Microsoft has extended support for XP to sometime in 2014 last I checked. A USB floppy will work so that you can load drivers via F6 when booting the XP install CD - unless their USB controller is non-standard as well. DeepBurner.com has free burning software that will replace some of the functionality of Nero. I suspect Vista will be orphaned like Win98-ME was. Unfortunately Microsoft has said there will be no upgrade path from XP to Win7. Go figure.
-Dave Walton On Sat, Jun 20, 2009 at 6:05 PM, LarryT<[email protected]> wrote: > OK, here's what happened - > > I have tried everything. Formated a new HD (after trying the old HD), but > Win did not recognize *either* drive present. I used the both drives in an > ext enclosure without problem. Did a full format and tried again - same > problem. checked the BIOS instructions and there is *no* switch for OS - no > mention of anything OS related. I did a LOT of research while > looking...hoping it would be that easy. > > Toshiba is no help at all. I went to Intel to find the proper HD Driver and > then used nLite to integrate the driver into my XP install discs. Still did > not recognize the HD - same problem, no change.. Maybe Intel gave me the > wrong driver? Anything is possible. > > I am slowly getting used to using Vista - it is slow and cumbersome - "used > to" is not the same as "liking it". > > I'm beginning to think I have what Dave Walton referred to << non-standard > drive controller, you are screwed > until they come out with drivers for XP.>> Why would they develop drivers > for XP? MS doesn't even support it anymore. > > It's a Toshiba Qosmio F45 Laptop. It's not a bad machine - 500GB HD and 2 > GB RAM but Vista is like an anchor around its neck. > > Part of the problem is MS wrote the backdate to XP specifically hard to do. > When drivers are needed you must press F6 (no problem so far) but then you > must install the HD Drivers from a *floppy* drive. How many people have > floppy drives? A USB will not work nor will a CD. Only a floppy. > > Tell me MS didn't do that on purpose? They are so friggin arragant that > they decide what OS I must use - no matter what I want. Then they put > roadblocks up to prevent using what I'm happy with, and educated on. > > Just found out yesterday Vista Ultimate is not compatible with my full > versions of Roxio or Nero! 2 more programs (that were not cheap) I would > have to buy *new* versions of if I wanted to be where I was before buying > this POS. > > As I work to get my Acer (with XP) back up to speed after being repaired, I > plan to save all of my stuff, wipe the disc and install Vista to it's "out > of box" state - then sell it on eBay. Maybe this won't be a total loss. > Luckily I can use my SATA ext. enclosure to cut/copy/paste anything needed > to my Acer. The biggest problem is the SATA 50GB HD will not fit in my Acer > - it has ATA conns. I can use it as an ext storage device but that's it for > now. > > Next time I need a laptop I will look at Macs as suggested - as long as they > run Win PC software or have an equivilent. I refuse to buy new SW just > because a sw designer adds some bells and whisltles. Especially after > spending hours reading a manual that looks like a dictionary. Don't need to > go thru that pain again. > > Not even going to consider Win7 next year - too irritated with the way I was > treated - no matter how good it is supposed to be. > > Thx for letting me vent ..... > > LarryT > > > "How come the proposed > 'univ health care' > excludes congress?" > ----- Original Message ----- From: "LWB250" <[email protected]> > To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 4:03 PM > Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT Win 7 FWIW > > > > Now that I think about this it sounds bogus. We were using HP desktops > downgraded to XP a year ago that had SATA drives in them. > > Have you low level formatted the drive and started from scratch? > > Dan > > --- On Sat, 6/20/09, Barry Stark <[email protected]> wrote: > >> From: Barry Stark <[email protected]> >> Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT Win 7 FWIW >> To: "'Mercedes Discussion List'" <[email protected]> >> Date: Saturday, June 20, 2009, 3:58 PM >> Larry - >> That seems strange to me as my 3 year old Dell desktop has >> a 320Gb SATA hard >> drive and I just recently purchased an OEM copy of XP pro >> and installed it >> without incident. Could it have something to do with the >> laptop BIOS somehow >> not being compatible with XP or driver problems? >> >> Barry >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] >> [mailto:[email protected]] >> On Behalf Of LarryT >> Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 12:24 PM >> To: Mercedes Discussion List >> Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT Win 7 FWIW >> >> The Toshiba Laptop I bought in late march has Vista >> Ultimate. I have been >> trying to install my copy of XP Home wince early April when >> I decided the >> "improvements' MS made when creating Vista made it >> impossible for me to live >> >> with Vista. Since then I have been progresively moved >> up the Help Chain >> getting more and more experienced (and less and less >> knowledgable) >> "experts". None seem to know how to install XP onto a >> SATA Hard drive - >> even the *new* 500GB HD I bought specifically for this >> purpose. >> >> Absolutely no luck in getting XP running on a SATA HD - so >> don;t believe the >> >> salespeople who tell you XP can be installed easily. Even >> using nLight to >> integrate the drivers into the XP install discs have not >> worked. Will try >> it again just to be sure. I'm pretty computer >> literate but when they start >> offering instructions it's like they are speaking another >> language - one >> *they* don't understand either.... >> >> I installed Vista in my new HD hoping it would be easier to >> work with if it >> were installed with *my* specific wants considered from the >> get-go. No such >> >> luck - >> >> I finally found out how to install XP as a second OS - but >> it's not very >> easy to work with.... >> >> Not much fun so I've gone back to my Acer with XP Home.... >> >> Good luck - >> LarryT 91 300D >> >> "How come the proposed >> 'univ health care' >> excludes congress?" >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Loren Faeth" >> <[email protected]> >> To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <[email protected]> >> Sent: Friday, June 19, 2009 8:16 PM >> Subject: [MBZ] OT Win 7 FWIW >> >> >> > According to Redmond Magazine today, M$ will allow >> buyers of "higher end" >> > versions of Win 7 to downgrade to XP at no extra >> charge. >> > >> > By Doug Barney >> > Editor in Chief, Redmond magazine >> > >> > <http://www.1105newsletters.com/t.do?id=2828309:1060387>Windows >> 7: You Can >> >> > Go Back >> > When Vista came out, many new users clamored for the >> right to move back to >> >> > XP. Unfortunately, going back wasn't always easy and >> wasn't usually free. >> > With that lesson in mind, Microsoft >> > <http://www.1105newsletters.com/t.do?id=2828310:1060387>just >> announced >> > that new Windows 7 customers will have a >> year-and-a-half to move back down >> >> > to XP or even Vista (however, the plan only applies to >> high-end versions >> > of Windows 7). >> > >> > While this is a nice gesture, I think downgraders will >> be few and far >> > between -- maybe just those who depend on that random >> app that Windows 7 >> > chokes on. What would make you want or need to go back >> to XP? And would >> > there ever be a reason to move from Windows 7 to >> Vista? Answers readily >> > read at [email protected]. >> > >> > >> >> http://redmondmag.com/blogs/doug-barney/2009/06/windows-7-you-can-go-back.as >> px >> > >> > Personally, the more I use OSX, the more i like >> it. No 64 bit migration >> > problems. It has always been 64 bit. >> > >> > >> > Loren Faeth -------------- next part -------------- >> > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... >> > URL: >> > >> >> <http://okiebenz.com/pipermail/mercedes_okiebenz.com/attachments/20090619/f2 >> 7eed77/attachment.html> >> > _______________________________________ >> > http://www.okiebenz.com >> > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com >> > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ >> > >> > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >> > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >> >> >> >> _______________________________________ >> http://www.okiebenz.com >> For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com >> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ >> >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >> http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >> >> >> >> _______________________________________ >> http://www.okiebenz.com >> For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com >> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ >> >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >> http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >> > > > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
