I could really use some help here guys.

Hi guys. I just got an Acer As6930-6560 here . I love it. However I am not always thrilled with vista home 64. Dont get me wrong I love it for school and work, and it is very perty. However when I try to run some older games and apps I like I often deal with instability.

My school offers free windows 98, and xp upgrade downloadable from an ftp server. Unfortunatly the xp upgrade file they provide does not seem to be bootable, nor does the 98 file they provide.

TO remedy this I have down loaded 3-4 torrented versions of xp pro that are bootable, I just planed on using my schools upgrade key when needed.

My problem is that nothing seems to work. All of the bootable xp files that i have downloaded give me the blue screen of death after the bootable disk loads information then trys to "load windows". Since I have tried multiple things here I assume it is something with my computer.

One of my thoughts is that its a HD issue but im not sure, someone mentioned to me that i need to slipstream sata drivers into my boot discs but I dont have a clue what their talking about.

 

I'm not too sure but when you downloaded the torrented versions, did you run them in as a virtual disk? The best thing to to is create a bootable CD with windows on it. There should be an option when you burn the CD. And yes with the slipstreaming. It is a little more complicated. If you require the latest sata drivers for your pc, they aren't normally included with the older windows, therefore you have to slipstream them (meaning add the drivers into the windows cd before you burn the cd. Essentially modifying the windows installation with the newer sata drivers). You would require a slipstream program.

 

And usually, the torrented versions of windows come with a cd key. Obviously you are going against piracy and copyright laws. But to continue using it, becareful when you update windows, because they have a genuine advantage tool.

 

There are also some emulators for older games like dosbox for vista and xp if thats what you're looking for.

 

I am just trying to figure out how to get the installation going. I am in lawschool, and we are provided with xp pro keys. I just cant seem to get it going. I am not advocating piracy.

 

But, if he uses one of his school keys, won't he not have that problem? I could be way off...

 

Yea I'm not too sure about the keys. If you're allowed to reuse them and install them on different machines? I was under the impression they are only good for one time, and then if you needed to reinstall you had to call microsoft. But regardless, the key isn't the biggest of the problem here. Its the bootable cd.

 

Well I am almost there. My first problem was that I had to change my sata controller in the bios to ide mode for xp. Then I could use the torrented xp files I had. Once those were installed I was able to use the xp upgrade from school.

Then to get back into vista I had to change the sata controller back to achi and use a vista restore iso I downloaded as well. A warning out there to any1 who comes upon this post later, if you used acer recovery to make your restore discs, go online and find a vista restore iso or you will lose all your data. The acer restore disc do not have a fix start up option. boy that scared me.

So now I am trying to get the MBR straigtened out, and I have to figure out how to make the sata controller work for both OS's. I dont want to have to go into the bios and change the sata controller everytime.

 

To help get the MBR sorted out, boot into vista and download a program called easybcd. This will let you modify your MBR. This program won't work in XP, only vista.
EasyBCD

To sort your sata issues out, I think you need to go to intels website and download the sata drivers, and install them in XP, try the link below, install them, then change the sata controller back to ACHI and hopefully xp will boot.

http://downloadmirror.intel.com/17059/a08/iata86cd.exe

 

Thanks, I will try the drivers asap.

I am having trouble with easy bcd. I had already downloaded this program but had never used it. So heres that I think I am supposed to do with it.

add remove entries->add an entry-> type windows xp-> name "whatever"-> drive (where its installed)

I have two issues.

First easy bcd greys out the drive area when i select xp, and it is greyed out on the c: drive (where vista is), thus not allowing me to add an entry on the correct drive.

Second Vista sees the drive where xp is as g: where as when i was in xp it was labled h: I have no idea why there is a conflict.
(edit: I went into manage drives in vista and manually changed g to h hopefully that will solve an issues with that)

 

If your having no luck, the easiest thing for you to do is get a vista disk (if you can get one), stick it in your drive, run from boot, then instead of clicking install, click repair, then there is an option to repair startup. This should then give you a bootup screen where you can choose between vista and xp (if that is your problem).

 

Ok, so the vista recover disc i d/l worked. I have used easy bcd to add xp to my mbr. So now I can dual boot them. I still have the issue with the sata controllers. I am going to try the intel drivers when i get home.

ps the issue with easy bcd was a dumb one. just select the drive before you select the os.

 

Good to hear you've got the boot issue sorted, post back if the drivers work or not.

 

Grr, it says this computer does not meet the minimum requirements.

 

Try this:

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...&OSFullName=Windows* XP Professional&lang=eng

 

I tried that too. I am pretty sure that it is not working because i am in ide mode currently and its not finding any controller at all in device manager.

I am currently trying to figure out how to do the unattended achi installation for xp found here http://support.intel.com/support/chipsets/imst/sb/CS-020825.htm

but i am just not used to command prompts and such so its taking me a bit to try this.

 

Has any1 ever done this?
I cannot find these files for the life of me.

