Windows Vista downgrade to XP problems

[RussellJones]

Hello, I have a Toshiba A200 Satellite laptop currently running windows vista operation system.
I have CDs to install windows xp professional and I've set my BIOS so that it runs my discs first on startup. I get through a bunch of stuff leading to a partition on my harddrives. Am I supposed to touch any of this? if so which?
I've used these discs before to do this with success but its been a long time since ive had to.

any advice would be great, thanks.

[joeten]

Hi and welcome to TSF you may need to get the sata driver from toshiba and slipstream it with your copy of xp you will also need drivers have a read below

http://www.thinkdigit.com/forum/revi...a-drivers.html


http://my.opera.com/NFGman/blog/xp-o...toshiba-laptop

[RussellJones]

thats all gibberish to me

[joeten]

Ok so what would you like to do

[RussellJones]

Install my copy of windows xp, i've done this before without slipstreaming (sp?)

[RussellJones]

id rather not buy a part i know i dont need

[Old Rich]

This is a good guide to reinstalling XP . . you might want to print it for reference during the install.

http://www.techhandbook.com/windows/...g-Windows.html

[Wrench97]

Buy a part?

Have you installed XP on this model Toshiba previously?

Newer PC/laptops use sata drives Vista and Win7 have Sata drivers on the install disk XP does not so the the drive is running is AHCI(Sata) mode you;ll need the drivers so the installation can install Windows on the drive, however if the Sata drive is running in IDE mode then you can i9nstall XP on the larger of the 2 partitions shown, the smaller one is the Vista recovery partition I would leave it intact in case you need to go back to Vista.

[joeten]

Hi no one is suggesting buying anything but from what I can find out the method above is the best way,the bunch of stuff would that be selecting the partition to be formatted

[Old Rich]

Installing XP on a SATA drive requires an additional step:

http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how...ws_xp_on_a.htm

However, Most newer BIOS allow an Alternate method for SATA . . Go into the bios and check the "Sata Operation" setting,

change it to "Raid Autodetect/ATA if it is not already. Now try to install XP ( could be IDE Mode, Compatibility Mode or Legacy Mode - different BIOS use different terms )

some will say IDE instead of ATA)

[RussellJones]

how does one get into bios settings

[Old Rich]

When you first press the power button, you should see a prompt to "Press ??? to enter Setup" Do that and you will be in BIOS

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm