Why system drive do not appear when reformatting/ changing operating s

[putrakla99]

I am using an Acer Aspire One notebook, it doesn't have a CD/DVD rom so I used a bootable USB with the use of WintoFlash. The notebook currently have a Windows 7 Ultimate, but I want to downgrade it to Windows XP because it becomes slower when I used Windows 7. Note, I don't have any Windows.old on my system. When I reboot the laptop to install Windows XP, it goes well. But when it comes to the page where you can Select, Delete or Create a partition, the laptop's system drive is not showing. The page only shows the USB drive as my drive C, because it is my priority right? So now, I cannot reformat the laptop because the system drive of the laptop is not showing. What and where is the problem? Is it the bootable USB? or there is another way to make a downgrade? or the problem is my system drive? Please, help me and explain to me in the most simplest way!

 

[Kaktussoft]

As far as I can understand you booted succesful from bootable usb stick/usb disk. You booted form winxp install CD (which was converted to bootabel usb).... so far so good.

You wanna get rid of win7 ultimate???? Or dual boot? Best thing to do is

• First make it dual boot. winxp and win7 as boot menu option.

Do you agree? You can always remove win7 later. But first prove winxp is working and drivers of all hardware are available!

First thing to do is:

• boot into win7 and post screenshot of disk management

 

[Kaktussoft]

Acer Aspire One notebook...which model?

 

[alphanumeric]

It's been a while but I do remember having problems installing XP on a drive that had windows 7 on it. I think XP has a hard time with the Windows 7 boot loader and can't actually detect that an OS is there. One way out is to download a drive utility from the hard drive manufacturers web site, that will zero the drive and wipe out Windows 7 and its boot loader. This is sometimes referred to a low level format. Any utility that will zero the drive (write zeros to all sectors) should do it, but I'd look at the manufacturers site first. This will erase everything on the drive including and factory recovery partitions, just so you know.

 

[Kaktussoft]

It's because winxp install CD doesn't have SATA drivers!!
You can install them when booted with winxp install usb... then press F6 to install extra drivers. But that drivers must be on floppy disk!! And you don't have a floppy disk. Put the disk is IDE or COMPATIBLITY mode in BIOS. Located somewhere and called something like SATA settings in BIOS.

 

[alphanumeric]

What he said ^^

 

[putrakla99]

As far as I can understand you booted succesful from bootable usb stick/usb disk. You booted form winxp install CD (which was converted to bootabel usb).... so far so good.

You wanna get rid of win7 ultimate???? Or dual boot? Best thing to do is

• First make it dual boot. winxp and win7 as boot menu option.

Do you agree? You can always remove win7 later. But first prove winxp is working and drivers of all hardware are available!

First thing to do is:

• boot into win7 and post screenshot of disk management

I am thinking about getting rid of win7 ultimate. And also, how am I able to make another OS if the drive of the system doesn't show up in the set up?

But since you suggested a dual boot I am also thinking to do that just for a try. But I think the problem on the system drive not showing up must be resolved first, right?

The model of my Acer is Aspire One A0531H.
It's original OS was Windows XP so I am sure that all the drivers can be provided.

 

[putrakla99]

Here's the step by step process that I made.
I will post everything that I've done for you guys to figure out where really is the problem.

1. I downloaded a Windows XP OS.

2. Since I am using an Acer Aspire One A0531H w/c doesn't come with CD/DVDrom. I used WintoFlash to make a USB bootable, the transfer was successful.

3. I boot the laptop, here is my laptop's Boot pages.

Information

Main

Security

Boot Menu

4. As supposed, I selected USB HDD in the Boot Menu as priority. For the laptop to read the USB.

5. Then, this page showed up w/c in the tutorials they say that I must choose "1st, text mode setup (boot from flash again after finish)".

6. The set up runs well but I get stuck here in this page. In this page press UP and DOWN arrows to select and ENTER to choose. But I think there is none to be done in here.

7. Then, pressing ESC from the page above will lead to this page. In this page, it is obvious that there is no system drive, the Drive C is the bootable USB (FAT32) which I am using to install a new OS. And I am really stuck in here, not knowing what to do.

Because pressing ENTER will lead me to this and the system will just reboot which is not a solution to the problem.

Sorry, if my photos are posted in Facebook. I don't know where else to post those.

 

[alphanumeric]

You can upload them here, click the paperclip icon in the message window.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[gregrocker]

Make sure you're using an XP SP3 installer. It's still too old for most modern hardware.

If the HD still won't show up then you need SATA Drivers - Slipstream into Windows XP CD