Installing XP on Zepto Nox A15?

Hey there
Yesterday I received my nox A15 and it looks pretty nice and so on... but that I had to use vista was a pain in the butt, but I thought: "Hey, if it can't run XP, then I gotta learn to use vista."

And 10 minutes in vista and I hate it. I could live with it, but I'd rather not. It feels slower than XP and has annoying safety features (safety are for people who can't figure out how to be safe anyway..).

I'm gonna look for vista tweaks now, but meanwhile I'd like to know how I can install xp on it. The problem I've been having, is that when I boot from the xp cd, it takes a looong time and it doesn't boot and then, bam, blue screen of death. Then I read something about xp not supporting AHCI, so I turned it off and enabled IDE instead. However the results were the same.

I hope you guys can help me on this one

 

Are you familiar with nLite?

 

That sounds a bit odd, as you have the option to select Windows XP when you purchase the Nox A15. I know some of the old machines (Znotes) have problems with XP, but the Nox shouldn't have any afaik.

 

What is the version of your XP installation disc? Is it SP1 or SP2?

 

I've heard about it. Havn't tried it thou. Also another problem would be making the bootable cd, cause I only have dvds... (of course, if it's possible to make a cd iso on a dvd, then no prop :d)

I'm from Denmark and they said they had no support for it. They said it could run, but would had some problems when leaving hibernation and wouldn't run optimal. They have the drivers for it, but it wasn't available in the OS menu.

SP2.

 

Your best bet is the nLite route then. You can download Intel's floppy Matrix storage driver and slipstream it into your nLited install.

 

Yes, nLite is the best route. Slipstream in all the XP drivers for the Nox (you can get them from he Zepto FTP site) and XP SP3. nLite creates you a new bootable XP installation CD.

John

 

So that is the driver windows needs then ? Also, can I make it on a dvd instead of a cd? (have lots of dvds, but no cds >_<)

 

Yes.

John

 

I'll receive my Nox next week, so I tried to create a new windows xp cd with nLite. I had no problems with adding new patches and SP3 etc. but i don't know how to do with the Matrix storage driver.

I tried to add the Intel Matrix storage drive, but nLite says that my system doesn't support this software (respectively the intel software says it). My notebook is over three years old a Dothan -> Intel 915PM + ICH6-M it supports SATA.
How can I creat the cd?

Is this the right file?
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...&OSFullName=Windows* XP Professional&lang=eng

Am I right, that I can only add the Storage driver with a Notebook which supports the AHCI/SATA driver?

For adding a driver nLite ask for a .inf file, i have no .inf file only the driver installation routine -> .exe which fails.

 

I think the right one is this: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?ProductID=2101&DwnldID=16013&lang=eng

 

update: First of all, thanks for all the quick answers. I've tried using nlite which was not as easy to use. When I came to the driver part, I downloaded the drivers as in last post and added them to the drivers part using "multiple drivers" and selected the folder. Then it asked if it was PNP or I could select a specific one. I finally figured the one I had, and added it. Later I find out that I could've just had installed them all, windows would find it right one -_- oh well...

Anyway, I've created the disc and I'm currently booting it on my laptop.. progress has been made, last tim....... and there we have it At this moment, right now, the Windows XP professional setup is on... It worked! Yay. Thanks for the help. I'll try to install it tomorrow, as I'm sleeepy now.

 

You may need the Matrix Storage Manager. See section 7 of the readme.txt file for extraction of drivers which you can use with nLite.

John

 

Still though imo you should of played around with Vista, done some googling to tweak certain settings. UAC can be turned of completely or can be set to run silently, UAC is annoying, I'll admit that, but its actually quite a good security feature.

Oh and btw do you reckon you could please post some pictures of the Nox in action?

 

I just have a feeling that Vista will be a pain in the back no matter how hard I try.
And.. well, I can post action shots, what would you like to see?


