have Windows 7 on C: and trying to install XP Pro onto D:

The issue is likely the SATA drivers and the slipstream has not worked. If you were more forthcoming with your exact make and model someone would likely have already found the driver you need.

It also matters whether you installed Win7 in AHCI or IDE mode, so check in the BIOS for that. You'll need to slipstream those drivers once it's determined with certainty which driver it is.

Have you tried virtualizing XP within Win7 which is much easier? Freeware like VMWare, Virtual Box, Virtual Player or Virtual Box all do a pretty good job. There aren't many XP programs that won't install in Win7 Compatibility Mode which might be worth having us help you with more than messing with a dead OS.

Thanks for your reply Gregrocker,

I'm dubious that it is the SATA drivers, as the O/S should not load, and then go into the XP installation, if I had the wrong drivers (I should have thought). Nevertheless, I'm willing to try anything at this stage!

Computer is a HP Pro 3500 Microtower (from HP's business desktop range) - Intel i3 CPU; 4GB RAM. XP version I am trying to slipstream is SP3. I am trying to install XP with BIOS in AHCI mode.

I did manage to successfully install XP once in IDE mode. HP actually suggested doing this and then using the SATA driver self-installer .exe. Trouble was, in IDE mode the drivers wouldn't install, and in AHCI mode it wouldn't boot properly (presumably until I had the proper drivers) - talk about Catch 22!

I acknowledge your comments on Win7, and appreciate that XP will not be around for ever. I have been 'mucking around' with computers for decades - I used to be proficient coding in machine language and assembler, and helped design and build one of the first 24bit video cards and frame grabber, so I'm sure that even though I'm getting on a bit, I'm not a dill.

I don't really like Win 7! On so many different levels, I could write a thesis about it! Admittedly, many of them are personal preferences, but many reasons are down to poor coding/discipline practices, and a trend to O/S's that are completely unsuited to work/business-related activities. If it wasn't for relying heavily on Adobe's products, and two proprietary software pieces, I would choose to run Linux (I have previously tried running these programs on VMware under Linux - too slow for my liking).

Yes, eventually I'll have to 'adapt or die' with Win 7, and that is why I want to do a dual boot system; so I can numb myself to this damned O/S at a pace that won't have me throwing the computer out the top-floor window in frustration!

In the interim, if you can throw any light on the correct SATA drivers, or any other reason the XP installation fails at the restart, I would be most grateful.

It is strange it is trying to boot back into Windows 7 after an attempted Windows XP install. It seems the install would overwrite the Windows 7 boot system.

But bad SATA drivers will normally show as a Blue Screen just after the drivers are loaded and it starts into the XP install. In Windows 7, in Device Manager, what does it show as the name of your SATA controller? For instance, I am on a Z77 ASUS motherboard and they show Intel(R) 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family.

Hi Saltgrass, thanks very much for getting involved in this.

It is strange it is trying to boot back into Windows 7 after an attempted Windows XP install. It seems the install would overwrite the Windows 7 boot system

Agreed. After every failed XP attempt, I have gone into Win7, deleted the D: Primary partition and then re-established it again (in NTFS) to ensure the next attempt was 'clean'. Every time, I have had to use the Win7 Repair Disk and do a Startup Repair before I can get into Win 7 again..

This makes me rather certain it's not the SATA drivers, but rather perhaps something I have inadvertently deleted or modified in the BIOS or on the C drive. But what?

But bad SATA drivers will normally show as a Blue Screen just after the drivers are loaded and it starts into the XP install.

Also agreed - every other streamline disk I have made (with wrong drivers) has resulted in a fail exactly at that point.

My motherboard is Intel. I can only find an HP internal part no. - no Intel P/no., but it does use the Intel H61 Chipset (apparently)

In Device Manager the Controller name is shown as: Standard AHCI 1.0 Serial ATA Controller.

Cheers
Andrew

Excuse me, maybe I'm reading your post wrong.

You quite clearly said XP installer loads files and then reboots but will not continue install.

This means you had not yet arrived at the screen where you choose the HD partition, which is what tells you your SATA controller is functioning.

Sometimes it will even arrive at that screen and there are no partitions shown. Again, this is from lack of the SATA controller, or it's malfunction.

