How to install XP in ThinkPad X61?

[young707]

We just got the the new ThinkPad X61 laptop. It comes with Vista Home Basic. I also order anther additional 60GB hard drive to run older XP programs that would not run in Vista.

I install this new hard drive. I am able to use the Vista CD and boot up and install Vista on this new hard drive.

But I am unable to install XP in this new hard drive. After I boot up with XP disc and start loading for few minutes, then it say it starts Windows, then, it turn blue crash screen.

I am unable to start installation when I am in Vista. Microsoft keep telling I already have the later version of Windows in hard drive.

Thank you advance for your help.

[erik]

I am unable to start installation when I am in Vista.

instead, try booting with the XP CD in the drive.   i don't believe vista can be downgraded from within vista.

[young707]

Yes, I boot from XP CD disc.

It did started loading, then it ask me if I want to install XP. When I say yes, it promptly and repeated crashed with blue screen,

saying, something like, system preventing installation, unable to find the hard drive, and contact administrators.

[young707]

OK. I just boot from XP CD Disc (from USB external CD drive), after loading a bunch of stuff, this is the blue screen message:

A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

If this is the first time you've seen this stop error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow this steps:

check for virus on your computer. Remove any newly installed hard drives or hard drive controllers. check you hard drive to make sure it is properly configured and terminated. Run Chkdsk /F to check for hard drive corruption. and then, restart your computer.

Technical information:

*** stop: 0x0000007B (0xF79A6524, 0xC0000034, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

[young707]

I tried another XP Professional installation CD disc, after loading and ask me if I want to install XP, I said yes, this is the screen I got:

Windows XP Professional Setup:

Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer.

Make sure any hard drives are powered on and properly connected to your computer, and that any disk-related hardware configuration is correct. This may involve running a manufacturer-supplied diagnostic or setup program.

Setup cannot continue. To quit Setup, press F3.


We tried to set the SATA notebook hard drive in NTFS format (partition was activated and formated when install Vista), and also run Fdisk and format in FAT. Both formatted hard drive gives same result as above.

[ryengineer]

snip....Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer......snip

You need to switch HDD settings from SATA to Compatibility mode in the BIOS to be able to install the mentioned operating system.

[young707]

Dear ryengineer, you are my guru. Yes, that is it. Switch BIOS from AHCI to compatible mode. It works. Should I switch it back to AHCI when I put the Vista HDD back?

Another problem when I run XP, I am unable to get both Ethernet LAN nor wireless (Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG to work at all. I cannot get the network connection or setup wizard to recognize any network hardware at all. In the Device Manager, all the "Other Devices" - Ethernet Controller, Network Controller - all have yellow question marks - that mean it does not detect my LAN or wireless LAN adapters, right?

Only Network adapter it detect is the 1394 net adapter (but I have no firewire) from my Netgear router.

Thank you for your advise.

[EOMtp]

Another problem when I run XP, I am unable to get both Ethernet LAN nor wireless (Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG to work at all. I cannot get the network connection or setup wizard to recognize any network hardware at all. In the Device Manager, all the "Other Devices" - Ethernet Controller, Network Controller - all have yellow question marks - that mean it does not detect my LAN or wireless LAN adapters, right?

What that means is that Windows XP detects the hardware but does not have the drivers. You must install at least one driver that gives XP Internet access, and then you can let the IBM software download and install the remaining missing drivers. Therefore, using a computer which has access to the Internet, go to the following site:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-67971
and download either the Wireless LAN driver (Networking: Wireless LAN) or the wired LAN driver (Networking: Ethernet) for your hardware, place it on a CD or USB flash drive, and make that available to Windows XP so that XP establishes at least one path to the "outside world" and can thereafter download and install remaining missing drivers.

[young707]

Thank you, EOMtp, outstanding, and thank you. This works, I am able to download the Intel Pro/Wireless 3945 ABG XP driver, and now the wireless LAN is now working.

However, still unable to detect the Ethernet LAN adapter.
In this ThinkPad X61 table, they have two types:

Broadcom Net Xtreme/Netlink fast/Gigabit Ethernet
Intel Pro/1000 LAN adapter.

I check my ThinkPad X61 purchase invoice, it never show what kind of LAN Ethernet hardware I have? How can I find out what kind of LAN I got?

I check the BIOS and it does not show my Ethernet LAN hardware, but it show the MAC address.

Thank you for your advises. You are great.

[mfbernstein]

You probably have the Intel Pro/1000. Check in Device Manager: if the vendor ID is 8086 and the Device ID is 1049, you've got the Intel.

[young707]

mfbernstein, thank you. that was it.
Got the LAN working.

In my device manager under network adapter, I now have 3 things:
1394 Net Adapter
Intel 82566MM Gigbit Network Connection
Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection

Thank you very much.