Dual boot Vista/XP with Vista installed first
 

I did all the prep work (setup partitions, disk image backup) and was following instructions posted by William Wilson dated 04-18-2007 about dual boot setup.
When it came time to actually install XP onto partitioned drive, setup told me it couldn't find any hard drive. Dead in water.
System boots fine in Vista (both before and after this attempt).
Have Dell 1525 laptop w/ Intel Core2 duo cpu
250 Gb SATA hard drive
Vista SP1

How to get XP install procedure to recognize presence of hard drive?

This has been answered a lot of times. You are using a SATA harddrive and must install the drivers for the SATA controller during the set-up by pressing F6

You will have to get the drivers from the motherboard driver cd or from the manufacurer's website. There are certain proceedures that have to be followed in setting up the media that you will need to use for your specific computer....ie. floppy disk or CD. These instructions are also on the mobo driver CD or at the maunufacturers website

ok, I found the instructions, but...............
 

I got the instructions for loading SATA drivers to help install XP onto Dell 1525, but the Dell website refers to a "FastTrak Driver diskette" which I can find no trace of anywhere on the website.
They even tell me that my warranty for chat support has expired even though I only purchased this thing 9-25-2008,
so I am unable to get info regarding this item.
It has to be this diskette, as loading the SATA driver straight onto a 3.5" floppy does no good.
Any idea how to track down the FastTrak driver diskette?

Ed

From what I have seen and read on various websites, that FastTrak driver refers to RAID setups, something that you will not be doing on a laptop...

Need to know exactly what model computer you are using.

Exact model of computer is Dell Inspiron 1525
Uses Intel Core 2 Duo cpu
Phoenix ROM BIOS PLUS Version 1.10 A13

I went to Intel.com and TRIED to figure out where to go to find download (went to download link) and I have no idea what to search for to locate the necessary files for my purpose. Tried several Search engine queries all of which came up with "Nothing found for your search".

Where do I go, what do I type when I get there?

I know what I have to do when I get the RAID driver downloads, I simply cannot FIND them!

You can look through this list from the Promise FastTrak driver site...

http://www.promise.com/support/downl...0&productId=88

Check your BIOS and see if there is a setting for the SATA controller in there. Your system might be a BIOS controlled harddrive controller where the setting is changed in the BIOS and it will auto boot to the right controller

RAID set ups must use at least 2 seperate harddrives....stay away for this configuration.

This is what I found for the model you gave and for using windows XP

Drivers & Downloads

There is a SATA driver and it has specific installation proceedures but only after it has been installed from what I read....Dell might be using a generic download/install note for covering all driver downloads....you might try it and do the set up and see if this is what you are needing.

Ususally a program called "Make Disc" is used to set up the correct media(floppy disc or cd) for installing SATA and/or RAID controllers during the F6 installation method.

I think that you are going to have to take a look at the BIOS and make a determination!

been there, done that
 

I ran across a description of the 2 possible methods for the workaround I need, the first of which was the BIOS setting change to IDE. My BIOS only allows me to change the SATA to either ATA or AHCI.
It looks like I can only go the way of the Media disk controller driver to circumvent my problem.

Any other specs I can give you I am only too happy. I'm certainly grateful for your attention to this dilemma.

Ed

Don't leave me hanging
 

Lurkswithin,

I appreciate the help you've given me so far, but I need a little assitance getting to the drivers that everyone tells me are located at the intel.com website. If you could provide a link and a suggestion as to what to ask for when I get there, I would be grateful. You also alluded to a 2 hard drive approach, or something of that nature. I have additional external drives, USB floppy drives and other means to "Fast track" the necessary drivers once I can access the files.
I await your input.

Ed

Boot into windows vista.

Go to device manager

rt.clk my computer > select properties > select hardware tab > select device manager button

Look for the harddisk controller, harddrive controller or what ever it is called on that machine.

copy the exact brand/name

dbl clk the controller and copy the driver number.

then post that information back here!

requested info (I hope)
 

Hard drive:
WDC WD2500BEVS-75USTO

Driver:
Microsoft (provider)
6.0.6001.18000 (longhorn_rtm.080118-1840)

Your instructions for getting to this info was done on an XP system.
It's: right click "Computer">LC "properties">LC "Device Manager>select "Disk drives" to see device name (above)
Then RC device name>LC "properties">LC "Driver" tab>LC "Driver Details" to get version.
I hope this is the info you need.

Ed

Whatever...I didn't ask for the harddrive I asked for the CONTROLLER

It might be listed as IEDE or SATA contoller or ATA ATAPI or similar.
Although the IEDE,ATA,ATAPI controller would more than likely be for the optical drives that you have installed.

Ah, controller
 

Bear with my ignorance, I'm obviously in a little over my head.
I see 3 controller identifiers and I'm not sure which is the one you need, so here they are:

ATA Channel 0
Version 6.0.6001.18000(longhorn_rtm.080118-1840)

Intel 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller
Version 7.0.1.1001

Intel ICH8M Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 2850
Version 6.0.6001.18000

Should probably change my moniker to "Stumblebum"

[QUOTE=Ed McIntosh;12665]Bear with my ignorance, I'm obviously in a little over my head.
I see 3 controller identifiers and I'm not sure which is the one you need, so here they are:

ATA Channel 0
Version 6.0.6001.18000(longhorn_rtm.080118-1840)

Intel 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller
Version 7.0.1.1001

Intel ICH8M Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 2850
Version 6.0.6001.18000

Should probably change my moniker to "Stumblebum"[/QUOTE]

That is what we are looking for! The SATA controller. Now give me a chance to locate the driver for this guy in XP format and I think you can be up and on youe way shortly!

Ooh, Aah
 

My bellybutton is puckering and unpuckering in anticipation.

I did download all the XP drivers from the Dell website, amongst them is the Intel Driver-SATA hard drive R182441.exe, but it only loads (of course) if Windows is operational. You are apparently looking for something that is implemented during the install procedure, while it is still in a Dos-like state.

Ed

Yes and it is not looking to be an easy chore LOL...you might have to end up creating a slipstreamed installation disc in order to do this on this computer.

Yes
 

The "Slipstream installation disk" is what I have been trying to track down since after your 1st reply about my conundrum. I searched the Dell site and they spoke of such a thing like it's already a done deal, but it is only offered in conjunction with the proprietary XP install package. As I am already in possession of a generic copy of XP pro installation CD I wasn't interested in forking out $199 for the package. Unable to get anyone on the phone who will discuss this with me.
You are my only ray of sunshine in this quest.
Have done software fixes, system tune-ups and minor upgrades for years (I date back to CP/M on an Osborne computer) but this new-fangled shinola has thrown me for a loop.

Ed

slipstreaming is relatively easy.

All it is is creating a bootable cd with the windows XP installation folder (I386) plus the neccessary driver files for the computer and as well as the specific updates that are needed to conform to security issues.
One can add as much or as little to this as one wishes...including the installations of extra specific programs and applications. Basically it is designing and putting together a specific installation CD for a particular computer. The work is all ready set up and you just follow the prompts.

Here follow this guide and you will do just fine!

How To: Slipstream your XP installation | Maximum PC

It is pretty much step by step and will tell you where to find certain software to use!

Have Fun!

I use nLite to slipstream service packs and extra drivers in to Windows XP, as it is easy to use. Ther are guide on it's use at the website.

There is a Vista version as well...

nLite - Deployment Tool for the bootable Unattended Windows installation