Can't Install XP on Compaq Notebook

This is sort of a hardware and software question. I have a Compaq A900
laptop with Vista Home. I backed up my system with Paragon Drive
Backup. I then wiped the hard drive clean and tried to install Windows
XP pro (SP2). XP couldn't find the Western Digital 160 gigabyte SATA
hard drive. So I restored the Vista using Paragon Recovery.

Does anyone know why can't XP find the disk? This surprised me because
XP recognized the serial ATA disks of my desktop. Is there a bios
setting that I could tweak that might expose the disk to the Windows
installer?

Thanks

" ...you can look for drivers on the HP website. "

While you're there , make note of ALL of your drivers for your model / XP
and save to a CD - you'll need them during the install and will be handy
to have it on CD. When done copy them all to a XPDRIVERS folder on the
disk drive.


"joe" <> wrote in message news:gcsoi3$4l7$...
> Don wrote:
>
>> This is sort of a hardware and software question. I have a Compaq A900
>> laptop with Vista Home. I backed up my system with Paragon Drive
>> Backup. I then wiped the hard drive clean and tried to install Windows
>> XP pro (SP2). XP couldn't find the Western Digital 160 gigabyte SATA
>> hard drive. So I restored the Vista using Paragon Recovery.
>>
>> Does anyone know why can't XP find the disk? This surprised me because
>> XP recognized the serial ATA disks of my desktop. Is there a bios
>> setting that I could tweak that might expose the disk to the Windows
>> installer?
>>
>> Thanks
>
> A900 is a family of notebooks. You need to refer to the specific name to
> get
> a proper answer. That is a name like A905TU. There is also a product
> number
> the looks like KG574PA. This may be on a sticker on the bottom of the
> notebook.
>
> Anyway, with the right identifier for the notebook, you can look for
> drivers
> on the HP website.
>
> The SATA drive for Intel chipsets is the Intel Matrix Storage Manager.
> One
> can be found here.
> http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...roduct=3645584
>
> You can also find it on the Intel website.
> http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Prod...ProductID=2101
>
> If your systems does not have an Intel chipset, then you'll need to find
> the
> correct driver.
>
> There is some related information on the Intel site.
> http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets...storage_sb.htm
>
>

Don wrote:

> This is sort of a hardware and software question. I have a Compaq A900
> laptop with Vista Home. I backed up my system with Paragon Drive
> Backup. I then wiped the hard drive clean and tried to install Windows
> XP pro (SP2). XP couldn't find the Western Digital 160 gigabyte SATA
> hard drive. So I restored the Vista using Paragon Recovery.
>
> Does anyone know why can't XP find the disk? This surprised me because
> XP recognized the serial ATA disks of my desktop. Is there a bios
> setting that I could tweak that might expose the disk to the Windows
> installer?
>
> Thanks

A900 is a family of notebooks. You need to refer to the specific name to get
a proper answer. That is a name like A905TU. There is also a product number
the looks like KG574PA. This may be on a sticker on the bottom of the
notebook.

Anyway, with the right identifier for the notebook, you can look for drivers
on the HP website.

The SATA drive for Intel chipsets is the Intel Matrix Storage Manager. One
can be found here.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...roduct=3645584

You can also find it on the Intel website.
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Prod...ProductID=2101

If your systems does not have an Intel chipset, then you'll need to find the
correct driver.

There is some related information on the Intel site.
http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets...storage_sb.htm

"Don" <> wrote in message
news:... wrote:
>>> This is sort of a hardware and software question. I have a Compaq
>>> A900
>>> laptop with Vista Home. I backed up my system with Paragon Drive
>>> Backup. I then wiped the hard drive clean and tried to install
>>> Windows
>>> XP pro (SP2). XP couldn't find the Western Digital 160 gigabyte SATA
>>> hard drive. So I restored the Vista using Paragon Recovery.
>>>
>>> Does anyone know why can't XP find the disk? This surprised me
>>> because
>>> XP recognized the serial ATA disks of my desktop. Is there a bios
>>> setting that I could tweak that might expose the disk to the Windows
>>> installer?
>>>

1. www.hp.com
SEARCH for " A940CA "
returns

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...oduct=3752574&

2. Select
Software & Driver downloads

Then choose:
3. " Select your operating system " page. Although nowhere else on
website it mentions XP, HERE is where to select XP to get the software
that THEY support.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...roduct=3752574

Displays the list:

The following software and drivers are compatible with your product
and the operating system Microsoft Windows XP

Driver - Storage
=======
» Intel Matrix Storage Manager 12-20077.8.0.1012 C
» Version: 20.53M

Filename : sp38088.exe, (1/1 , 20.53M)

This package contains the Intel Matrix Storage Manager for the supported
notebook models and operating systems. It is used to install or update the
Intel Serial ATA (SATA) Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI)
Controller Driver.
=========
Maybe this is your issue:

If you are NOT familiar with installing new OS on a non-native disk type
.....
When you boot the XP CD - shortly after startup screen, you will see a
screen showing

"Press F6 if you need to install ... driver"

YOU NEED TO PRESS F6 and then browse to the folder where you have saved
the downloaded file
XP will find it, install it , see the drive, continue the install.

