Tri-boot help.

[MagusMagnus]

Hello all. Figured this would be the most appropriate place for this so here it goes.

I need to tri-boot my system between XP, 7 and Ubuntu (all x64). But I am having some difficulties chasing down the required XP drivers. So, if anyone could help me find the proper drivers I would really appreciate it. XP Professional SP2 x64 is what I'm after. My system is the AS5738PG-6306. I already checked Acer's site, they don't have any of the x64 drivers only x86 (but if they have those then the x64 counterparts surely must exist somewhere).

I know it's the SATA controller I need to even be able to install it on here I just don't know which of them I need or how to determine that off of the hardware. I can chase down the rest after the install, I'm sure "Updates" will fetch most of them for me.

Also, while I mentioned it, if anyone can tell me how to save a backup of the updates and drivers after I've done the install I would also really appreciate that. I don't want to lose them after April 2014.

P.S. I know the proper install order is XP, 7 and then Ubuntu while partitioning as I go, so no worries on that part. The MBR's will be intact and without any third-party software that way - hurray.

 

[Kaktussoft]

So your question is not about triple boot. Your question is about finding 64bits winxp drivers(?) You can find them yourself using google (but not all are available!!). 64 bits was not very common when winxp came out. Why still install winxp? Why not simple install winxp x86?

 

[Kaktussoft]

You know how to add sata driver during install of winxp? What sata driver do you want (give me the sata controller chipset)?

 

[Thorsen]

Imaging would probably be the easiest way to get the OS's backed up once they are installed completely. Not sure about going forward if you use the OS with another hardware configuration. XP should grab most of the stuff, but I am feeling like you might be in for an uphill battle for something that's not that worthwhile... why do you need xp64? specific software to run? or something of that nature?

good luck...

 

[MagusMagnus]

Yes, basically 7 isn't meeting every need I have so XP is a must for me (nothing against 7). I don't see there being any problem with it. 7 is still going to be the OS with all of the drivers for all of my system's extras (mic, cam, touch-screen, card reader etc), so it will still be my primary. XP is just for those things that 7 doesn't like much (I find many of my older games fall into this category and I'm not ready to give them up). Ubuntu is just for me to play with and learn, as well as I suppose a fail-safe for when the Windows installs get unstable and they all do eventually, so I'd rather have that than find myself yet again at absolute 0 and frantically getting the system back up how it was and etc. These three between them will be better for me, personally. That's all.

I am going to disable the internet completely on the XP partition so it doesn't matter to me about the support/gates of hell opening up to it after April 2014. I won't need it.

And I need the x64 because that is what I have. And I want my full 4GB RAM, which x86 doesn't support.


Anyway, what I see is:

IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers
Intel(R) ICH9M/M-E Family 4 Port SATA AHCI Controller - 2929

I assume this is the one I need the driver for, to load during the XP install (this is the one allocated by the commercial 7 [lost my OEM 7] so perhaps it's not actually what I have)? I obviously don't have a floppy so I hope it can be done off of a disk lol.

Any others I need to load during the install/for it to be stable before I get the rest post-install?

 

[indianacarnie]

I know I'm being a little bit of a jerk now and am sure to get hollered at but........... nothing can be done with it now. Anyway, wouldn't this have been better posted in like.....the Drivers section? Or installation & set up? Or even software? Or better yet xpforums? Windows XP Forums

 

[MagusMagnus]

Think I found the XP x64 driver for that here. Any way to tell if it's trustworthy before the fact? Intel pulled the drivers for this completely so third-party it is going to have to be... *cringe*

So if I follow this, it should work out?


indianacarnie. I trust you guys here and rather than be chewed out hundreds of times over (I'm sure) for posting about XP in the general 7 forums, I figured this would be the most appropriate placement. My full and sincere apologies if I was mistaken.

Besides that, I am sure I'll need a bit more help along the way in this process. Hence the other reason for posting about it. This is my first time doing anything like this so... I'll go elsewhere if absolutely necessary but I'd rather not.

Again, I have nothing against 7. But no OS is perfect and for me, I still have need of XP. I have 465GB on this primary drive here so it's no skin off of my back to boot both and Ubuntu also. I don't have a problem with it and I don't see why anyone else should take issue with this either. It's a "PC" because we all have different needs and wants, is it not? Otherwise I'd have bought a fudging "one fits all" MAC.

And yes, I did try XP Forums first. All I got there was the driver listing I already know exists for x86. Not going to help me whatsoever.

