Solved Installing Windows XP on Windows 7 - Incompatibility Issues

[TVeblen]

If you don't backup your files they could be erased during the XP install!
Please go out and buy an external hard drive or a large USB stick (although using a USB stick for regular backups is not recommended - but it will do in a pinch).

Do you have more than one drive letter on the laptop? (in W7 - like C: , D: , E: )

 

[strollin]

My guess is that the disk you are attempting to install XP from is actually just a disk to be used to install SP1 on a computer that already has XP installed on it.

You will need an XP install disk with valid Product Key AND a floppy disk with the required SATA controller drivers for your mobo in order to successfully install XP on your computer. If you don't have all 3 of the items above you will not be successful. Additionally, you will need other XP compatible drivers for the mobo such as for the chipset, sound, video, LAN, wifi, etc...

Truthfully, you would be better off sticking with Win 7. Support for XP is dwindling and, if your computer is a newer model, XP drivers may be difficult to find.

I just noticed in your specs that you are currently running 64-bit Win 7. You will need the 64-bit version of XP as well as 64-bit drivers which may prove even more difficult to find. You could install 32-bit XP but then you will lose the use of some of your 6G of RAM.

 

[Kari]

My guess is that the disk you are attempting to install XP from is actually just a disk to be used to install SP1 on a computer that already has XP installed on it.

I think it is full XP install disk; the screenshot in original post shows that file winnt32.exe (XP installer) is the one not able to run.

 

[TVeblen]

Well I'm surprised. Lenovo has all the drivers for XP (32 bit) for the 575:
Drivers and software - IdeaPad Z575 Notebook

But I have to point out that this whole idea is kinda nuts. You are going to be hamstringing that laptop big time. I wish you would reconsider.

Have you considered the benefits of a dual boot installation?
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html

 

[theog]

Well I'm surprised. Lenovo has all the drivers for XP (32 bit) for the 575:
Drivers and software - IdeaPad Z575 Notebook

Check to see if the Windows 7 is installed in UEFI mode.
As Lenovo have been using UEFI for some years, x32 will not install in UEFI mode.

 

[gregrocker]

You will not be able to install XP w/ SP1 on modern hardware. You need and XP CD with SP3 to have a fighting chance. This was specified in the first sentence of my first post in the thread.

Thank you Kari for explaining that a shutdown to prevent damage to the PC is in fact a crash if not a BSOD. It also has always meant in the past that the XP CD needs SATA drivers.

We once dealt with these daily here, then weekly and now less than monthly. XP is fading into the ether and is really too old to run on modern hardware unless you virtualize it.

 

[TwoCables]

It says "Windows is being shut down to prevent damage to this computer"

and than some other stuff.

Could it be that I don't have an actual disc? Well, I have a disk but I think its not the right one. Its a blank disc that says Windows XP SP1 on it. It doesn't have a picture or anything, its just a plain disk. When I put the disc in and press a key to continue, is says that windows is loading files. It loads the files and the drivers and than the error comes up...

Oh! You need to switch your SATA mode to IDE mode. I bet it's currently in AHCI mode. This is what happens to me when I put my XP disc in my computer: if I switch to IDE mode, then it's fine. If I leave it in AHCI mode, then I get the same thing you're getting.

The SATA mode has to be switched in the BIOS. If your laptop doesn't allow you to switch the SATA mode over to IDE mode, then you're out of luck.


Edit: Oh, I just noticed that I'm not the only one who said this. I apologize. I didn't have time to carefully read all of the replies since my last post. I only had time to look for Gregrs's replies.

 

[theog]

It says "Windows is being shut down to prevent damage to this computer"

and than some other stuff.

Could it be that I don't have an actual disc? Well, I have a disk but I think its not the right one. Its a blank disc that says Windows XP SP1 on it. It doesn't have a picture or anything, its just a plain disk. When I put the disc in and press a key to continue, is says that windows is loading files. It loads the files and the drivers and than the error comes up...

Oh! You need to switch your SATA mode to IDE mode. I bet it's currently in AHCI mode. This is what happens to me when I put my XP disc in my computer: if I switch to IDE mode, then it's fine. If I leave it in AHCI mode, then I get the same thing you're getting.

The SATA mode has to be switched in the BIOS. If your laptop doesn't allow you to switch the SATA mode over to IDE mode, then you're out of luck.


Edit: Oh, I just noticed that I'm not the only one who said this. I apologize. I didn't have time to carefully read all of the replies since my last post. I only had time to look for Gregrs's replies.

NO need to reset BIOS from SATA to IDE, just the add Sata Conroller Drivers at F6.

If your Win XP CD, does not support your Sata Controller, you will need to load drivers to uses at F6.
Load Sata Controller drivers with a floppy disk is the best way.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/66010-sata-drivers-load-windows-xp-setup-dual-boot.html

 

[Arc]

Floppy discs are not available nowadays, and the floppy drives are not present in most of the recent machines.

 

[TwoCables]

Yeah, and this is a very modern laptop we're working with here (look at the CPU to see how new it is).

Can it be done with a USB flash drive?

 

[theog]

Floppy discs are not available nowadays, and the floppy drives are not present in most of the recent machines.

Just afew from the web.
3.5in Floppy Disk Drive : Internal & External Floppy Drives : Maplin Electronics
Deals | Free Delivery | Pcworld
Sabrent SBT-UFDB Floppy Drive - Walmart.com
IBM Formatted Imation 3.5-inch Diskettes - Walmart.com

 

[strollin]

Yeah, and this is a very modern laptop we're working with here (look at the CPU to see how new it is).

