Compaq 615 from Vista to XP. How to?

[pse]

Hey! Just bought an cheap Compaq 615 laptop. It came with Vista Basic installed, now i want to install Windows XP instead. I got all the drivers, do i just boot with the XP cd and install like you normally do, or do i have to change stuff in bios etc? I haven't changed SO on a laptop before, i could use some advice

thx!

[Rakhmad · Accepted solution]

You have a business notebook, all XP drivers can be found in HP/Compaq 615 support page, here

For most of business notebooks, there is a setting to disable native sata driver in BIOS, use it.

or 

You may use external floppy drive and use the option of F6 during windows XP installation, however if you don’t have it, use Nlite.

A good guide to slipstream sata driver (the guide only shows ICH8 sata driver) here

Nlite download: Here

AMD SATA AHCI Controller Driver, here

or if you wish an AMD SATA driver from HP site, here

Extract sp43839.exe to a folder and use files in RAID7xx folder

Important Notes:

1. In Nlite, choose the option of insert -> multiple driver folder
2. Select ONLY x86 driver for AMD SATA AHCI when asked.
3. Never choose x64 driver when asked

[pse]

Theres is an option in BIOS that says "SATA Device Mode, its on AHCI right now. shoud i change it to IDE?

[pse]

I changing to IDE. Now it's installing XP.

Thx!

[psykro]

 I have a few questions, I just used the info in this post to install XP on the Compaq 615.

1) is there any disadvantage to leaving the SATA mode on IDE?

2) what is the best way to be able to set the mode back to AHCI?

[Rakhmad]

To answer your questions:

1. The disadvantage is the performance, it is reported that there is slight low performance compared to native sata mode.

2. The best and the easy way is using Nlite as posted above, however, there other way to enable sata after xp installation (IDE mode), see here

That blog is discussing enabling intel sata, you need to use AMD sata as posted above.

[Frz]

How to enable AHCI after an XP Installation in (IDE Mode) on Compaq 615?

[gitplayer]

Sorry to tell you, but none of your suggestions work on a Compaq 615.

I tried to slipstream the driver into my Win XP SP2 using nlite, but it always keeps telling me that ahcix64.sys is missing even though I never chose the 64bit Version in Nlite. However if I do select both version it says that ahcix64.sys is broken and the installation is cancelled too.

So I installed XP using IDE Mode in Bios. But changing to sata mode after installation doesn't work either. It always says that there is no information about the hardware when I select  the driver in the device manager.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.