it's not seeing the hard drive. Aside from any solutions involving the Dell you have 2 choices, both of which have been mentioned already:1. F6 with drivers on a floppy disk.2. Slipstream drivers into your XP CD.I think you're right. I put the intel chipset drivers on a floppy and did the f6, which returned the error :: unable to find txtsetup.oem. There is no such file. there's another [test] file which I renamed txtsetup.oem. didn't make any difference -- I'll try the slipstream3-1 update: slipstreamed chipset drivers, still no satisfaction, same BSOD, it just isn't seeing the harddriveLater 3-1:: just spent two hours with a computer tech :: He told me he had successfully installed XP on new computers (not Emachines EL1210-09) running Vista. But after two hours, he finally conceded defeat, said he'd never seen a system that he couldn't defeat, said it looks like XP is locked out by the bios. pretty much validated my experiences trying to load XP....and he's concerned that this may be the wave of the future, computers tied to one OS. Next day ... 3-2-09 :: Tried two advanced versions of XP (Black XP last edition) and something called Longhorn "Indego" which is probably XPpro SP3....BSOD...except interestingly Black XP came with a supplemental boot disk apparently based on Windows PE -- was able to boot into Paragon Hard disk Recovery Suite, which recognized the hard drive and all partitions.Now assuming that Windows PE -- a stripped down Vista OS, so no mystery about booting -- can boot on this emachine, I'm wondering if I can put together a boot XP disk that will run from PE, say Bart's PE....Still stymied. Edited March 3, 2009 by degustibus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzButt Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I think your biggest issue is that the chipset drivers for the hard drives in is a state that XP can't deal with in "protected" mode. The manufacturers are coming out with devices that do not have drivers compatible with XP. Likely your issue has something to do with the chipset using AHCI mode instead of standard SATA. It is only a problem after the OS comes up most of the way. If you really want to run XP. Virtualize it. Microsoft Virtual PC or VMware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
degustibus Posted March 4, 2009 Author Share Posted March 4, 2009 I think your biggest issue is that the chipset drivers for the hard drives in is a state that XP can't deal with in "protected" mode. The manufacturers are coming out with devices that do not have drivers compatible with XP. Likely your issue has something to do with the chipset using AHCI mode instead of standard SATA. It is only a problem after the OS comes up most of the way. If you really want to run XP. Virtualize it. Microsoft Virtual PC or VMware.I think so too. I'm going the virtualization route...someone also suggested installing on an external drive, which I considered, but it really doesn't solve the problem. But first 'm trying a BartPE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
degustibus Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 Success! Used Nlite to add drivers that someone was generous enough to put online, XP installed flawlessly on this "Vista only" Emachine EL1210-09. I'm using it now.(meanwhile I was also able to install Ubuntu 8.10 which also ran well.)The Nlite solution was perfect for this problem -- once I got the drivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zlim Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I hope you educate the Staples techs that it is possible to do and you've succeeded! Congratulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tushman Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I hope you educate the Staples techs that it is possible to do and you've succeeded! Congratulations.The techs at Staples may have been wrong in this case, but in general, many of the newer OEM systems being manufactured today cannot be downgraded to XP due to the absence of appropriate drivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
degustibus Posted March 21, 2009 Author Share Posted March 21, 2009 The techs at Staples may have been wrong in this case, but in general, many of the newer OEM systems being manufactured today cannot be downgraded to XP due to the absence of appropriate drivers.I think the techs didn't use the internet to search out the solution -- fortunately the nvidia XP drivers worked, but Nlite was absolutely essential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b2cm Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 All that was needed by XP set up was the storage controller drivers. But if you were going to slipstream those drivers, you might as well also include the chipset and display drivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.