Need Help!!!!!

I got a new Sager NP 5796, but after I installed the XP Pro SP2, I got a problem: it is not running fluently with the system, many software not reponsed, even when I tried to install the Test Drive Unlimited by the CD-ROM.
And it is quite slow even slower then the IBM laptop I bought 3 years ago......

Try to find out the solution, need help!!!!!!

 

1) Make sure all your drivers are installed (device manager -> any yellow "!"s?)
2) Make sure you are running your hard drives in SATA mode; IDE is slower and caused some problems for me (and also runs hotter). You need to 1) have a USB Floppy drive (that's right :/) during XP setup (press F6 to install SATA drivers from the floppy) or use a XP service pack 3 WITH your proper SATA drivers slipstreamed onto it (this is easier to do, google for "XP slipstream" and use nLite - very easy to use - make an image of the XP cd with nLite, add in the drivers with nLite, make image, burn new cd). Whichever you pick, a reinstall is required, as no other options worked for my Sager
3) Disable unneeded programs and windows services (especially restore & indexing).

#2 is the big one.

 

Make sure all drivers are up to date, especially the chipset driver.

 

So where I can find the proper SATA drive? Is it specially for the hard drive in my laptop, or for all SATA hard drive

 

Here are the latest drivers from Sager:
http://64.208.175.44/pages/notebooks/download.cfm?ProductType=5796

 

This brings up a good point, can XP handle sata drives correctly? I mean with AHCI on.

 

yes, xp can handle sata drives with ahci, just not natively, you need to install the drivers/matrix storage manager. The drivers need to be slipstreamed while installing xp

 

So I need to use a program like nLite? I can also get SP3 in this way as well right?

 

yup, nLite is nice to slipstream service packs and drivers.

 

Gophn,

I seem to have a problem, tell me if you've heard of it before.
I created my XP with nLite complete with SP3 and the Intel drivers.
Install went smooth but the product key screen will not accept my key.
My version is OEM but I do not see how that should affect it.

Any ideas? I can't get past this screen.

 

do you have an OEM key?

or do you have a Retail key?

OEM Version (usually place on systems case):
or
_______________________________________________

Retail Version (usually in the retail box):

 

OEM

 

It just refuses to take the key. I retyped it and my wife tried in the event
I made an error. I never had a problem like this before.

 

I had issues with that before, but half the time I misread the characters.

For the other half of the time when the key does not take....

I recommend to use nLite and insert the CD-Key into it.

Then when it installs, it should gets past that part.

 

That is what I did, I inserted the key in the nLite process.
It cräpped out at that point of the install and it has been there
ever since.

 

thats strange... you try it without the key already inserted?

 

Yea, and when it comes to the point asking for a key, I enter mine and once again it says it is invalid.

I called MS but that dept is closed

 

I would get a generic OEM key to install the OS.

then when its accepted and you install the OS, I would get Magical Jellybean and change the CD-Key to the one that you own.

I have done that before when working on multiple identical systems at the same time.

 

Why did you enter the key in *nLite*? It never asked me for that (1) rip image from OEM/retail XP cd, 2) tack on XP3 + unzipped intel SATA drivers and/or the ones from your sager cd (recommend the former, more recent), 3) create nLite image, 4) burn with nlite or another program.

The cd I slipstreamed SATA drivers into was an OEM XP cd, by the way, so I'm not sure what went wrong other than key reading/mistyping and the like. Odd! Or... if the key you're reinstalling with isn't the key your actual install is using, and you're trying to do a repair - that would screw it up too.

I resorted to a USB floppy, since I had one lying around, by the way, since my slipstream didn't work (*no* idea why, except perhaps that I tried to put both sager's drivers and intel's latest drivers on the same slipstreamed cd oops).

Anyways, this is a super duper important thing to do for this notebook if you're running XP. XP can handle SATA drives fine, but need XP SP2+ installed as well as the proper (intel) drivers. Because the drivers are proprietary, they're not included in the service pack :/ And Microsoft didn't think it would be important to update, say, the install procedure to use other sources other than USB *3.5 floppies* to look for external drivers during setup.

 

Well this strange, MS just went through some steps with me to validate my CD and afterwards they gave me a key on the phone. It is rejecting that key as well.

 

I am on the phone with them again, they are generating a replacement key for a second time. If this doesn't work....I'm going to try without the slipstream.

 

It sounds exactly like you are trying to install a retail key with an oem disc, or an oem key with a retail disc, these scenarios cause EXACTLY what you are describing. Did your xp come on your computer or did you buy it in a store? If you bought it in a store and downloaded an oem image to use in nlite, it won't work, you would need to image the cd you bought.

 

It is OEM.

Microsoft (and I worked for Microsoft 7 years ago so I know they are doing what they said and what they can) verified the part number on the holographic sticker to the part number on the disc, they verified it is OEM and not pirated. They suggested, after a 2nd MS generated key failed, to call the OEM. They were kind enough to give me the phone number to a special branch of the OEM that handles matters such as these.

The only fact I did not disclose to Microsoft was that I "slipstreamed" the disc so that it would have SP3 and the Intel drivers.

I am now trying the install with AHCI disabled using the OEM disc and my original product key.

 

I was able to install XP from the OEM disc but it took some doing
and the use of Acronis along with another computer because I did
not want to try slipstreaming again.

It is not my key or disc but the slipstream process and yes, I tried it without preentering the key in nLite.

Oh well...

 

how strange...