instaling xp

[earthsfate]

hi, this is so fustrating. i want to downgrade back to windows xp from windows vista. I have two harddrives. one is a 320gb sataII and the other is 120gb ata. When i try to install xp on the 320gb hd it keeps saying:

"to install windows xp on the partition you selected, setup must write some startup files to the follow dick:"

the disk it is refering to is the 120gb harddrive.

So i follow the instructions and when the os is installed, i can never get into windows if i don't have the windows xp cd in the cd rom drive. it says "disk boot failure, instert system disk and press enter" or sometimes "missing ntrl"

and also, my c: drive is always assigned to the harddrive where all the windows files are not locatied. in this case it is the 120gb one.

please help. thanks.

[TheFlash428]

Have you checked the BIOS settings and/or the "master/slave" pin settings on the hard-drives?

[Kelsenellenelvian]

Sounds like a driver issue with the Sata drive. Try getting the most updated drivers and integrating them with nlite.

[earthsfate]

thanks for replyin guys, i figured it out .. i had to unhook the other hd and install the os. apparently it was conflicting with a windows vista left over partition on the other hd.

[Tarun]

You can use VistaBootPRO to clean up the new boot management.

[LLXX]

'to the follow dick:"

I usually format and partition drives with FDISK *before* actually installing XP...

Edited October 29, 2006 by LLXX

[RJARRRPCGP]

So i follow the instructions and when the os is installed, i can never get into windows if i don't have the windows xp cd in the cd rom drive. it says "disk boot failure, instert system disk and press enter" or sometimes "missing ntrl"

The first mentioned error message is from the BIOS.

The dreaded "DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER" error message from the Award BIOS.

The BIOS failed to detect a boot partition.

Edited October 30, 2006 by RJARRRPCGP