| 5 Neo, on Nov 10, 2008 3:26:18 pm GMTHey guys,
I had the same problem. I have a Toshiba Satellite L300 that came with Vista preinstalled. It crashed constantly so I tried to install XP but as you already know, it would say that it couldn't find a hard drive.
What you have to do is power on the Laptop and then press F2 to get into the BIOS menu. Then scroll down to the SATA option and change it from ACHI to Compatibility then exit saving your changes (F10) and then reboot your Laptop from the XP Operating System disk.
It will now let you install Windows XP or any other Operating System.
I too have been searching for answers on various sites and forums and none of the suggestions (including downloading XP drivers) worked.
This definitely works (at least for the Toshiba L300 Laptop anway).
Good luck | 6 gd, on Nov 10, 2008 3:41:32 pm GMTWith any of these machines,
you don't want to disable ACHI, even if the bios lets you.
Figure out what HDD controller you have.
Download the correct XP sata drivers, most likely from Intel website, and follow their instructions to make the XP floppy disk driver installer.
Connect a USB floppy drive to the machine (you MUST use a floppy, memory sticks will NOT work)
insert windows CD, setup
at the beginning of the install, windows will prompt to press F6 if you need 3rd party storage controller, put the driver disk, in your floppy drive follow instructions.
If you don't have a floppy disk drive, get one, or you'll have to slipstream the driver onto the windows setup CD | 7 EagleForce, on Nov 14, 2008 9:19:47 pm GMTIsnt it possible to make an USB stick become and "A:" drive? So the usb sticks boots (possible) and the drivers from SATA been read from this USB?? |
| 63 abeldud, on Sep 6, 2009 11:24:47 pm BSTHave a toshiba Satellite L45-S7409 Trying to downgrade to XP. downloaded the sata driver to the floppy and followed instruction on windows setup but it is still saying can't find hard drive then it say can't continue setup press F3. please advise |
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| 14 Daniel, on Dec 31, 2008 3:43:04 pm GMTI just wanted to reiterate that changing the sata disk mode from ACHI to Compatibility on an L300 will allow you to boot from a Windows XP CD/DVD, delete and create partitions and install Windows XP. I have configured over 12 L300 laptops this way and they all work perfectly. | 29 Mazzie, on Feb 13, 2009 6:54:46 am GMTThis might sound like a sillyquestion, but I am just about to downgrade my L300 to XP and I have done the first steps changing from SATA to Compatibility and booting from XP. It's doing it's stuff as we speak. However, once xp is in, (fingers crossed) do I go back and change it back to SATA or leave it on Compatibility?
Thanks for any help you can give me. | 40 Jon, on Mar 14, 2009 5:07:30 pm GMTSwitching back to AHCI with flash module (Runs a little faster than ATA mode)
- Download the Intel Matrix Storage Manager here:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Prod...=2101&lang=eng
- Once you download the file, run it with a -a switch:
iata76_enu.exe -a
This will NOT install the Matrix Storage Manager. What this will do is run the installer, and ONLY EXTRACT the files to C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager. Again, this does NOT install anything.
- Your drivers are now located in C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager. They will be found in either \Driver, or \Driver64, depending on whether you're running a 32-bit or 64-bit OS.
- Go to Device Manager --> IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. Double-click on the Intel ICH8M 3-port SATA Controller - 2828... remember, *ONLY* click on the device that ends with 2828.
- Go to Driver tab, and choose to Update Driver.
- Tell the Wizard prompts:
- No, not this time
- Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)
- Don't Search. I will choose the driver to install.
- Click the "Have Disk" button. Point it to C:\Program Files\Intel\Intel Matrix Storage Manager\Driver (or Driver64).
- The driver you want to install for WinXP 32-bit for the Dell XPS M1330 is Intel 82801HEM/HBM SATA AHCI Controller
- After you install the driver and click OK out of every menu, reboot the laptop.
-) During reboot, go into BIOS and turn on AHCI mode and Flash Module
-) Voila! WinXP will boot up with no BSOD! | 43 Szhurik, on Apr 5, 2009 7:06:02 am BSTYou're awesome! Thank you so much, it helped me. |
| 45 jjcb, on Apr 5, 2009 8:49:02 pm BSTI am trying to install XP Pro 64 on a Satellite P300 and would like to follow your discovery but need to know what you mean by running an 'a-switch'? I am not very computer literate at the command line. Can any one draw me a picture or a step by step on this?
jjcb |
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| 48 rohit, on Apr 11, 2009 5:03:07 pm BSTYou are totally right about th e problem that changing from AHCI to compatibility mode in bios solves the problem but the problem is that the Performance of the laptop on windows xp is degraded to very low level. laptop works as if it is some computer from 1995 years.... |
| 62 zenco80, on Aug 29, 2009 10:15:32 am BSTDan, I know it might be a while since u posted the magic formulae but I just wanna say thanks dude, this really works! I've just had my toshiba l300 downgraded to xp without hassles. thanks once more! |
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| 15 x10dit, on Jan 2, 2009 2:19:15 pm GMTCheers Neo,
Worked a treat on these two L300's too.
