Can't install WinXP on a notebook.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Picard
  • Start date Start date
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Picard

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I'm working on a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pro notebook and want to format and reinstall windows.

The problem is that that it tells me that it can't find any HDD in the computer. WTF. It still has Windows XP Pro on it (although it is overrun with malware) and I just want to install WinXP Pro again.

And to top it all I can't get onto Fujitsu Siemens' website.

Can anybody help.
 
Does the BIOS pick up the hard drive?

I also have a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo D7830 laptop, and XP installed fine on it without any hassles.

Think you might have a rootkit or something which blocks access to the HDD.

Try booting up with a live Knoppix CD and see if that picks up the HDD - you can also use Knoppix to erase all the partitions.
 
Picard said:
I'm working on a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pro notebook and want to format and reinstall windows.

The problem is that that it tells me that it can't find any HDD in the computer. WTF. It still has Windows XP Pro on it (although it is overrun with malware) and I just want to install WinXP Pro again.

And to top it all I can't get onto Fujitsu Siemens' website.

Can anybody help.
Click to expand...

Your SATA Controller is not being recognised by the Win XP setup disk.

Go back into Windows and check which SATA controller is listed under devices... find a driver for it... and put the driver on a stiffy... when you are booting from the WinXP install disk... hit F6 to pause at the appropriate time... load the device driver.. .and then continue with the setup.
 
It's a trick that M$ and the laptop manufacturers seem to have come up with to stop you from loading 'your' copy of Windows onto the laptop.

They alter the hard disk, making sure that there are no drivers available on the original XP CD, that way you have to go to them to get (buy) the XP install disks.

If the laptop has a floppy drive, you can load the drivers onto the floppy and 'Press F6 to load third party drivers' when you load XP. If you don't have a floppy, you need a program called nLite which integrates the drivers into XP install CD.
 
Yep i had the same problem before...

You need the SATA drivers - put them on to a floppy or something (even Usb floppy drive) and hit f6 like Deenem says

Should work
 
Try what the experts above said. If that fails then try toggling anything in the BIOS related to PnP(PlugNPray) or ACPI. Both can give grief with newer OSs and latops. Remember the original settings though.
 
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