[brucewol]

Got a little more insight into my issue with XP failing to boot when external CD/DVD unit attached. It will boot when connected but it depends on the USB ports used on the backpanel. There are 3 clusters of USB ports. A main cluster near the ethernet connections, eSata and Firewire. Another cluster for USB 3.0 which I didn't use since I knew there were no USB 3.0 drivers integrated. And a 3rd set that are USB 2.0. When using this 3rd set, XP wouldn't boot except for safe mode. Using the main cluster it will boot in normal mode. I think I must have used the main set to do the initial install which explains how I was able to use my external CD/DVD drive. Probably should avoid USB connectors on the front of the case until all drivers are installed for the same reason. I'm thinking I can also use this main set to load my additional drivers in normal mode. Thought this info might be useful for you.

[StressedforXP]

Hello, the guide on the first page was very clear and concise about which drivers I should be using and how to implement them to install my Windows XP 32b OS onto my modern computer, But alas I still have no success. I have the Asus Rampage IV Extreme x79 chipset motherboard, and a RAID 0 main drive configuration with two OCZ Vertex 2 SSDs. I currently have Win7 64b running, and wish to dual boot to the old OS for compatibility. My failure comes from the text installation portion of XP (aka the first step). I have tried slipstreaming the appropriate drivers several times with no success. Immediately after finding this article I tried slipstreaming the slightly modded/recommended drivers for x79 in the first post, only to have the exact same error. During the initial setup of windows, regardless of IDE/AHCI/RAID mode configuration, the setup will fail to load a sys file and shut down. In this case "iaStorA.sys" is always missing - the supposedly slipstreamed driver for SATA RAID.

My BIOS settings have no effect on the process in the least, always the failed sys file error. I have even reduced the RAM levels in my machine to a single chip (2gb) as recommended in part 3 of the guide, no success.

The two SSDs being used to run the OS are in the 2 internal SATA 6GB ports of the Intel controller, and the disk drive is connected via one of the 4 internal SATA 3GB ports under the same controller. To erase the possibility of a faulty CD/DVD drive, and the need to try the CD/DVD drive under the Asmedia controller, I have attempted to take the re-imaged XP setup disk (slipstreamed) and install it to boot from a flash drive, using the utility "WinSetupFromUSB". The result, a much faster initial setup load that fast forwards to... the same error "iaStorA.sys cannot be found." I can't bother with hardware compatibility issues yet till this is resolved, clearly my drivers and disks never match up properly to even get me to the select screen for the XP install. What could be the problem? What should I do?

[Fernando 1]

@ StressedforXP:
Welcome at MSFN Forum!

StressedforXP, on 07 February 2013 - 08:31 AM, said:

Hello, the guide on the first page was very clear and concise about which drivers I should be using and how to implement them to install my Windows XP 32b OS onto my modern computer, But alas I still have no success. I have the Asus Rampage IV Extreme x79 chipset motherboard, and a RAID 0 main drive configuration with two OCZ Vertex 2 SSDs. I currently have Win7 64b running, and wish to dual boot to the old OS for compatibility. My failure comes from the text installation portion of XP (aka the first step). I have tried slipstreaming the appropriate drivers several times with no success. Immediately after finding this article I tried slipstreaming the slightly modded/recommended drivers for x79 in the first post, only to have the exact same error. During the initial setup of windows, regardless of IDE/AHCI/RAID mode configuration, the setup will fail to load a sys file and shut down. In this case "iaStorA.sys" is always missing - the supposedly slipstreamed driver for SATA RAID.

The installation failed, because you obviously haven't read my guide carefully and tried to integrate a wrong Intel RAID driver into the XP image.
Intel X79 chipset systems do not accept any Intel RSTe driver package, which contains 2 different drivers (=SYS files): the real Intel RAID driver named iaStorA.sys and the additional Intel SCSI filter driver named iaStorF.sys. What your X79 system needs to get Windows XP properly installed is an Intel RST driver pack, which contains just 1 conventional RAID driver named iaStor.sys.
This is what I have written within my guide (= start post) regarding this point:

Fernando 1 said:

• For users with an Intel X79 chipset AHCI/RAID system:
  • XP79 chipset users, who want to get XP (32bit) installed in AHCI or RAID mode, should download this special RST driver (the RSTe drivers will not work for the XP installation):
    >32bit Intel RST textmode drivers v10.5.2.1010 for X79<

Solution:
Restart the nLite processing from scratch by copying the content of the clean XP CD into a separate folder of your system (C:\XPCD or similar). Don't load any preset (Last_Session.ini) and integrate just the 32bit Intel RST textmode driver v10.5.2.1010 for X79.
Then let nLite create the ISO file, burn it as bootable image or create a bootable FAT32 formatted USB flash drive.

