Did the Windows XP installation CD come with *that* particular Gateway
model? Is it a Gateway-branded install CD or is it, say, a Dell-branded
install CD? Is it a generic Microsoft retail or OEM install CD? You
haven't identified just WHAT type of Windows XP install CD you have.
- Microsoft retail
We don't know if you have the original (gold) edition of Windows XP or one
that has SP-2 slipstreamed into it (I think that's the minimum
edition that includes SATA support).
- Not sure but since its fairly new I'd guess its SP2
When the first screen appears that says to hit F6 to install mass storage
drivers (which is performed later in the install), do you hit F6? Do you
have the SATA drivers ready on a floppy, CD, USB flash, or other
usable/accessible drive?
- I was unaware I need any additional drivers?
Are you sure that particular Gateway model is certified for use with Windows
XP?
- I have no idea??? There was a time when you purchased the windows cd and
just installed it. It seems for each step forward we take one back noadays..
Shouldn't machines/systems be backwards compatible so that is the owner
decides to dual install both Win7 & WinXP were free to do this without
rewriting the entire install process??
Many models are certified for use only with Vista and later versions of
Windows. The hardware and the drivers for it were designed
for use under Vista, and later, and not for XP. Even if you have the
drivers for XP that doesn't mean they will work on that hardware. Even
if you go to the chip makers site to get their drivers, those are coded
based on a reference design. The mobo or system maker might use the
reference design in their product or they may choose to utilize only some of
the functionality or enhance it by implementing other hardware or design
that is different than the reference design. So the reference drivers might
work but if they don't then you must get the custom drivers from the mobo or
system maker (and if they don't provide pre-Vista drivers then you don't
have any that work properly). Trying to use reference drivers in a
non-reference config could mean only some functionality gets enabled, some
functionality fails or exhibits artifacts that range from nuisancesome to
critical, or they may simply
refuse to function.
So does that particular model of Gateway actually say it supports pre-Vista
versions of Windows? If so, does Gateway have pre-Vista
drivers for that model? If not, you could try the reference drivers from
the hardware makers and hope they work well enough. Of course,
none of this matters if, for example, the install CD is BIOS-locked to a
particular family of models for a specific maker, like trying to use
Dell will fail because its installer detects you aren't installing that
custom version of Windows on a Dell computer within a family or range of
models.
- I do not know. It was no something I was looking at when purchasing this
machine..
You never even bothered to tell us if you are asking about a laptop or
desktop. I tried searching on "Gateway E-4520D" at Gateway's site but
that got no hits (and no hits on "E-4520D", "E4520D", or "4520D", either).
You sure that's the model that you have? If it's a recent
model laptop, there's a good bet that it is not certified to run on
pre-Vista versions of Windows. They burned their bridges to go forward
with newer versions of Windows to make use of newer hardware support.
- It’s a Gateway E4602D Desktop as stated in the subject line.
You could start at Gateway's support center to check if they even list
drivers for Windows XP. They go by serial number which obviously I
don't have so you'll have to go there to see what they offer.
http://support.gateway.com/support/drivers/dlcenter.asp
Just because you have some unidentified edition/version of Windows XP
and want to install it doesn't mean that you can.
- Thanks for all your help I'll look into all the above and hopefully get
WinXP to install someday. It's either keep trying or or go out an by an
older machine just to install a 10-15 year old version of WinXP???