I open cmd prompt (xp is on H:\ )

i type iata87enu.exe -A -A -PH:\

It runs tells me the files have been extracted, then they are no where to be found. I check the root directory and windows/system32/drivers and there no where.

I tried extracting the files via win rar, win zip, and 7z the closest i got was 7z which extracted some data files

*I dont know why i didnt think of this sooner. I just searched the drive for the filename and found it. *

*Now I am trying to set up the system to do an unattended update.*

 

You want to extract the drivers?

 

I finally found the drivers, its getting them in place now that is the key.

the unattended instructions i was following were for slipstreaming the driver into an installation

What I am trying to do is install the achi drivers in xp after it has already been installed in ide mode.

I have to boot in ide mode to get into xp and when I do that the intel programs dont recognize the drive as being achi compatable. I need to figure out a way to install the drivers in xp while in ide mode or something to that affect.

 

There are ways, and some was posted here, give me 5 minutes to find them.

Edit: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=2650867&postcount=1
Hope it'll works for you.

Edit2:Finally found an old post of mine. I successfully switched to SATA using this guide. Check it out.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3408425&postcount=2

 

The first link wont work, because its in ide in the bios device manager doesnt show an ahci drive to manually apply the drivers to.

I am looking at the second link is that file you suggest to d/l specific to your chipset?

I also found http://forum.msi.com.tw/index.php?topic=106575.0;all the only problem is that there is no registry information there on the ICH9M and i am no where near skilled enough to know what i am looking for to change it from ICH9R to ICH9M

 

The file is not specific to my chipset, it seems that it's a some sort of semi-sata driver that XP permit to install and, when switch to AHCI from the BIOS, it boots normally without BSOD and then you can install the SATA drivers(you can use the exe if you want, XP will accept it)

 

Of course 79im05ww.exe is no longer on that site. nor is it readily available from ibm. It must have been updated or replaced.

 

On this site:

http://forum.msi.com.tw/index.php?topic=106575.0;all

Where it says create a registry file in notepad, use the code below, hopefully, it is modified for the ICH9M, then continue with their instructions.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2929&CC_0106]
"Service"="iaStor"
"ClassGUID"="{4D36E96A-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStor]
"Type"=dword:00000001
"Start"=dword:00000000
"Group"="SCSI miniport"
"ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
"ImagePath"="system32\\drivers\\iaStor.sys"
"tag"=dword:00000019
"DisplayName"="Intel AHCI Controller"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStor\Parameters]
"queuePriorityEnable"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\iaStor\Enum]
"0"="PCI\VEN_8086&DEV_2929&SUBSYS_B0051458&REV_02\\3&13c0b0c5&0&FA"
"Count"=dword:00000001
"NextInstance"=dword:00000001

EDIT ***Backup your registry before making any changes to it****

 

Grr


Ive tried that, all i seem to ever get when i go into the bios and select ahci then xp is the blue screen of death..

I am about to give up and just use the bios everytime i want to go back and forth.

OR perhaps would it be easier to go into vista and make it play nice with IDE?

EDIT
(when i go into vista using IDE it gives BSOD, if I boot from disc and repair while still in IDE it also gives BSOD)

 

Found it!!!!

http://download.opendrivers.com/sho...HVmliMjlyTDJsaWJTODNPV2x0TURWM2R5NWxlR1U9PQ==

Edit: The links doesn't work this way, I'm uploading it elsewhere. Will edit this post with the new url.

Edit2: http://rapidshare.com/files/182575846/79im05ww.exe.html

 

Thanks. I am in the que to d/l now.

I really hope this works *crosses fingers* plz no more bsod

 

Jesus H Christmas. I am about fed up with this. I have tried everything. I can not get past this god bsod.

Do you think it would be easier to make vista play with IDE?

 

Is it a fresh XP install, one other thing that you could do, is to re-install XP, using nlite to create an xp installation disk slipstreaming the much needed sata drivers onto the disk. Guide Here

This may seem a bit drastic but in the long run, it will save you keep having to go into the bios everytime you want to change OS.

 

It didn't work? What happened? Did you follow the instruction EXACTLY? With modifying the inf and everything?

 

Yea I went into the inf using notepad and changed all the droped in the iastor, went back to the bios switched to ahci and on boot flash a blue and restart.


I am begining to think re-installing xp is the only way to go. Its just really anoying for me to do so because in order to be legit i have to install xp twice. I have an XP upgrade key and software from school but its not bootable.

 

This is the important part. You're sure you did all this?

Also, torrent talking and illegal software discussions are not allowed. Keep it legal.

 

Yea I did that part. and verified it step by step along the way. Still no luck. Now I am thinking i will probly have more luck trying to add ide drivers to vista since I just discovered that its pretty easy to add drivers (it appears) through vista recovery disc

 

Vista doesn't need such drivers. Vista will install in either mode without touching the CD. Just select AHCI and install Vista.

 

Vista is already installed and working via AHCI, but rather than find someway to update XP with the AHCI drivers. I am now wondering if it might be possible to just load vista recovery disk and select add drivers then update the vista install with some ide drivers.