Regards
Fernando

[StressedforXP]

I have in fact used the drivers specifically from your link. However, I tried again, used a deep disk wiper and tried it EXACTLY as specified... normally all data is stored on another internal drive that was setup just for storage, but this time i put the CD rip, drivers, and nlite re-imaged iso on the C drive, and I managed to get the initial installer working! For some reason loading the drivers into nlite from an external source doesn't seem to work... but regardless i have a new issue. After the installation finished and XP reboots the setup for its first run... during the XP logo load screen I get... a BSOD flash, and it becomes an infinate loop. I tried doing the installation a 2nd time to no success. Ideas?

[Fernando 1]

StressedforXP, on 07 February 2013 - 12:15 PM, said:

but regardless i have a new issue. After the installation finished and XP reboots the setup for its first run... during the XP logo load screen I get... a BSOD flash, and it becomes an infinate loop. I tried doing the installation a 2nd time to no success. Ideas?

Try to boot XP in safe mode and look into the Device Manager for yellow marks.
Another advice: Before you are going to install Windows XP, you should unplug all devices (HDDs, USB sticks, SD cards etc.), which are not necessary.

[StressedforXP]

No boot modes work. Tried to clean install again after removing my network card, sound card, and all other hard drives. The same problem persists. I have the on-board audio and Lan controller disabled.

[Fernando 1]

StressedforXP, on 07 February 2013 - 12:47 PM, said:

No boot modes work. Tried to clean install again after removing my network card, sound card, and all other hard drives. The same problem persists. I have the on-board audio and Lan controller disabled.

Questions:

• Did you use an original (= untouched) XP CD as source?
  
• Did you integrate more than the 32bit Intel RST driver v10.5.2.1010 for X79? If yes, which ones?
  
• While nLite was going to integrate the Intel textmode driver you got a popup window with the following Intel SATA Controllers:
  a. "Intel® C600 Series Chipset SATA AHCI Controller"
  b. "Intel® C600 Series Chipset SATA RAID Controller"
  If you should have integrated them both, you may redo the nLite work by enabling just the SATA RAID Controller.

[StressedforXP]

I only integrated the single 32 bit RAID driver, not the AHCI - I used a previously slipstreamed XP cd that went from SP2 - SP3.

[Fernando 1]

StressedforXP, on 07 February 2013 - 01:58 PM, said:

I used a previously slipstreamed XP cd that went from SP2 - SP3

Was the XP CD, into which just the SP3 had been slipstreamed, an original one (with MS hologram)?
Does the i386 directory of your XP CD contain a file named WINNT.SIF?

[StressedforXP]

I believe it was but I'm not in possession of that original CD - i checked the install disk and yes, it has a file WINNT.SIF

[Fernando 1]

StressedforXP, on 07 February 2013 - 02:21 PM, said:

I believe it was but I'm not in possession of that original CD - i checked the install disk and yes, it has a file WINNT.SIF

The presence of the file named WINNT.SIF verifies, that you have used an already processed XP CD as source.
If you want to install Windows XP successfully onto an Intel RAID or AHCI system, you have to use an absolutely untouched XP CD as source. Otherwise you may get interactions of the previously integrated and for your special hardware not usable drivers with the driver you really need to be integrated (= the Intel RAID driver).

[StressedforXP]

So you mean I need to use the SP2 original disk, since during the SP3 drivers must have been added? As things stand is there a way for me to reapply the win7 boot (with like a flash drive or someting) so i can load the original OS? or am I doomed to have to reinstall my win7 operating system or original XP

[Fernando 1]

StressedforXP, on 07 February 2013 - 02:35 PM, said:

So you mean I need to use the SP2 original disk, since during the SP3 drivers must have been added?

You have to use a clean=untouched XP SP2 or XP SP3 as source, if you want to install XP onto your X79 RAID system.

Quote

As things stand is there a way for me to reapply the win7 boot (with like a flash drive or someting) so i can load the original OS?

Just boot off your Win7 DVD resp. USB flash drive, but use the "Repair" instead of the "Install" option. This will recreate the Win7 bootloader.
There is no need to reinstall Win7.