Also, I still have a few problems with windows xp. The fingerprint sensor driver only worked for vista.. Is there a way to make it work under XP?

Other than that, I've had trouble installing the graphic driver. The drivers from the ftp didn't work and Nvidias own were just for Geforce 9600 GT not Geforce 9600m GT. But finally I tried the driver on the cd and it worked well.


edit:

I've opened the drivers cd and gone into the xp drivers. And my my, there's a driver for fingerprint sensor.. And it works!

Now there's really nothing left but the missing antenna (atleast I think so) and another odd "problem".
My speakers in the laptop is kinda odd, I don't know if it's normal or not, but if I turn up the volume they sound very "scratchy". They're okay if the volumes not too high.

Don't know if it's a hardware problem or if the speakers aren't of such a good quality?

Anyhow, I'll try see how XP will go for me. I hope it'll work fine, else I will have to use Vista ultimately..

 

The scratching sound could be a driver issue, as I've recently had such a problem with my speakers, which was caused by crappy drivers. Does it sound the same with headphones or other external speakers?

And regarding the XP vs vista discussion here's my five cents:

Once you turn off the crap in vista and start using the very useful functions (like the live search in the start-menu which I love and use all the time), and the useful gadgets (like calculator, top three processes, HD space left, weather reports etc.) I think you would actually come to like it. I know I have

 

It has no problems with headphones nope. The speakers sounds like, ehm, like when you have a sound and it's been amplified too many times. Well, that would be scratchy..

But what do you use your computer for? I use photoshop, premiere and such. I just think that it would run slow on vista :/

I'll try update the speaker drivers now.

 

The Nox is currently not offered with a TV tuner, but is prepared for a built-in TV tuner, so it can be added later.

 

then, eh, what's the MMCX input I have? also, it seems they say different things about the product from inside and outside of denmark.

 

Make sure that the Realtek Sound Manager (I'm assuming it has Realtek audio) is installed then start to experiment with the equalisation options.

John

 

I tried the "powerful" equalisation option, I think it works alrigthy

 

The MMCX input is the plug for a TV antenna adapter. The notebook itself is as said above prepared to run with a TV tuner but is currently not offered with the TV tuner as an option. There's a Mini-PCI-Express slot ready for a TV tuner or other expansion card inside the notebook.

 

I tought all the same about vista being worse than XP, but after some tweaking and shutting off unneccesary crap it runs as good as XP, and looks much better at the same . And after SP1 it got even better, and right now, I wouldnt switch to XP for anything. Everything runs on Vista, and more and more is coming to vista.
Not to mention DX10

Just a sidenote:
My Vista is faster than my friends desktop (with much higher specs). HDD heavy options are slower ofc as desktops have much higher data rates

 

but do you also use performance heavy applications?

 

Hey, sorry for OT but can you post som pics at your nox? And mayby write a review?

 

Sure, Although I'm currently moving to my college appartment
I'll post some pictures tomorrow and I'd rather wait with a review until I've tried it for a little longer. I'm also going to install vista again, just to try XP and vista at the same time, then I'm able to give a better review

 

Thanks! Cant wait to see the pics! ...

 

Can I humbly asked what did u do to your vista? Any programs, tweaks, or any reliable website to intro?

 

Well I basicly just keep my registry clean, defrag my hdd often and make shure nothing unneccesary is started at boot.
Google Ahampoo Winoptimizer 2008 and download a free copy of that, it has got many usefull things.

Then vista itself, sidebar off, uac in silent mode (google it) and Iv turned off many services manually from vista that I dont need. And my lappy could be faster too if I wouldnt have SQL server and some other development tools running.

@martensson: Look up the Nox thread for images and a little review (somewhere among the 200 posts )

 

Well, I don't do that to my XP and well, it works great. Also, do you run applications like premiere or photoshop.. perhaps even some games?

 

Haha!

The Nox notebook looks nice!... I want my Nexus now!... Hopefully it will come in early September

 

I game quite alot, and ofc the framerate is not as high as my friends, but he has a quad core and 8800GTX (I think).

