Samsung Q45 - can t install XP...HDD read error

Right,

Here it is.

I own a Samsung Q45... bought it a couple months ago...

Vista was getting to me so I decided to install XP... (not recommended by Samsung blah blah)


Now, everything was going fine...format ....setup files were being copied to hdd and it goes into reboot...
now here s the trouble:
when it reboots and tries to read from HDD i get this msg:

Disk read error, press ctrl+alt+del to restart

So, my guess is that there is some kind of compatibility problem with the HDD and that I need to change it via BIOS for XP (I might be wrong though)
however the BIOS doesn t allow me to do any such change...or at least I cant find that option at all...

So I tried installing XP a good few times but the same loop would happen, over and over...format setup files onto hdd and problem...

Unfortunately whilst formatting via XP I incidentally erased the hidden partition that Samsung cleverly adds onto the C drive in case of ememrgency with a backup Vista copy...so that s not an option...

Also unfortunately, my boot and recovery Samsung cds never came with my laptop and Samsung are saying they can t send them to me cause I should ve told them that no longer than 28 days after purchase....great....never even realised I was meant to have those till today...

So, I thought I d try an old version of Agnula that I had but that didn t go too well either as I got a PCI failed to initialise error after install and I can t boot into it...

So there you go...

John, I saw you have replied to many threads on this forum so perhaps you might have an idea of what is happening...

As you probably figured out I do understand a bit bout pcs but here it got me...

HOpe someone can help....

Cheers,

Adriano

 

The older versions of XP did not include drivers for SATA. AHCI is an even newer complication. If Windows can't install the right driver then it crashes when trying to load the driver for the HDD interface.

I would suggest that you use nLite to slipstream both SP3 for XP and the Samsung Q45 XP drivers onto the XP installation disc. This will increase the likelihood of the windows installer loading the right drivers.

If you can get the computer to boot into safe mode then you could also try to update the BIOS. Samsung indicate the latest version is for both Vista and XP.

John

PS: This thread is also relevant.

 

John,

firstly - thanks a million for taking the time to reply...i really appreciate it...

Since you replied I ve been on a mission ...

I created an nlite install disk as u said...

I actually created two different ones from 2 diff versions of xp that i got...

one of them is too big so i m trying to figure out which files to delete to make it fit on a cd - can i make dvd boot cd instead?

so anyway - still no luck - after install it still loops over and over....at one point it asked me the usual ' to start from cd press any key' ...so i left it try and boot from hdd but to no avail...it just froze

the nlite winxp cd definitly has the right drivers from the Q45 site...

so i m stuck!

it s driving me nuts to be honest...
i spoke to samsung for a while on the phone....useless.... i think i knew more about hardware and pcs than the tech guy on the other side of the phone...

I thought of finding myself a new version of xp with sp3 included (didn t include sp3 in that winxp cd that i did...) but either way - do you think sp3 plays such a role? it should install normally without it shouldn t it? sp3 doesnt work as a boot os does it?

anyway -
up for suggestions john...i m still trying desperately to think of something... but am stuck..

cheers
kdk

 

Hey John,

I did something now...

I deleted the original partition and created a new one whilst installing from cd.....20gig one..

so i installed the nlite cd and it finally appeared to boot into the normal windows setup...
but
i got this:

Fatal Error:
An error has been encountered that prevents Setup from continuing

One of the components that Windows needs to continue setup could not be installed.

Manifest Parse Error: Invalid at the top level of the document.

Press OK to view the setup log file:



System Setup Log - (C:\WINDOWS\setuperr.log)

Fatal error:
Error:
SXS.DLL: Syntax error in manifest or policy file "D:\I386\asms\6000\MSFT\WINDOWS\COMMON\CONTROLS\CONTROLS.MAN" on line 0.

***
error:
Installation Faied: D:\I386\asms. Error Message: MAnifest PArse Error: Invalid at the top level of the document.

***

Fatal Error:
One of the components that windows needs to continue setup could not be installed

Manifest PArse Error: Invalid at the top level of the document.

***


I am guesing this has to do with the nlite install...perhaps i took off some components by mistake..

I m gonna re-do a cd from nlite and not remove any of the components ...

What do you think

Cheers,
Adriano

PS: I thought of downloading a boot disk (any suggestions which one?) and try and update the bios from there(maybe that helps?) - is that possible?

 

Hi.

when you install xp, it starts copying drivers and it askers you if you want to load any other drivers to press a key, now my old desktop had a adaptec sata pci card and would have to insert the floppy disk so that xp could get the drivers.

It sound like you just need to get the sata drivers, or do a slipstream as suggested above.

Regards

John.

EDIT : also read this post

 

Maybe nLite didn't pick up the SATA drivers properly. There is a technique for extracting them. (You could also try putting those drives on a flash drive and try the press F6 (I think) to manually load a driver option).

John

 

thanks .
I m trying to understand the 'technique' which is described on that link but not really understanding it.
apologies if it is a bit obvious but this is going beyond my knowledge now..



re: f6 ...it only asks me for a floppy drive and says it can t find one obviously as the q45 doesn t have one so not sure how to tell it to read from usb...

also - i tried this but can t seem to load regedit.exe
again - still stuck...

Do you think the way I copied the drives has something to do with pnp or textmode in nlite? if so please could you let me know how to use either modes or which to use?
thx

 

Hi John,

I finally managed to install XP!!!
IT seemed it was SP3 that was needed as u said...

created a bootable dvd with SP3 and the Q45 drivers on there and all went fine...
It is struggling to find the soundcard - it tells me that 'no soundcard device' is recognised but i m trying to work my way round that...
maybe i ll just re download the drivers from samsung site...

thanks a million for your help ... really appreciate the time you put in in replying and helping.

 

I glad to hear that you've finally got it under control.

John

 

And when I thought it all was going well...



I have downloaded all latest drivers from Samsung's site...

In Device manager there still is a PCI unrecognized device...

When installing Audio Drivers I get this:
"No sound cards were found. Installation cannot continue"

Do you by any chance have any idea what it might be?

I found only one related post but the link was down...

HOpe you can help.

Thanks again!
KDK

 

My first guess is that XP needs you to manually install the HD audio driver. After that it should pcik up the Realtek audio.

John