HP a6130n installing Windows XP on new hard drive

[m-a-r-t-y]

Hello,

This is my first time posting here.  I think I need a new hard drive for my HP a6130n to install Windows XP. 

When I tried to install Windows XP on the drive - which had Vista - I kept getting several error messages each time I tried.  Once or twice I was told to press a button if I was going to enter additional drivers off of a CD.  Then I was told all of my partition space was used, so I figured my hard drive was dead.

I've installed XP on Dells before and it was rather simple - and I was never asked if I was going to add drivers.  So, I'm wondering, if indeed my current hard drive is dead, can I "just" put in a new Sata HD, have the HP a6130n drivers ready to go on a CD or memory disk - and load Windows XP? 

Or should I find and buy a new hard drive that already has XP and the drivers loaded, and not try to do this myself?

Thanks in advance. 

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

I looked at the system specs for your PC. With the nVidia chipset, you should not be having any issues.

Look in your BIO for the any drive controller settings. If there are any, it should be set to IDE and if it is, then there is probably something wrong with the HDD.

If there is a RAID setting and it is set to RAID, change it to IDE, save the setting there and when you exit and see if XP installs that way.

Unless you had a drive preloaded with XP with similar hardware as is in your PC, it wouldn't boot.

Check those BIOS settings out. If you cannot install XP with the controller setting in IDE mode, just purchase a blank HDD and try it again.

Paul

[m-a-r-t-y]

Thanks for your response.

Can you give me more insight?  I don't seem able to start up the computer anymore because the hard drive is dead. 

Do you mean I should try starting it up once again, and see if I can enter set up?  I remember trying this and it didn't work.

I also remember I was not able to change my RAID setting to anything before the HD gave out completely. There was simply no option to do this on the computer.

In your last sentence, you say I should try a new HD and have the drivers ready to go.  Is this correct?  This IS something I can do - without finding a HD that is already preloaded?

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

Yes, I meant you need to enter the system setup (BIOS) by striking the F10 key at the beginning of the HP welcome screen to check those settings.

I am surprised there is no IDE option to select. 

Now, you cannot change that setting when you have a working operating system installed, as the PC won't boot.

But if you doing a fresh install of the operating system, you can change the BIOS setting to IDE first, then boot from the XP disk and it should install just fine.

If you cannot change the setting and it is defaulted to RAID, that is probably why you can't install XP.

You need to load the RAID drivers for that in order to install XP. You press the F6 key when you see that message at the beginning of the XP installation routine.

I imagine you can find the raid drivers on the nVida website somewhere.

You will need a floppy disk drive in order to install the RAID drivers.

XP is not going to install on your PC with a new HDD or old HDD, with the BIOS set to RAID.

I would install windows 7 on your PC and be done with it.  The RAID drivers are already included in the W7 and Vista installation disks.

Paul

[m-a-r-t-y]

Thanks again for the info. Since I do not want Windows 7 - because I have XP install disks and like XP - you are saying I can/should install XP as long as I have the correct drivers on a CD.  Is this correct?

And the drivers I will need are two sets:  for the a6130n computer ... and the RAID drivers?

Sorry I keep asking, but I've spent hours with this and want it to be correct and work this time.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

You can try this...

Read this info on how to slipstream drivers using nLite.

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-Systems-and/SATA-drivers-for-XP-solution-on-0x000000...

I believe I have found the RAID driver you need (I have attached it below), so you can see if booting from the slipstreamed XP disk you make with these drivers incorporated will allow XP to install as you expected.

Extract these drivers to a folder and allow nLite to incorporate them into the disk copy.

Once you get XP installed you will need to get the drivers from the component manufacturer's websites if they are not on your PC's support page (I don't think they are).

The first step is to get XP, installed.

Paul

[m-a-r-t-y · Accepted solution]

Thanks for all of your help!

I'll try this ... one more time!  With a new/good HD!

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Please post back after you get XP installed, if you need help finding XP drivers for your PC.

They're out there. You just need to know where to look.

Paul