Chris. | 19 davy, on Jan 4, 2009 6:01:25 pm GMTWhere did u get ur network controller driver from....had to get rid of vista...cheers davy | 20 Daniel, on Jan 6, 2009 7:40:59 pm GMTAll of the proper XP drivers are found on Toshiba's US website. Just make sure that you choose the drivers that have "L300" in the title as well as "XP" The only driver that will give you trouble is the audio driver. When you run the setup for the audio drivers, a folder will be created, "audio" in c:\program files\realtek. Unfortunately, the installation will fail and the folder will delete itself, thusly causing a failure of the HD audio device hardware. The trick is to first leave yourself at the screen where windows will find the driver automatically and then run the setup from the audio driver folder that you downloaded from toshiba. Quickly go to the directory listed above ( c:\program files\realtek) and copy the audio folder. Paste the folder into another directory and let the install (from the drivers, not windows) fail. After it fails, you can confirm that the audio folder is deleted, but, because you copied it to another folder you can now let windows try to find it automatically or just choose the directory manually by browsing. Once you do that, the driver files and exe files will install correctly and you will have sound on your L300. I used this method on 12 L300 laptops that I setup for a client who did not want Vista. Remember to always set the sata mode to compatibility before trying to boot and install from an XP disc.
Daniel | 31 gen, on Feb 17, 2009 4:32:53 am GMTI'm tearing my hair out trying to get my L300 running with XP and found this thread - which confirmed alot of what we've already done to get it running xp...
on my machine the realtek audio drivers install fine (the Audio folder doesn't delete itself) but the system isn't seeing the hardware, so when i go to windows media player it tells me 'no sound device installed'.
i have the same problem with the machine not seeing the modem hardware, and consequently the modem driver won't run...
any ideas of what to try?
cheers! | 37 tej, on Mar 11, 2009 6:47:16 pm GMTHey if u want to use xp in ur L300 then install it as u know nd then install the drivers from the recovery disc u got with ur laptop that is the disc 1. from this disc choose the option of install softwares and from there select the audio drivers, u can even install all the softwares present there . i hv done it with my L300 nd it works fine. only display drivers dont run effectively bt everything else is runnig. hope it helps. |
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| 64 jeng, on Sep 25, 2009 9:35:24 am BSTHi.. will this solution work on my toshiba satellite a205-s5841 ... thanks .. |
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| 22 leonardo, on Jan 10, 2009 4:08:41 pm GMTHey sorry but my english is not good,
1. reset u pc
2. go to set up
3. option advance
4. sata controller mode change AHCI to compatibility
5. exit saving changes
and u got it
then u can install xp
i hope that help to u
but this is work for me | 23 eagleforce, on Jan 10, 2009 4:36:52 pm GMTThats what i and others already stated here ;)) |
| 30 harbu, on Feb 14, 2009 8:47:48 am GMTWhen i installed xp. laptop is working very slow |
| 32 yam, on Feb 17, 2009 10:39:49 am GMTHello
how i can install windows xp on A205 vista toshiba laptob satellite with out formating.
the windows xp setup said can't found hard drive.
Even i can't get SATA option and ACHI.
please please help me |
| 53 JWad, on Apr 19, 2009 9:36:39 am BSTTHanks u So much For Helping Me.....Its Working For mee..Gudddddddddddddddddd. |
| 56 egre, on Jun 15, 2009 4:34:02 am BSTIt Works.. Thanks Alot. i was finished my XP installation.
used to i Was Confused.
Thanks again. |
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| 39 syedyaser, on Mar 11, 2009 7:31:50 pm GMTTHANKS VERY MUCH AND MUCH TOO MUCH MY LAB TOP WORKS PROPER MY NUMBER IS 07527261236 |
| 55 balleeking, on May 10, 2009 11:10:00 pm BSTWell its too easy folks go in da bios n thn chk da avance settings n thn u will find sata option which will b on AHCI mode change it to comptaiblility n thn save changes n exit n thn rund windows xp setup
n here u go u can install xp thn on all new laptops through this method.
cheers
balleeking |
| 60 janus, on Jul 21, 2009 6:49:40 pm BSTOk, this definitely worked after years lol, of trying. thank man......... |
| 66 Paul S London UK, on Oct 2, 2009 6:37:39 pm BSTThis fix worked perfectly for me
Thanks very much
Paul Saunders |
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"laptop cannot install xp"