[afterminute]

I'm trying to do a clean install of OEM SP1a XP Pro on a system that I just put together myself.
During install it takes HOURS, what usually takes seconds, just to enter the setup portion, just before pressing F8 to accept terms. After that when it asks what drive to install it states that my drive is not accessible by windows.
I'm suspecting this is because my drive is SATA - am I right???

Is there any way around this? I have a friend who has SP2 but then my key product will not work. I called microsoft and they verified my product and cd part to be legit - but will not give support since this is OEM.

 

[Tumbleweed36]

What are your specs including motherboard, CPU, and brand name of hard drive? Does your motherboard support Sata II or Sata I? If it supports Sata I and it is a newer Sata drive, you need to change the drive jumper. Also, are there any other drives in this rig and if so, what are they?

 

[afterminute]

ASUS P5N-D, Intel Q6600, 4GB RAM, Western Digital Caviar GP and this is the only drive. All is recognized in BIOS.

I don't think it is a compatibility issue but OEM SP1 not having the driver for the Hard drive. I have two WIN XP cds, one SP1a and other SP2 (from a friend) but my product key is for SP1aand it will only work with SP1 ( at least that is what microsoft told me)

When I put his SP2 in the setup goes through without any problems but useless to me since I cannot get passed the step of entering the product key.

Once setup up begins it asks if you want to setup any raid SCSI by pressing F6. Is this maybe where I can setup my driver?
If so, one problem is that I don't have a floppy -

Can I copy my XP cd and just add the necessary driver to the copied disk? If so, what directory.

Thanks.

Motheboard:
http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?modelmenu=1&model=2033&l1=3&l2=11&l3=627&l4=0

 

[Tumbleweed36]

Stop a minute and slow down, I didn't realize you didn't have the Sata drivers loaded. You do need to download the Sata drivers either from your motherboard disk (with XP, not Vista), or you can get them from the Drivers that came with your Sata Disk.

Download them to a floppy, press that F6 when it comes by and let it run until it stops. Then put in the floppy when it prompts you and it will load those drivers.

/OR/

You can slipstream those drivers and also Sp2....and here are general directions:

How-To-Slipstream-Your-XP-Installation

 

[afterminute]

Thanks for your response - I will try slip streaming with SP3.
Questions before I begin:

Microsoft told me that my product key is for OEM SP1 and a setup disk with OEM SP2 will not work. ( I'm questioning if the disk I got from a friend is an OEM or retail since the disk is on a plain CD)

Is what the rep from microsft told me true? If so if I slip stream SP2 and SP3 won't I have the same problem with my product key... I can't imagine this to be true.

 

[AceGoober]

Slipstreaming SP2 and / or SP3 has no adverse affect on your product key or registration.

 

[sobeit]

Thanks for your response - I will try slip streaming with SP3.
Questions before I begin:

Microsoft told me that my product key is for OEM SP1 and a setup disk with OEM SP2 will not work. ( I'm questioning if the disk I got from a friend is an OEM or retail since the disk is on a plain CD)

Is what the rep from microsft told me true? If so if I slip stream SP2 and SP3 won't I have the same problem with my product key... I can't imagine this to be true.

if the oem disks came with another computer then you cannot use them. If the disk is on a plain cd, then it sounds illegal. Legal oems come with the original microsoft holigraphic design on it and it will say oem. The product key will only work with the oem software it came with.

 

[afterminute]

I paid $140 for the OEM disk with product key some three years ago from a local computer shop when I bought parts from them for a system - a week ago that computer broke. The disk is not branded by computer manufacture ( dell, hp...) The disk has holograms and part numbers - etc...

Since my original disk, SP1, was hanging up on installation ( I did not know about loading SATA drivers) I got the disk from a friend, SP2, - all along intending to use my OWN product key.

I explained the situation and MICROSOFT rep told me that my product key is only good for SP1 and that is why I had the "invalid product key."

Only explanation now I can see is that the disk I was using is probably a retail version.