Windows cannot find any hardrives, installation aborted

Exclamation Mark · October 16, 2008, 11:38:19 AM

So I am trying to install a "copy" of XP 64 bit edition, only other operating system on my computer at the moment is vista home premium. I have 3 partitions, all are NTFS and I plan on using one of them to install XP 64 bit professional. My only problem is the XP CD says that it cannot find any hardrive whatsoever and so cannot install.

Any ideas for a solution?

billiardball-1 · October 16, 2008, 07:17:29 PM

Try Linux.

screwdriver_clock · October 16, 2008, 08:28:31 PM

Use a partitioning cd (I prefer GParted since you can boot from it and do your partitioning there.) Check your partitions that way, or you can get a windows 98 boot disk online for free. Run it, and when it starts type in the command "fdisk". Check the partitions to make sure they are good, and that they are all properly formatted to NTFS. I'd also recommend you read the following: This since some people have trouble booting into Vista after installing XP.

Ubuntu, I like Linux as much as you do, but he asked for XP help so it's only fair to give him that. And maybe next time Exclamation, don't say "copy" with quotes

billiardball-1 · October 17, 2008, 11:07:16 AM

Quote from: Captain Crunch;1428505Use a partitioning cd (I prefer GParted since you can boot from it and do your partitioning there.) Check your partitions that way, or you can get a windows 98 boot disk online for free. Run it, and when it starts type in the command "fdisk". Check the partitions to make sure they are good, and that they are all properly formatted to NTFS. I'd also recommend you read the following: This since some people have trouble booting into Vista after installing XP.

Ubuntu, I like Linux as much as you do, but he asked for XP help so it's only fair to give him that. And maybe next time Exclamation, don't say "copy" with quotes

Yes but he can get a legitimate copy of a linux distribution for free and then know if it's a hardware problem, not a bad pirated copy of windows.

screwdriver_clock · October 17, 2008, 04:49:23 PM

Quote from: billiardball-1;1428798Yes but he can get a legitimate copy of a linux distribution for free and then know if it's a hardware problem, not a bad pirated copy of windows.

Generally if that were the case, it would be an issue with the partitioning program since all the installer does is run the API and then run the setup app. But yeah I know what you're saying, yet you have to see if you can help in any other way first before jumping to a new OS :/

billiardball-1 · October 17, 2008, 06:34:36 PM

I don't know. Usually the first thing I do when I run into a problem is toss a live CD in. It can be a quick way of eliminating hardware from the equation and I can not only look at the partitions but do a bit of backing up if need be. In the mean time he may find that he likes it once he gets his feet in the water. A partition CD would do just as well but doesn't leave the tendency to want to stick with it as an OS. Also I generally have livecds kicking around.

screwdriver_clock · October 17, 2008, 07:22:43 PM

Quote from: billiardball-1;1429045I don't know. Usually the first thing I do when I run into a problem is toss a live CD in. It can be a quick way of eliminating hardware from the equation and I can not only look at the partitions but do a bit of backing up if need be. In the mean time he may find that he likes it once he gets his feet in the water. A partition CD would do just as well but doesn't leave the tendency to want to stick with it as an OS. Also I generally have livecds kicking around.

I understand what you're getting at, but again, I'm just trying to solve his problem for now, and let him try Linux later if he wants to.

miracle fruit · October 17, 2008, 08:00:26 PM

Quote from: billiardball-1;1428475Try Linux.

im telling you right now dont

screwdriver_clock · October 17, 2008, 08:04:19 PM

Quote from: MIRACLE FRUIT!;1429109im telling you right now don't

Hello there how are you I'm quite fine myself oh by the way here is some reading that I think you might find interesting.

joliet_jane · October 17, 2008, 09:33:44 PM

Quote from: Medic;1428271So I am trying to install a "copy" of XP 64 bit edition, only other operating system on my computer at the moment is vista home premium. I have 3 partitions, all are NTFS and I plan on using one of them to install XP 64 bit professional. My only problem is the XP CD says that it cannot find any hardrive whatsoever and so cannot install.

Any ideas for a solution?

There is nothing normal about that. I'm sure a legal version would work. If you disc is legal, something's wrong.

Try an installation disc from something else, and if it can detect your drives, the hardware is fine.

Loki Clock · October 22, 2008, 08:45:17 AM

If you can't get a legitimate (as opposed to stolen, not opposed to open source) OS to detect a hard drive, installing a Linux distro that can would not sound like a good idea to me.

DigitalLemonClock · October 22, 2008, 09:48:51 AM

xp 64bit is a piece of crap i would suggest not installing that

screwdriver_clock · October 22, 2008, 10:42:31 AM

Quote from: Franklin G. Hamilton;1431782you posted in a windows thread about linux, i think you should read that post too.

Because when I mentioned it, it was for the sole purpose of repairing the hard drives to work for XP. It wasn't saying that he should switch to that OS, but rather use it as a tool to get his desired OS working. So maybe you should read people's posts before commenting on them

Exclamation Mark · October 22, 2008, 11:45:07 AM

Well none of my hardrives are RAID, if I made one of them RAID would that help?

News:

Windows cannot find any hardrives, installation aborted