Not having luck installing XP SP1 on 2nd hard drive

[LadyBug]

A bit of a newbie here in need of some help. I just got a new Dell with Vista installed on it. I have a 2nd Hard Drive (IDE) that I want to install XP on and then have the choice to boot from either OS.

I know there are many tutorials online on how to install XP with Vista installed first but here's my problem.....

When I put in the XP SP1 re-installation disk (Home Edition) that came with my OLD computer into the NEW computer's CD-Drive to try and install it, I get a blue screen with the message "Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem" and it just hangs at that screen.

I thought of doing a clean install of XP on that hard drive while still connected to my OLD computer and then moving the Hard Drive over to the NEW computer but the more I read about this, the more I'm beginning to think I need to install it on the new computer so Vista can do its thing to recognize the drive.

Note... the two OS's will be on two separate physical HD's - the C: drive has Vista on it, the F: Drive (the IDE drive) is where I want to install XP.

How do I do this and get rid of that error message so I can actually install XP on that 2nd hard drive?

Thanks very much!

[D_block]

FIRST disconnect the first drive or the one in which vista is installed on . Then do an install of xp on the second hdd when you are finished , shutdown an reconnect everything. normally when the machine is going through post there is an option to choose the boot device (press f12) or so . when u hit (F12) you will choose which HDD to boot up off , now when the pc is loaded you will still have access to both hdd incase you want to take files from one to the other ...

WELL this is one way i know will work cause i did it already !

[LadyBug]

D, thanks for the reply. According to this article (see Pink Box), it is NOT advisable to disconnect the C: drive where Vista is installed when installing XP on the 2nd hard drive. It just creates more problems.

I'm beginning to wonder if it's a hardware issue.. because my XP installation disk is an OEM that came with my old computer. Hardware is different in my new computer obviously. How does one get around this?

[D_block]

ok cool, i did it couple of times never had any problems. so i guess i was lucky then ...

the only problem i know of unplugging the hdd is there would be no boot screen, so in order to boot to different os u will to chage the boot device

Edited July 25, 2008 by D_block

[JedMeister]

The pink box warning on that page is only relevant if you wish to have a (true) dual boot setup (ie using a Windows supplied boot menu). If you are happy to use your BIOS to select which HDD (and by implication which OS) to boot into then there is no problem, most new BIOSs actually have an option to select boot drive on POST screen (mine is f9).

Even if you're not keen on that as a permanent arrangement, it would be worth a try, as you will then know for sure if it is a hardware/driver issue or it has something to do with Vista getting in the way. Even if it still blue screens, all is perhaps not lost, it may just be that XP doesn't have the correct storage drivers included, if you can find them you can slipstream them onto a CD.

BTW if your old XP CD was supplied with your old PC as OEM then you cannot legally install it on your new system anyway. If its OEM then it was licensed to your old hardware only!

[LadyBug]

BTW if your old XP CD was supplied with your old PC as OEM then you cannot legally install it on your new system anyway. If its OEM then it was licensed to your old hardware only!

Yes, just found that out... I didn't know that. Guess that explains why I was having problems. I'll have to buy a new version.

Thanks!