Cannot install XP on Compaq CQ71 laptop

[Campo1988]

Hi.

I have this type of laptop which came with Windows 7, but I formatted the drive on another computer, and the seller didn't give me a Windows 7 installation disc. I have looked online to try and fix this problem, which the laptop presents me with a BSoD so kindly, and all I found was how to change SATA/AHCI mode to IDE/Compatibility mode in the BIOS, but my BIOS doesn't have any option for that.

On another laptop, I had to add a password to the BIOS before it would allow me to do other options, so I tried that this time but that still didn't make a difference.

Alternatively - is it possible I could slave/connect the notebook's drive via USB to another laptop and copy the files from the XP installation disc manually (or with other software)?

Please help.

Thanks.

 

[SchizTech]

Is the reason you're trying to install such an old OS that you only have a disk for it, or is there another reason? If you'd be just as happy getting 7 back on it, look for a license key on the underside of the laptop. If you can read it from there, you can download a fresh copy of Windows 7 from Microsoft and either burn it to a DVD or set up a flash drive installer.

https/www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/home

 

[Campo1988]

Is the reason you're trying to install such an old OS that you only have a disk for it, or is there another reason? If you'd be just as happy getting 7 back on it, look for a license key on the underside of the laptop. If you can read it from there, you can download a fresh copy of Windows 7 from Microsoft and either burn it to a DVD or set up a flash drive installer.

https/www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/home

Thanks for your reply.

I intend to play computer games on it, because newer things just don't work with older games, no matter what I do. I am fine with XP and games.

Why should the type of disk matter for the OS?

Thanks.

 

[SchizTech]

Why should the type of disc matter for the OS?

IDE, more specifically PATA (Parallel ATA) is older tech. It was standard when XP was developed. Windows XP can be installed on a SATA (Serial ATA) drive but needs a driver to be installed during setup.

SATA is newer, and offers better performance than PATA.

You'll need to provide a more exact model number to look for a SATA driver on the HP.com site (HP owns the Compaq brand)

https/support.hp.com/us-en/drivers

That exact model number is probably under the battery, else somewhere on the underside of the machine. If you can find a driver for XP marked as a floppy SATA driver, download it and extract the files. You might need to use a USB floppy drive to get XP to see it though since it's installer might not see a flash drive. If all this works, you can get to the installation option by hitting F6 repeatedly as the XP installer starts to boot.

A last question though: do you have a license key for XP?

 

[Campo1988]

Why should the type of disc matter for the OS?

IDE, more specifically PATA (Parallel ATA) is older tech. It was standard when XP was developed. Windows XP can be installed on a SATA (Serial ATA) drive but needs a driver to be installed during setup.

SATA is newer, and offers better performance than PATA.

You'll need to provide a more exact model number to look for a SATA driver on the HP.com site (HP owns the Compaq brand)

https/support.hp.com/us-en/drivers

That exact model number is probably under the battery, else somewhere on the underside of the machine. If you can find a driver for XP marked as a floppy SATA driver, download it and extract the files. You might need to use a USB floppy drive to get XP to see it though since it's installer might not see a flash drive. If all this works, you can get to the installation option by hitting F6 repeatedly as the XP installer starts to boot.

A last question though: do you have a license key for XP?

Sorry I didn't reply sooner.

I have an installation code for XP which came with the installation disc someone gave me.

I tried using the link you provided to download Windows 7 and it told me this -

Error

The product key you entered appears to be for software pre-installed by the device manufacturer. Please contact the device manufacturer for software recovery options.

Microsoft created Windows 7, and I used a Microsoft link with the product key on this laptop to download the Microsoft-created Windows 7 operating system, but Microsoft says it won't help me. They care about "licenses" and crap; I just want to use an operating system which they created, which they refuse to help me with. I bought this laptop from an exchange/legal pawn shop-type chain/franchise shop, so it's all 'above board'.

I also tried using bootable XP ISOs on the laptop, using ISOtoUSB and making certain I checked the "bootable" option, but they don't work on the laptop, either. All I care about is installing XP so I can play games offline.

I am guessing it's because I don't have the correct driver from HP in with the ISO for the laptop, but I wouldn't know how to add the correct files to the ISO so it will boot on the laptop, regardless of whether I want to install it on a hard drive or live boot from the USB stick... I also thought about installing XP on a USB-connected hard drive while on a different laptop, and using that USB to boot on the laptop,.but the option to install XP is greyed-out.

If you can help, then please do.

Thanks.

 

[SchizTech]

There's another option that will take a little bit of work, but it will let you create a customized XP with the proper driver slipstreamed into the install media. The program that can do this is called nlite -> http/www.nliteos.com/download.html

Install this (it may require certain packs from Microsoft to work, instructions should be available on the site) then import the original XP files from the image file. Use the driver section in the program to add the file extracted from what you downloaded from HP's support site. Then re-create a new image and burn it to a blank disk.

 

[Campo1988]

There's another option that will take a little bit of work, but it will let you create a customized XP with the proper driver slipstreamed into the install media. The program that can do this is called nlite -> http/www.nliteos.com/download.html

Install this (it may require certain packs from Microsoft to work, instructions should be available on the site) then import the original XP files from the image file. Use the driver section in the program to add the file extracted from what you downloaded from HP's support site. Then re-create a new image and burn it to a blank disk.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Campo1988]

On the HP site, there are not any drivers for XP. The only two options are windows 7 32-bit & 64-bit.

I would say that I suppose I'll have to buy an old PATA drive and connect it via an external USB hub and try and install XP onto that, but I tested the XP installation disc without the hard drive in, and after setup loaded the files, as it says, and after it says that setup is starting windows, it still gave me the BSoD, so the drive type is not the problem. Making an educated guess, the laptop has a piece of hardware in it which says that if I am not using the prescribed OS (or later), then it won't work.

I suppose I'm out of luck, then, yes? Unless I install 7 back onto it, and then try and use XP in a virtual machine - but would that be stable and not resource-intensive?

Thanks.

 

[Campo1988]

Searching online for "download drivers for XP Compaq Presario CQ71-401SA" returned some results, but I don't think I should trust sites such as filefobia; driverscape; driversforfree; driver-download-center.blogspot.com; etc., though. Would you agree?

 

[SchizTech]

Searching online for "download drivers for XP Compaq Presario CQ71-401SA" returned some results, but I don't think I should trust sites such as filefobia; driverscape; driversforfree; driver-download-center.blogspot.com; etc., though. Would you agree?

Driver download sites are a cesspit of malware. If the original HP site doesn't have a driver, there isn't another place I'd trust

As far as the BSOD, there's no specific OS enforcer but there might be a device which XP doesn't understand. Sometimes you can get around something of the sort by disabling non-essentials in the BIOS (at least until you're able to solve the issue) but there are dozens of microcontrollers and associated windows drivers and most can't be turned off.