 

[Kaktussoft]

This has the neede winxp x64 bits driver Drivers Informer: Intel(R) ICH9M-E/M SATA AHCI Controller download
That's the only one needed during install

 

[Kaktussoft]

No floppy drive available... do it from usb stick
Installing Windows XP With F6 AHCI/RAID Drivers From DVD Without Floppy Drive - FlashBoot and EBCD Articles

 

[whs]

I would do that completely differently anyhow. I would install XP in VMware Player virtual partition. Then you don't have any of those problems. And you can run XP side by side with Windows 7 (or Ubuntu if you choose that as the host system).

 

[MagusMagnus]

OK well this may in fact not be possible after all. Following this, after I provide the iaAHCI.INF in step 12 I don't see my controller listed in the "textmode integration options" in nLite.

I see a Intel(R) ICH9M-E/M SATA AHCI Controller
But not anything close to Intel(R) ICH9M/M-E Family 4 Port SATA AHCI Controller - 2929

Is it possible this isn't the right driver I need?

 

[Kaktussoft]

OK well this may in fact not be possible after all. Following this, after I provide the iaAHCI.INF in step 12 I don't see my controller listed in the "textmode integration options" in nLite.

I see a Intel(R) ICH9M-E/M SATA AHCI Controller
But not anything close to Intel(R) ICH9M/M-E Family 4 Port SATA AHCI Controller - 2929

Is it possible this isn't the right driver I need?

They are the same!

 

[MagusMagnus]

E/M and M-E mean the same? Weird. OK, I'll try that one.

 

[Indianatone]

Getting back to basics here I can tell you from experience with Windows XP 64 bit it will not like games that played OK on 32bit XP. You will run the game and get squat but a locked up system. Many games of that era did illegal calls which trashed the Windows on Windows emulation in 64 bit windows. Dos game's are out and any with 16 bit calls are dead too. WHS is right, the best way is a 32 bit XP virtual machine. You can allocate 3gb ram to it and the older games won't even know what all that ram is. Dual boot with modern current systems and add a Virtual machine for your games. Good Luck.

 

[Thorsen]

If you only have 4GB or RAM, then xp32 will only allow you to access about ~3.25.

Don't do this: I don't know if this helps, but maybe implementing this PAE customization will help with that. It will allow you to use more than 32x accesses, but still retain functionality and drivers of xp 32x: https://windowssecrets.com/top-story/access-more-memory-even-on-a-32-bit-system/
(I have never done this, but it looks like fun )

And I agree a virtual machine to run xp would be much easier to manage. Windows Ultimate comes with XPmode that allows you to run XP in a window in win7. Pretty much just a different virtualization. Dont' know if you have Ultimate though.... Windows XP Mode - Microsoft Windows

 

[whs]

I think PAE is for testing purposes only. I have not yet seen anybody using it in real life on a permanent basis. If there is, speak up.

 

[Indianatone]

If you only have 4GB or RAM, then xp32 will only allow you to access about ~3.25. I don't know if this helps, but maybe implementing this PAE customization will help with that. It will allow you to use more than 32x accesses, but still retain functionality and drivers of xp 32x: https://windowssecrets.com/top-story/access-more-memory-even-on-a-32-bit-system/
(I have never done this, but it looks like fun )

And I agree a virtual machine to run xp would be much easier to manage. Windows Ultimate comes with XPmode that allows you to run XP in a window in win7. Pretty much just a different virtualization. Dont' know if you have Ultimate though.... Windows XP Mode - Microsoft Windows

PAE can only be used on the 32 bit server versions of XP. It was available for a very short time on XP but developers had used those memory addresses for other things and the system BSOD when something else came along and decided to write to the same place. Stick to 32 bit XP and 3GB of ram. 64 bit XP is extremely cranky with games. This was the first M$ consumer 64 bit OS while very good it was not game friendly due to software writers taking liberties in the past. XP mode comes with Pro and Ultimate Consumer Windows 7 and Enterprise from employer or school. If you are not running games of that era none of this would matter.

 

[Thorsen]

PAE can only be used on the 32 bit server versions of XP. It was available for a very short time on XP but developers had used those memory addresses for other things and the system BSOD when something else came along and decided to write to the same place. Stick to 32 bit XP and 3GB of ram. 64 bit XP is extremely cranky with games. This was the first M$ consumer 64 bit OS while very good it was not game friendly due to software writers taking liberties in the past. XP mode comes with Pro and Ultimate Consumer Windows 7 and Enterprise from employer or school. If you are not running games of that era none of this would matter.

Lol that is good to know.... and I agree. I have seen info on this, but never seen anyone implementing it as a workaround to the limit. It's funny, when looking for info on it again, I didn't see anyone with this warning, but it would make sense...

also edited my first post about PAE to say what not to do....