Windows xp installation stuck at "setup is starting windows"

[ever_green]

I am attempting to install windows xp on a separate hard-drive. i have disconnected the primary hard-drive that has windows 8 installed. This hard-drive has an old version of windows 7 installed. I want to format it and install XP with my professional sp1 disc. HOwever setup freezes at startup on "setup is starting windows". please advise.

my pc spec is in signature:
Gigabyte X87 UD3H
Intel i5-4570 CPU
Asus Radeon HD6850 GPU
320gb Sata Harddrive
1tb sata haddrive (disabled)
8gb ram DDR3 1600mhz

 

[skit75]

You might need to Load your SATA driver manually by hitting F6 at the start of the install. The XP install discs lack SATA drivers. Get the driver from your motherboard manufacturer's website. This driver will fit on a floppy if you have it or a USB flash drive. Re-start the install and make sure you hit F6 and when prompted, point the installer at the SATA driver.

 

[ever_green]

You might need to Load your SATA driver manually by hitting F6 at the start of the install. The XP install discs lack SATA drivers. Get the driver from your motherboard manufacturer's website. This driver will fit on a floppy if you have it or a USB flash drive. Re-start the install and make sure you hit F6 and when prompted, point the installer at the SATA driver.

thanks for the response but it seems the setup doesn't recognize USB key. it is searching for a floppy disk. I have never seen a floppy disk or drive in my life so i'm not sure how i can fix that problem. also not sure if my system supports floppy drives. anyway is there anyway to disable sata in the bios to install XP? then i can install the drivers and re-enable sata?

 

[skit75]

Make sure your USB Flash drive is in a USB 2.0 slot. If you can't use USB, you could copy the driver to a CD or DVD and after hitting F6 swap the XP CD for the SATA driver CD and point the installer at it.

Windows XP needs this driver to write everything it has loaded into your RAM, off to your HDD for the next part of the installation. SATA drives were uncommon when Windows XP Install files were created. IDE drives get detected no porblem but you need to slip the SATA driver in manually for most Windows XP installations.

 

[ever_green]

i don't seem to have a usb2.0 port, it's all 3.0. but i will try your cd method. i also tried disabling ahci for IDE but that did not work. this is strange considering that i could install xp on my work computer which has similar specs.

 

[skit75]

I bought a USB floppy drive about 6-7 years ago just for this reason. Best $4 bucks I've ever spent, I think.

 

[ever_green]

I bought a USB floppy drive about 6-7 years ago just for this reason. Best $4 bucks I've ever spent, I think.

but that would still be a usb device and my windows doesn't seem to recognize usb 3.0. no way to disable 3.0 in bios either.

 

[skit75]

Your USB 3.0 slots are probably all 2.0 slots right now(without chipset driver). In your BIOS, you may have an option for Boot Other device or Boot from USB. It might be disabled or in lower priority by default but it should be able to be switched ON.

 

[ever_green]

i could not find such option in bios, but i did burn the drivers on cd. windows still doesn't recognize the cd and insists on inserting a floppy disk only. no option to use usb or cd.

 

[skit75]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1PU0FD9579

When I bought mine, Fry's had them all in a laundry basket, without packaging in the check-out isle for $4.00 =)

Still works!