cannot install xp over windows 7..!!

[justme101]

hey guys....my friend had windows xp installed on his pc..which was working fine...but after windows 7 was released he decided to switch over and installed windows 7 without checking the hardware compatibility...Initially it ran smoothly but after lots of programs were installed it got too slow...!! (Here comes the problem)

Now the stupid machine would read every disc in the world EXCEPT the WINDOWS XP bootable disc ...i formatted the system drive with the windows 7 disc...thinking that the machine would read the xp disc as there was no other OS installed...but that didn't work out ..and i m stuck with installing windows 7 (again)..!!

Please help guys...need to get good ol' xp back...!!!

[dsmarty]

If you have bootable windows xp cd then it doesn't matter whatever you installed. There is no relation between bootable cd and windows 7.. just try with another windows xp bootable cd.

[CA50]

You can try installing from a bootable pen drive with windows xp in it. You can use UnetBootin for making a flash drive bootable.

[justme101]

@dsmarty

i've tried with two diferent discs...and i've also used both the discs in another pc and they worked fine...

@CA50

hmmm...i'm just making the bootable pen drive as i write this..i'll let u know...and one more thing...i came to know about something like ROLLBACK GETTING LOCKED in some versions of windows...can that be happening in my case??

[Cool Buddy]

have you set the boot device priority correctly in the BIOS? The CD/DVD drive should be set as the first boot device for the system to boot from CD.

[justme101]

@Cool Buddy

YES... i have set the 1st boot device priority to my cd drive...and it reads the windows7 bootable disc without any error...but the problem is with the xp disc...

[Cool Buddy]

This is complicated. Let's see
When the PC boots, the BIOS tried to recognise the boot device. If it find a bootable disc in the drive it will boot from it, if not, it will run the boot loader from the HDD. Now unless it goes to the HDD, Windows 7 has got nothing to do. So it cannot affect the boot process.
One reason which might be a possibility is that you have win 7 on DVD and Win XP on a CD. You drive might be reading DVDs but not reading CDs. First verify this by running the WinXP CD inside Win 7. If it doesn't work, burn the XP image to a DVD and install from that.

[hdsk.23]

ur writer is not probably reading the cd's as u said win 7 disk is running fine...
change ur writer!!!

[justme101]

@Cool Buddy
ok lemme explain...
1. the pc starts (1st boot device is set to CD drive)
2. case 1: the windows 7 DVD is loaded ; the drive reads the dvd and gives the option to boot from it..

case 2: the windows xp CD is loaded ; the drive TRIES to read the cd but fails, and loads the OS on the Hard Disk (presently windows 7)
3. I also inserted the win XP CD after the OS started....SURPRISINGLY it read it once...but after repeated tries it stopped reading it..

Now, please tell my how can i write the XP CD to a DVD...i tried once but couldn't do it...



@hdsk.23

ok mate ... i'll try out the drive with other cd's and dvd's let you know if it works....

[Cool Buddy]

I'm not sure if you can do that in nero or not. I'm using cyberlink power2go for writing DVDs and it allows me to write CD images to DVDs. You can download this software and write the image to a DVD. In case you do not have an image (and of course you can't make one), then you are left with only one option which I don't think should be tough, get the DVD written from a friend.
Or you can try booting from pen drive if it is supported by your motherboard. But I don't know the process of that.

[abhinav_sinha]

If you can take the trouble try create a new bootable iso file of xp using nlite and then try to boot it might work as technically your problem seems really strange. try writing the file on a rewritable disk as you might need to do it again keeping in mind the probability of "not done correctly".

[hdsk.23]

Very Sorry but Its really shameful that u don't know how to write the xp to the dvd...

Here it is..
i am considering that u r having the iso or the nrg image of win xp setup.
run nero express
go the image,project, copy
select disk image saved project
give the path of xp setup image
then set disc type dvd and then the inserted blank dvd will become the winxp setup disk!!!!

[Cool Buddy]

Originally Posted by hdsk.23

Very Sorry but Its really shameful that u don't know how to write the xp to the dvd...

You don't reply like this, maybe he has never tried and just doesn't know that a CD image can be written directly on to a DVD.

In general, you use much less abusive language on the net than in real life coz there are no facial expressions to support the text.

[justme101]

@hsdk.23

ok dude...1st of all there's nothing to be ashamed of if u don't know something...i ain't... and if u are, then u might have a tough time ahead...now ignoring what u said.. "Cool Buddy" is right i never tried burning a cd image to a dvd except for once where i tried to make the dvd from the same xp cd using nero and followed the same process u wrote but it didn't work..
though i found another program which helps in doing such things...and i made a bootable xp dvd through it...and it's as easy as 1.2.3...

though u and cool buddy were right , the drive's gone bad..!!


@Cool Buddy
i took ur advice and tried with different dvd's and cd's on the disk...u were absolutely right ... the stupid drive reads dvds but when it comes to cds it doesn't...the drive has to be replaced...in the meantime i installed xp using the bootable dvd....cheers..!!!!

Tell me one more thing, i have a laptop which had vista on it...now i wanted xp on it so i inserted the xp dvd in it...it read the disc, gave me the option to boot from it...it went along with the first stage where it loads all the files in the blank blue screen and it says "setup is starting windows.." and the setup resumes...that's the point where the setup stops with the blue screen which says check ur hard disk for errors and blah! blah! and i have to restart the laptop...

---------- Post added at 04:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:54 PM ----------

@abhinav_sinha

thanx for the suggestion mate..i used another program to bootable cd to a dvd...which worked for me..!!

[hdsk.23]

ohkk i apologies for the words..
justme now solution for this new problem is the sata drivers..
the xp setup disks doesnot come with sata drivers of hdd... so to install that either switch ur bios sata setting to normal one or the other way is u can insert the drivers into the setup disk using nlite software...
for details about nlite search google..

[Cool Buddy]

I am not sure about that. Last few installations I've done through unattended DVDs, so can't exactly recall what happens at the time when you are getting BSOD. So can't help, sorry.

[abhinav_sinha]

Actually I haven't thought that your drive only read DVD rather than CD and considering that cd might be faulty and using nero for making may become complicated (Have seen many people failing to use though they were manly novice) nlite gives a user friendly wizard (don't think I am considering you a novice but actually one of the above thinks though he has apologized and we accept it) and I believe in creating simple solution which even if a novice user sees can use it if one needs. Try mentioning the software if you use any to solve your problem it can help others who read the threads.Thanks for reply

[justme101]

@hdsk.23

no hard feelings mate...i got ur point...i'll try it out and let u know...

@CoolBuddy

It's ok...

@abhinav_sinha

thnx dude i had nLite but never got the time to try it out...i'll check it out soon...

BTW...i'm adding all 3 of u as frnds...if i get into any more trouble i'll just msg each one of u..??? i hope u all dont mind???

[Cool Buddy]

You can always pm us but it would be better if you continue in the thread. That way it is easier to keep track of the progress.

[abhinav_sinha]

Of course u can send us messages any time but threading is better option it helps other user to increase their knowledge or contribute something new to others knowledge. Although if u feel that matter is easy enough so as threading is not necessary then you are always welcomed.