Vista wont let me go back to XP!!!

I have a weird problem. Been running Vista for a few weeks. Wanted to
go back to XP, but when I start the install from the XP CD, it does not
see my SATA hard drives anymore. Vista sees them. I have been
previously been running XP on these two drives in RAID 0 for a year.

Tried installing the driver from the floppy manually, this did not
work.

Tried ripping apart my RAID setup, and making a new one, did not work.
I don't get it.

I can install VISTA fine on my two hard drives (really only showing as
one since I have RAID 0), XP setup just says that it was unable to
detect any drives in PC. I'm so stumped on this one.




--
ronbursey
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

WinXP cannot format a HDD that was used for a Vista installation. You have
to delete the partition to reinstall WinXP.

Alternatively, to erase a HDD that had Vista on it and to reload XP, this
will certainly erase it, here http://www.killdisk.com/

"ronbursey" wrote:

>
> I have a weird problem. Been running Vista for a few weeks. Wanted to
> go back to XP, but when I start the install from the XP CD, it does not
> see my SATA hard drives anymore. Vista sees them. I have been
> previously been running XP on these two drives in RAID 0 for a year.
>
> Tried installing the driver from the floppy manually, this did not
> work.
>
> Tried ripping apart my RAID setup, and making a new one, did not work.
> I don't get it.
>
> I can install VISTA fine on my two hard drives (really only showing as
> one since I have RAID 0), XP setup just says that it was unable to
> detect any drives in PC. I'm so stumped on this one.
>
>
>
>
> --
> ronbursey
> Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com
>
>

BurrWalnut wrote:
> WinXP cannot format a HDD that was used for a Vista installation. You have
> to delete the partition to reinstall WinXP.
>
> Alternatively, to erase a HDD that had Vista on it and to reload XP, this
> will certainly erase it, here http://www.killdisk.com/

This isn't true and the file format used is not what is causing the OP's
problem.
>
> "ronbursey" wrote:
>
>> I have a weird problem. Been running Vista for a few weeks. Wanted to
>> go back to XP, but when I start the install from the XP CD, it does not
>> see my SATA hard drives anymore. Vista sees them. I have been
>> previously been running XP on these two drives in RAID 0 for a year.
>>
>> Tried installing the driver from the floppy manually, this did not
>> work.
>>
>> Tried ripping apart my RAID setup, and making a new one, did not work.
>> I don't get it.
>>
>> I can install VISTA fine on my two hard drives (really only showing as
>> one since I have RAID 0), XP setup just says that it was unable to
>> detect any drives in PC. I'm so stumped on this one.

Ron - The reason that XP can't see your drives during installation is
that it needs the SATA drive controller drivers. Vista obviously has
them included. Very early in the XP install process you are given the
option of pressing F6 to load additional drivers. This is what you want
to do. You need to have the controller drivers on a floppy disk and
point the XP installer to that disk. If your SATA drive controller is
built into the motherboard, you'll get the drivers from the motherboard
mftr. If you have a PCI drive controller card, you'll get the drivers
from whoever made the card.

Most modern computers don't have a floppy drive. If yours doesn't then
you need to buy or borrow a USB floppy drive and make sure your BIOS has
Legacy USB is enabled.

You can also create an XP install disk with the controller drivers
slipstreamed into it.

Integrate the controller driver (slipstream) -
http://www.greenmachine.msfnhosting....NG/addraid.htm

Slipstream RAID or SATA controller drivers:
http://www.maximumpc.com/2005/01/how_to_slipstre.html
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattende...d2e6f79256fc8/



Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Wow, that's interesting. How do you erase the partition that Vista was
on?


--
ronbursey
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

Thanks for the info, but that's not the case here. XP SP2 pretty much
as every sata raid driver built in to it. No more need almost to even
hit F6. I've had XP on these hd's since January. Didn't need the
drivers on disc. I've also already tried that, using the floppy. But
the XP setup just can't see the Vista modified partition. Even when I
remove the raid array, and wipe the drive, XP can no longer see them.

I know the problem is with Vista changing the partition, Microsoft even
says this. I just don't' know how to format them so XP can see them
again.


--
ronbursey
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

ronbursey wrote:
> Wow, that's interesting. How do you erase the partition that Vista was
> on?
>
>

Once you get past the SATA drivers thing and into the XP install, you
can delete all partitions, create a new one (or ones), format the new
partitions (quick format is fine), and continue with the XP install.

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...alling_Windows -
What you will need on-hand


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

"ronbursey" <> wrote in message
news:...

> I know the problem is with Vista changing the partition,

Not the partition itself..Vista does change location of the
hdd formatting file desdriptors a bit...you might be able to
correct/replace that but I'm hesitatnt on a raid setup.

> Microsoft even says this.
> I just don't' know how to format them so XP can see them again.
> --
> ronbursey
> Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

Try computer management...disk management...place mouse cursor
over the drive in question then right click and 'shrink drive'...
Vista includes a dynamic hard drive sizer not unlike partition magic
in it's effects. Provided you have room and used a defrag utility
that doesn't leave files at the end of the hdd...you should be able
to shrink the drive and use the new empty space as a new partition.
Then install XP to that partition.
Anyways...just some hints..not sure if raid array supported.

Things to look out for is shadow copy and system restore which
reserve big amounts of hdd space and lock the files, you may
need to use some bootable cd and recover/erase hdd that way.

NT Canuck
'Seek and ye shall find'

XP doesn't know Vista exists, therefore it does not detect the operating
system - this is why loading the raid drivers from floppy does not work. Use
a vista installation disk to format - if you don't have one, download one
off a torrent site - no harm done if your not installing vista.

"ronbursey" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> Thanks for the info, but that's not the case here. XP SP2 pretty much
> as every sata raid driver built in to it. No more need almost to even
> hit F6. I've had XP on these hd's since January. Didn't need the
> drivers on disc. I've also already tried that, using the floppy. But
> the XP setup just can't see the Vista modified partition. Even when I
> remove the raid array, and wipe the drive, XP can no longer see them.
>
> I know the problem is with Vista changing the partition, Microsoft even
> says this. I just don't' know how to format them so XP can see them
> again.
>
>
> --
> ronbursey
> Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com
>

"ronbursey" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
>< c h o p >
> --
> ronbursey
> Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com
>


What's the situation now, a blank RAID set, or what?

Saucy

How can that not be the case?

XP (no matter what service pack) doesn't contain drivers for SATA period.


The only time that this is not true is with OEM discs from Dell, Gateway, etc that have the drivers built-in, or if you have slipstreamed them into the install disc yourself.

Otherwise it's true. You need the disc with the SATA drivers.
"ronbursey" <> wrote in message news:...

Thanks for the info, but that's not the case here. XP SP2 pretty much
as every sata raid driver built in to it. No more need almost to even
hit F6. I've had XP on these hd's since January. Didn't need the
drivers on disc. I've also already tried that, using the floppy. But
the XP setup just can't see the Vista modified partition. Even when I
remove the raid array, and wipe the drive, XP can no longer see them.

I know the problem is with Vista changing the partition, Microsoft even
says this. I just don't' know how to format them so XP can see them
again.


--
ronbursey
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com