The lesser evil? - Downgrading Windows Vista to Windows XP

Quite recently I joined a number of people finding themselves with a useless laptop because it had windows vista installed. So I opted to get rid of it and have Windows XP instead. Choose the lesser evil so to speak.












Much to my disappointment, I realized that this is one of those laptops whose hard drive is not detected by Windows XP.

The lesser evil?

Those are large teeth I said. The better to eat you with, it said back.

So XP set-up didn't detect my laptop hard drive. No biggie. Ive done this before. Normally there would be options on the laptop BIOS that will allow me to turn off a feature or allow the hard drive to emulate a much lesser advanced hard drive. They had none.

The Harddrive has somehow a newer SATA controller model that windows does not recognize. Normally you can go to the BIOS to either choose an option to have the Controller emulate an IDE controller allowing Windows XP to be able to detect it using the drivers it had that came with Set-up

The Crusade.

So I guess I had no choice. I had to look for that hard drive driver. (I'm starting to believe they placed "hard" to mock everyone). Where better to find it then from the manufacturers website Yah? No! They didn't have it.

I spent one whole day surfing the web attempting to find that SATA controller driver from forum to forum. Trying a number of potential Sata controller drivers that seem promising. No such luck.

I'm starting to resign myself to using Windows Vista. To save myself from all the pain.

The next day gave me renewed strength, and my resolve to to have Windows XP instead is more stronger than it had been. So I tried again, and I did find some vague references to going to intel's website and download the required drivers from them.

Suddenly it made sense you needed the drivers for the controller, and who made the controller? It is actually part of the Chipset. And I checked out the Model of the Chipset on the laptop and searched for it.

The chipset is actually Intel and they did have some drivers specially packaged so you could use it during your Windows XP installation.

Old Tools.

So, im just so glad I held on to this external floppy drive. Cause, as most people would know who have taken the same path as mine, you need to have a floppy drive to load the drivers during windows XP set-up.










At the start of loading Windows XP set-up, you need to press F6 to load a third-party scsi or raid driver, it is at this point will you be able to load the proper controller drivers to have XP detect the hard drive.

Had to scrounge out the old library of diskettes finding almost all of them unreadable. All I needed was one. And alas, I found my Grail. The one that will hold the Sata drivers.

Welcome!

Once I loaded the drivers and press continue on Windows XP Set-up, I crossed my fingers, and you wouldn't believe the joy I felt actually seeing the whole set-up process continue. A lil bit teary eyed there actually when I finally saw the Windows XP screen loading up.

Teary-eyed.

So it had big teeth it said. Never knew, it's hidden its claws.

Yep. Had tears. That's because getting windows XP on the laptop is just the start oif the problem. Now I'd have to find the drivers for everything else for Windows XP.

Lesser Evil. indeed.

How did I do it?

Well from all the things Ive experienced trying to rid myself of Windows Vista, Id like to say that I'd rather do away with Windows altogether. Probably get me a MAC. Probably won't happen. So for all of you who is suffering as much as I did, here is how I did it...

1. Determine the Chipset Model of your Machine.
If it is intel, you are in luck! Because Intel actually has those drivers ready. As if anticipating you'd need it!
2. After finding the Intel Chipset Model, find the Driver Download, choose to download the Intel Matrix Storage Manager.
3. Download the one that says "Floppy Configuration Utility" and extract those to a diskette.
4. Load Windows XP setup and press F6.
5. It will give you a list of drivers.
It is very important that you choose the AHCI driver instead of the SATA RAID drivers. (Wont work if you chose the wrong one)
6. Continue with Set-up!
7. Enjoy surfing the net trying to find those drivers.

Finding the drivers is a whole different story. To make a loong story short. I found a blog that had all the drivers I needed. If you just happen to have the same laptop model as I have (Toshiba Satellite U305) then you can go here.