If I have this wrong then please correct me. Otherwise my advice stands that this is almost always from lack of the SATA controller driver, having dealt with this issue here daily since before WIn7 was even released - especially during the years when XP was still viable for multi-boot before the hardware left it behind.

Also, the procedure is known as "slipstreaming" not "streamlining." But I'm sure with your long experience it's just a typo.

SATA Drivers - Load in Windows XP Setup on Dual Boot
Have a floppy drive? SATA Drivers - Load in Windows XP Setup on Dual Boot

Hi gregrocker,

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough, so...

1. Put XP Installation CD in drive and reboot computer
2. press any key to boot from CD
3. CD loads Operating System commands, drivers and libraries etc to RAM
   
   • When booting on CD with WRONG Sata drivers, the BSOD appears during this phase
4. Initial XP installation screen appears - Select D: partition to install XP in
5. Second installation screen appears - 3 options, including do a fast format of the drive or use the drive without re-formatting.
   
   • As I re-generate the D: partition before each attempt at installing XP, I have tried both these options - both have resulted in identical failures at the restart.
6. Installation proceeds by copying the necessary installation files from the CD .cab files to the HDD.
7. At the end of this sequence, and before the XP setup starts, the Install setup advises the computer is going to re-start
8. Computer shuts-down, then re-starts
9. Screen comes up advising to "press any key to boot from CD/DVD"
   
   • If I do not press any key, the computer attempts to load Win7, and almost immediately this process fails, resulting in a message that the ntoskrnl.exe is missing.
   • If I do press any key, the computer does not continue with the installation setup, but rather starts the process again from Point 3.

To boot into Win7 again, I need to use the Win 7 Repair Disk, select any key to boot from the Win7 DVD, the do a STARTUP REPAIR, before rebooting successfully into Win7.

As I suggested to Saltgrass, I don't think the SATA drivers are the issue, although if anyone can point me to a better driver that I can slipstream into the installation disk, I'm more than happy to try it. I do wonder though whether at some stage, in all the things I have interfered with (BIOS, boot records, partitions, partition sizes etc etc) I haven't inadvertently set something I shouldn't have?

Andrew

Well, sure, if you're getting the drive selection screen and drive options, then it's likely not the SATA driver. But you didn't say that at all, so how would we know?

Try deleting the partition during install to create and full format a new one. XP partition table is slightly different.

If that fails, use Partition Wizard to format a primary NTFS partition and mark it Active, or Mark Partition Active from Win7 System Recovery Options

Are you using SP3 CD which is known-good? Where did you get it? How is it activated?

Do you have a spare HD to swap in to try the XP install using the above methods, too. Unplug the XP HD.

I don't have any experience with an OEM system. Is there any chance the system is protecting itself and forcing you back to Windows 7? Could a Reserved partition or a System Reserved Partition be involved?

Maybe a snipping tool picture of your disk management windows and attach using the paperclip might help?

From my initial post...

The XP installation DVD loads the O/S, goes through the initial XP installation screens and copies all the necessary files to the HDD. At this point, the computer re-starts,

gregrocker, it made sense at the time, and still provides a reasonable (albeit brief) explanation. Sorry if it has caused confusion.

I'll give your ideas re handling the XP partition a trial, and get back to you with the results. There's potentially 3 or more attempts here, so it may take a while by the time I have tried everything.

I'm pretty sure the XP CD is good. It was this CD that successfully installed XP when I has changed the BIOS to IDE (from AHCI). Original (before slipstreaming) CD is an HP OEM Installation Disk (which has been used many times before. Our company only used HP/Compaqs, but we also had a MS 5-seat commercial license for XP in addition. So technically, I'm utilising one of the commercial licenses, but actually installing an OEM version that I know has worked before.

Saltgrass,

I don't have any experience with an OEM system. Is there any chance the system is protecting itself and forcing you back to Windows 7?

I think it is more likely that the XP installation does not find whatever files it uses to cue itself to continue the XP setup. I've a copy of the disk management window below (it took a while to realise that "snipping" is doing the same thing as an Active Window PrintScreen). Hopefully you can see something?