Run the program to install it.

Installation Instructions
1. Download the SoftPaq .EXE file to a directory on your hard drive.

2. Execute the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions.

NOTE: The files needed at the F6 stage of the operating system
installation can be located at: c:\swsetup\SP38088\files

joe wrote:
> Don wrote:
>
>> This is sort of a hardware and software question. I have a Compaq A900
>> laptop with Vista Home. I backed up my system with Paragon Drive
>> Backup. I then wiped the hard drive clean and tried to install Windows
>> XP pro (SP2). XP couldn't find the Western Digital 160 gigabyte SATA
>> hard drive. So I restored the Vista using Paragon Recovery.
>>
>> Does anyone know why can't XP find the disk? This surprised me because
>> XP recognized the serial ATA disks of my desktop. Is there a bios
>> setting that I could tweak that might expose the disk to the Windows
>> installer?
>>
>> Thanks
>
> A900 is a family of notebooks. You need to refer to the specific name to get
> a proper answer. That is a name like A905TU. There is also a product number
> the looks like KG574PA. This may be on a sticker on the bottom of the
> notebook.
>
> Anyway, with the right identifier for the notebook, you can look for drivers
> on the HP website.
>
> The SATA drive for Intel chipsets is the Intel Matrix Storage Manager. One
> can be found here.
> http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...roduct=3645584
>
> You can also find it on the Intel website.
> http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Prod...ProductID=2101
>
> If your systems does not have an Intel chipset, then you'll need to find the
> correct driver.
>
> There is some related information on the Intel site.
> http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets...storage_sb.htm
>
>

The model is an A940ca and the product key is a rather long hyphenated
series of letters and numbers which would be rather pointless to post here.

"Don" <> wrote in message
news:...
> joe wrote:
>> Don wrote:
>>
>>> This is sort of a hardware and software question. I have a Compaq A900
>>> laptop with Vista Home. I backed up my system with Paragon Drive
>>> Backup. I then wiped the hard drive clean and tried to install Windows
>>> XP pro (SP2). XP couldn't find the Western Digital 160 gigabyte SATA
>>> hard drive. So I restored the Vista using Paragon Recovery.
>>>
>>> Does anyone know why can't XP find the disk? This surprised me because
>>> XP recognized the serial ATA disks of my desktop. Is there a bios
>>> setting that I could tweak that might expose the disk to the Windows
>>> installer?
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>
>> A900 is a family of notebooks. You need to refer to the specific name to
>> get
>> a proper answer. That is a name like A905TU. There is also a product
>> number
>> the looks like KG574PA. This may be on a sticker on the bottom of the
>> notebook.
>>
>> Anyway, with the right identifier for the notebook, you can look for
>> drivers
>> on the HP website.
>>
>> The SATA drive for Intel chipsets is the Intel Matrix Storage Manager.
>> One
>> can be found here.
>> http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...roduct=3645584
>>
>> You can also find it on the Intel website.
>> http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Prod...ProductID=2101
>>
>> If your systems does not have an Intel chipset, then you'll need to find
>> the
>> correct driver.
>>
>> There is some related information on the Intel site.
>> http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets...storage_sb.htm
>>
>>
>
> The model is an A940ca and the product key is a rather long hyphenated
> series of letters and numbers which would be rather pointless to post
> here.

See if this web site can help you get started for a search for such drivers:

http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/support.html

You'll probably need to enter the computer's model number in the
box starting with "for product:".

Don wrote:
> This is sort of a hardware and software question. I have a Compaq A900
> laptop with Vista Home. I backed up my system with Paragon Drive
> Backup. I then wiped the hard drive clean and tried to install Windows
> XP pro (SP2). XP couldn't find the Western Digital 160 gigabyte SATA
> hard drive. So I restored the Vista using Paragon Recovery.
>
> Does anyone know why can't XP find the disk? This surprised me because
> XP recognized the serial ATA disks of my desktop. Is there a bios
> setting that I could tweak that might expose the disk to the Windows
> installer?
>
> Thanks
A couple of comments here:

1. Unlike others, I will not suggest looking for XP drivers on the HP
web site, unless you know for sure that HP actually shipped your model
with XP (very doubtful).

2. Are you 100% sure that you have XP Pro with SP2? SP2 contains
slipstreamed additions to support SATA, unlike the earlier versions.

3. To find XP drivers for your laptop, you will need to determine the
chipsets on its motherboard. For Intel chipsets, the Intel web site has
XP drivers for all 800-series, 900-series, and most newer motherboard
and video chipsets.

4. I, too, am a bit confused about the exact model of your laptop. It
is some sort of Presario A900 model? Please give specific model.

.... Ben Myers

Easily fixed. In your bios, find "Sata Native Support" and disable it. Windows XP setup can now see your hard disk. However Windows 2000 setup still hangs