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Why won't xp installation see my f*#&$%g hdd!??!?1

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So, I have a computer at work where the customer has paid for a complete re-installation of Windows XP. All I have at my disposal is an Dell OEM restore disc and the key off the bottom of the laptop. I've done this plenty of times with other laptops (use a Dell OEM disc for the installation and use the computer's key to activate the OS) and have had no problems what-so-ever, but on this Toshiba tablet PC that I'm working on the PC keeps telling me that Windows XP could not find any HDD drives connected to the computer. The drive is showing in the BIOS, I've HDD tests that write and rewrite to every data sector and it passes and if I use it in an external enclosure it's recognized, but won't complete the OS install.
Does anybody know why it's doing this, and if there's a way to get the mother f'ing installer to see the HDD so I can complete installation and not have to eat the cost of the computer? Any and all help is appreciated.
 

streetfighter 2

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I'm guessing that AHCI drivers aren't on the XP disc and the tablet is using AHCI. You can use nLite to slipstream the necessary SATA drivers.
 
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You need the sata drivers for the Toshiba and put them on a floppy and load them before the install.
Or you can use NLite and slipstream the drivers on the Dell disc.
 
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Software Microsoft Windows 7 Starter x86
Do I need to use a floppy or will a flash drive suffice?
 

brandonwh64

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You can splitstream the drivers with Nlite

http://www.nliteos.com/

just extract your OS disc to your PC and then find the sata driver and add it as a text driver then burn as a bootable disc and it will find it when its installing its initial drivers
 
Joined
Nov 18, 2006
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2,964 (0.47/day)
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your local vending machine
System Name HTPC||Lenovo IBM ThinkPad
Processor AMD Phenom II x4 965 stock 3.4GHz||Intel C2D T9300 @ 2.5GHz
Motherboard Zotac 890GX-ITX WiFi||Lenovo 8918CTO
Cooling Stock 3x 120's||Stock stuff
Memory 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 6-6-6-15||3GB DDR2
Video Card(s) Asus 3870x2||nVidia Quadro NVS 140M
Storage 1TB Seagate Barracuda, 1x 2TB WD EARX ||Hitachi 160GB 7200RPM
Display(s) Samsung T260HD||
Case SilverStone Grandia GD05||
Audio Device(s) on-board||on-board
Power Supply Cooler Master 450W||6-cell
Software Windows 7 Pro x64||Windows 7 Pro x64/Linux Mint x64
Do I need to use a floppy or will a flash drive suffice?
I'm pretty sure you need to use a floppy. I couldn't find a way to use a flash drive.

You can splitstream the drivers with Nlite

http://www.nliteos.com/

just extract your OS disc to your PC and then find the sata driver and add it as a text driver then burn as a bootable disc and it will find it when its installing its initial drivers

^ This. It's very easy to use.
 

ktr

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Do I need to use a floppy or will a flash drive suffice?

Has to be floppy for Windows XP. Only with Vista/7 can you use a flash drive.

You can do the nlite option as stated, or simply go to bios and change the HDD mode to either IDE or compatible mode.
 
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