Can it be done with a USB flash drive?

Nope, can't be done with a flash drive. XP is too limited and will only look for the driver via a floppy disk when you press F6 during install. These alternatives have been mentioned: switch off AHCI mode in the BIOS OR Slipstream the SATA drivers into the XP install disk.

 

[TwoCables]

Yeah, and this is a very modern laptop we're working with here (look at the CPU to see how new it is).

Can it be done with a USB flash drive?

Nope, can't be done with a flash drive. XP is too limited and will only look for the driver via a floppy disk when you press F6 during install. These alternatives have been mentioned: switch off AHCI mode in the BIOS OR Slipstream the SATA drivers into the XP install disk.

So then it wouldn't work with an external floppy drive connected via USB.

 

[theog]

Yeah, and this is a very modern laptop we're working with here (look at the CPU to see how new it is).

Can it be done with a USB flash drive?

Nope, can't be done with a flash drive. XP is too limited and will only look for the driver via a floppy disk when you press F6 during install. These alternatives have been mentioned: switch off AHCI mode in the BIOS OR Slipstream the SATA drivers into the XP install disk.

So then it wouldn't work with an external floppy drive connected via USB.

A USB external floppy drive & a USB Pen Drive, are not the same.

A list of USB floppy drives, which do not work WinXP.
A connected USB floppy disk drive does not work when you press F6 to install mass storage drivers during the Windows XP installation process

 

[TwoCables]

Nope, can't be done with a flash drive. XP is too limited and will only look for the driver via a floppy disk when you press F6 during install. These alternatives have been mentioned: switch off AHCI mode in the BIOS OR Slipstream the SATA drivers into the XP install disk.

So then it wouldn't work with an external floppy drive connected via USB.

A USB external floppy drive & a USB Pen Drive, are not the same.

A list of USB floppy drives, which do not work WinXP.
A connected USB floppy disk drive does not work when you press F6 to install mass storage drivers during the Windows XP installation process

What? I wasn't thinking or saying that they're the same. I don't know how anyone would make that mistake unless they don't know what a floppy drive is!

 

[Gregrs]

Could someone find me a video on how to switch it to the IDE thing you were talking about. And if that works, I am considering duel booting in case I decide that I don't want to use windows xp anymore.

 

[TwoCables]

Could someone find me a video on how to switch it to the IDE thing you were talking about. And if that works, I am considering duel booting in case I decide that I don't want to use windows xp anymore.

I can't find any videos that show how to do it in your BIOS. It's not the same for all computers. For example, if I were to make a video showing how to do it, then you'd go into your BIOS and tell me that you're not seeing anything that I am showing. It's going to be different.

The best advice I can give is to go into the BIOS and then go through every last part of it. Don't leave anything out. Search through the entire thing. Look for anything that says "AHCI", or "SATA Mode", or "SATA Controller", or just anything similar to that. You'll find it if it's there because the BIOS of most laptops don't have much to look through.

I'm not saying that the option to change it is definitely there. I'm saying to look through your laptop's BIOS to see if it is.

 

[theog]

Well I'm surprised. Lenovo has all the drivers for XP (32 bit) for the 575:
Drivers and software - IdeaPad Z575 Notebook

Check to see if the Windows 7 is installed in UEFI mode.
As Lenovo have been using UEFI for some years, x32 will not install in UEFI mode.

the F6 Sata Conroller Drivers are in the zipped download.

 

[Gregrs]

Well, I change it to that IDE thing you guys said and it worked. Well, sort of. It booted windows xp perfectly and it made me choose the partition I created earlier. But when it was in the installing windows xp menu, my computer shut down again and said that it was being shut down to prevent damage to the computer. I thought to myself, ok windows xp isn't worth this, Ill just continue to use windows 7. I re did the order so it doesn't boot from the disc and I reset the IDE thing to ACHI or something like that. But when I boot my pc, it keeps going to the windows xp pro screen and shuts down again and said its being shut down. When I go into the advanced system options to repair my computer so it loads windows 7,it only shows windows xp pro, no windows 7. So now, My computer can't boot and I can'tuse windows xp. My computer is ruined.

 

[TwoCables]

Well, I change it to that IDE thing you guys said and it worked. Well, sort of. It booted windows xp perfectly and it made me choose the partition I created earlier. But when it was in the installing windows xp menu, my computer shut down again and said that it was being shut down to prevent damage to the computer. I thought to myself, ok windows xp isn't worth this, Ill just continue to use windows 7. I re did the order so it doesn't boot from the disc and I reset the IDE thing to ACHI or something like that. But when I boot my pc, it keeps going to the windows xp pro screen and shuts down again and said its being shut down. When I go into the advanced system options to repair my computer so it loads windows 7,it only shows windows xp pro, no windows 7. So now, My computer can't boot and I can'tuse windows xp. My computer is ruined.

This is because the installation of XP was interrupted and it has already replaced Windows 7 because as you noticed, it already began the installation.

You have 2 options now:

1. Keep trying to install XP (you will have to go back to IDE mode for this and stay in IDE mode)
2. Install Windows 7

Of course, now the question is this: do you have an installation disc for Windows 7? I'm assuming that you do since you confidently decided to begin installing XP. If not, now you'll have to go and download an "OEM" copy of Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit and use the Product Key that is on your laptop (probably on the bottom of it).