[Daytrader]

So guys, am i right in thinking, if i install xp pro with sp3 slipstreamed into my install disk, and install useing my asus p5ql pro motherboard useing the sata port connected to my install sata hard drive with bios set to ide, i do not have to slipstream the sata ahci/raid drivers in if bios is set to ide and i do not want to enable ahci or raid in the future ? i mean will i still get the sata hard drive working to its 300 speed spec, i know it dont actually get any where near that, but i mean will i be getting the full benift from my connected sata drive compared to just a old pata/ata hard drive, i just want confirmation please / cheers

[Fernando 1]

@ Daytrader:

You will only get the possible performance from your SATA connected HDD or SSD, if you have connected it/them to one of the Intel SATA ports running in AHCI or RAID mode.
Since your ASUS P5QL PRO mainboard has an Intel ICH10R Southbridge and does support AHCI, I recommend to integrate the suitable Intel AHCI driver into your XP CD and to install the OS in AHCI mode.

Regards
Fernando

[achiprobl3m]

i got a unique problem, i have a c600 chipset and slip streamed 32bit Intel RST AHCI & RAID driver v10.5.2.1010 for X79, which installs xp fine in achi or raid. HOWEVER. i have a 3tb GPT partition(partitioned in windows 7 originally), which is unaccessible for some reason, during the windows xp install process in raid or achi mode the drives state un accessible( the data storage size is also inaccurate, but that doesn't matter since xp can't read 3tb correctly without 3rd party support) i re did the same installation in ide mode, the drives are accessible(obviously inaccurate data size), i use a program called GPT LOADER which allows 3tb drives to be displayed in windows xp 32bit no problems, but in my case it's only working in IDE, which brings me to this forum in regards to the c600 drivers. The drivers arent allowing me the same access i would get in IDE, i need this access to enable my 3tb drives in xp(3tb drives which i would require 3rd party software to enable anyways), even when i installed gpt loader after achi xp installation it doesn't show up in disk management, yet in device manager the drives are there, just no volume is assigned and it's not present in disk management either, unlike in ide mode it would showup but wont allow to create a volume(that's where GPT LOADER handles the rest), Anybody got a solution?

This post has been edited by achiprobl3m: 22 February 2013 - 12:54 AM

[Fernando 1]

@ achiprobl3m:
Welcome at MSFN Forum!

achiprobl3m, on 22 February 2013 - 12:42 AM, said:

Anybody got a solution?

There are not so many users with an Intel C600 Series Chipset mainboard and and a 3TB GPT partitioned HDD, who are running or would like to run Windows XP.in AHCI mode.
My advice is to use a more actual Operating System.

Regards
Fernando

[achiprobl3m]

yea well, thats 1 solution. However in my case i would like to get it to work... Ide works no probs, but ahci, obviously it's the drivers, would you happen to elaborate as to why this problem occurs. btw, when i uninstalled gpt loader in ahci mode ( since i was trying anything at this point ), the drives files were scanned and i seen a list of all the displayed dirs on the 3tb drive, however no volume though... and still nothing in disk management .

[Fernando 1]

achiprobl3m, on 22 February 2013 - 08:11 AM, said:

would you happen to elaborate as to why this problem occurs. btw, when i uninstalled gpt loader in ahci mode

I am sorry, but I have no idea how I could help you.
Windows XP is a very old Operating System and was developed by Microsoft without any knowledge about AHCI, GPTand about how to support HDDs with a size of 3 TB.

[lera1981]

This thread is excellent! I never thought I'd be able to install 32-bit Windows in an AHCI setup. I've a strange issue though, and it might have something to do with the 32-bit Intel RST textmode drivers for X79 (but perhaps it could be my BIOS setup, too) ...

My AHCI is set up like this:
SATA6G_1 = 240Gb Corsair Force GT SSD
SATA6G_2 = Nothing
SATA3G_1 = Internal BD-RE drive
SATA3G_2 = Nothing

My bootup configuration is:
P0: 240Gb Corsair Force GT SSD
P2: Internal BD-RE drive

I've slipstreamed XP with the 32-bit Intel RST textmode drivers for X79 and everything worked perfectly, but the hard drive isn't able to boot up by itself. To boot into Windows XP, the slipstreamed Windows XP CD must be in the drive, and then you have to wait for the "Press any key to boot from CD/DVD" to go away.

If I have any other CD in the drive, or nothing in the drive at all, then I keep getting the error message:
Reboot and Select proper Boot device
or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device

I found this MS page that seems related but it applies to Windows 7 or later: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976

Also, the "START" value for the iaStor.sys driver is already set to 0... I'm not sure if it's wise to play around with that setting. I've tried swapping the bootup configuration so that the P2 internal disc drive attempts to boot first, but that doesn't make a difference.

Any ideas?