Im not comparing gaming performance here, just OS speed

 

PIc of the nox, I'm currently moving in and it's taking more time than I thought it would.

 

Looks sleek, as in all other pics


ooh lots of pepsi there

 

It looks real good I must say.
Nice slim design and the all-black is beautiful.
@zapkiller, when can we expect a review? And will you make one like the usual NBR reviews as on the homepage?
First put your bed together of course .
Cheers.

 

I think its very good that they have kept the design extremely simple. Theres just nothing special about it, wich makes it special

 

The Nox appears slim but the weight is pretty high 2930g or 2,930kg.

Zepto itself says 2,7 or 2,8kg they use both specification.

 

zepto site weigh is without battery

 

haha f*cking ZEPTO

I'll send return my Nox.

 

Please note that most notebook manufacturers quote the weight without the battery as you can buy different configuration batteries (6cell, 9cell etc).
Sony definately do. Either that or I got an SZ71 with extra weights inside it

 

Now why would you do that, they dont state anywhere that the weigh is with battery, I doubt any company states the weigh with the battery inside.

And I doubt Zepto would accept that as a reason to return the laptop, if your country dont have laws on it.

 

It's not only the weight, there are serveral things of which i'm not happy about.

The speakers, the fan which runs under low performance and other little things. I'm not a beta tester. For ~1000€ I expect something quiet etc.
Under the german law I have the right to return something within 14 days after aquisition (without reasons). I won't take the risk that Zepto will not deliver an update, so that I have to live with the noisy fan.

I admit the fan loudness is a personal apperception.

If you can read german here you'll find my review:
http://www.forumdeluxx.de/forum/showpost.php?p=9926212&postcount=8

Ok here an example for the LG S510 a new Centrino 2 Notebook 15,4" with 9600M GT DDR3.

Here at the end the specifications:
http://de.lge.com/products/model/detail/business_s510x.cbcbg.jhtml#

Gewicht/Weight 2,62kg (weight is stated with battery)

and here:

 

And another question:
I'm using Win XP Prof. 32Bit, but i have one device which is unknown in devicemanagement.
All drivers are installed, chipset, graphic, network, wlan, cam, audio, cardreader, touchpad, fingerprint

But I can't install zepto mobile utility it's only for Vista right?
The zepto mobile utility does what exactly?

 

In my experience most manufacturers do include a battery in their advertised weight. It might be an optional weight saving battery such as a 3 cell, but they should say so in the small print. If there's a removable optical drive then they usually put a "weight saving" piece of plastic in the bay when doing the weighing.

I also recall that Zepto's original advertised weight for the Notus was without the battery.

John

 

I've just installed vista on one partition and XP on the other. I'd say I would have used both enough to give a proper review in next week or something.
Also, could you link to a NBR review?

Nope, it's not just for vista. Go to their ftp, ftp.zepto.dk and goto notebook and then nox drivers. Then goto vista drivers, then 32bit and then zepto mobile utility. It works for XP.

 

I tried to install zepto mobile utility, the installation works, but while rebooting there is a shutdown. So I can't start windows.

I can just start windows in the last known version of windows which runs -> without zepto mobile utilities.

 

Well, mine works fine. So it is possible.

 

on the manual for mythos its stated that the weight 2.8 kg with battery and optical drive

so its weird that the nox is 2.9kg.. maybe because HD?

 

Check for instance this review by mod John Ratsey; link.
Through the Notebook Reviews button at the top of this page, you can find many more reviews.
Cheers.

 

Ok guys I would be very happy if u could help me with the same problem, but its a little diffrent.

Im inserting my Xp home edition cd into the computer and then starting it. The bluescreen pops up after a while where some stuff are reading into the system. But suddendly, it stops, and the screen goes black with the blinking line in the upper right corner, and the cd stops to work and the computer falls silent. What shall I try?