1. I slipstreamed the 32bit nForce SATA_IDE driver v10.3.0.46 WHQL for XP 2. This is the driver for the nVidia chipset as listed on the HP site (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?os=228&lc=en&cc=uk&dlc=en&sw_lang=&product=4099494#N321) 3. I tried booting off the original XP SP3 image originally but it couldn't find a drive to install too. 4. It is a clean XP image yes, with WINNT.SIF in the i386 directory. 5. The boot priority of the BIOS is set to SATA hdd first, however I always have to bypass this to boot from USB (am using WinToFlash to transfer image to USB) Additionally, I am sure about it installing to the SATA drive rather than USB as I can get into the recovery console and navigate the C: drive as well as the W: drive (USB). Cheers, James I was watching this string with some interest as I have the same 311c mini. I want to re-install the pre-loaded OS on this netbook, chiefly to get rid of all the HP garbage that came with it - on this stock 160Gb HDD, the OS and HP stuff takes 25% of HDD space. Just nonsense. Anyway, this post doesn't seem to have moved on - I hope dodyjammer can up date us because I would love to know how it went. One thing I note from the above string is the driver package he is installing. I'm not sure if this is the correct driver at the correct time in the re-install. I had previously asked HP to provide me with the correct nividia 10/100 ethernet driver as it wasn't listed on their site (same page as link used by James above). They came back to me as gave me this link: http://www.nvidia.com/object/nforce_winxp_15.23.html Whilst not the same date or exact size file as James' link, I'm left wondering if the chipset from James' link is either the correct driver at the correct time in the install process or if I've got a "red herring" from HP in that the link they've given me is indeed pretty much the same thing that is listed as their "chipset" driver (at James' link). But I do note from James' text that the slipstreamed SATA driver he has installed ending in "46" isn't the same as the driver in the link I was given by HP (ending in "42") - don't know if 46 means a straight update or a different version for a different bit of kit. I've been trying to re-install the installed OS from the C:\i386 folder on the HDD, because I don't have an external optical (and will not buy one - for now), and I also refuse to pay more money to HP for recovery discs. The i386 folder on my HDD doesn't have the winnt.sif file in it. Things during the initial stages of install go great - i.e. initial prep to re-boot. When it does re-boot, system comes a to grinding halt and I get a BSOD: stop: 0x0000007b (0xf78d2524, 0xc0000034, 0x00000000, 0x00000000) It doesn't say anymore than this - no text explaining what the potential problem is, just the usual "to prevent damage to your system" blurb - and the BSOD will stay there until I turn the machine off. I'm not sure, but I think the system is wanting me to install some sort of SATA driver before it continues - and of course, I'm wondering if James' link is the answer or mine - but I'm just too reluctant to try either at the moment, hence I'm awaiting further reading - unless anyone can give a solution on here. Thanks Graham