As I tweeted some days ago, I got a brand new Dell Laptop in the first week of this month (January 2011). Its Dell Inspiron n5010. I started messing with my brand new laptop too, as I did to my iPhone 3GS because the worm inside me doesn't let me sit without doing something like this. OK so usually laptops come with bundled operating system. All new laptops come with windows 7 since it's launch. But what if you want to install Windows XP instead of Windows 7 as you like XP better than 7 or some old applications does not work with 7? So you may wish that you could install Windows XP on your laptop. But all new laptops come with AHCI support these days and that doesn't let you install Windows XP on it. If you try to install XP on it, it will give you error on that 'blue screen of death' as its been called. So the installation can not proceed further. So, what to do? How to install Windows XP on your brand new laptop? Read more to know.
Note : This tutorial is only for those who have laptop (or desktop) on which they can not install Windows XP due to an error (blue screen).
Note : It is assumed that your laptop is brand new with no operating system installed. If you have already installed Windows Vista or Windows 7 on it, please skip to the bottom to learn how to install XP.
Note : This method works with any laptop, it does not have to be Dell only.
Note : This tutorial covers laptop only but it works for ant desktop computer too.
Things you need.
Windows XP installation disk.
Stuff used in this tutorial.
Laptop - Dell Inspiron Model n5010
Laptop Specifications-
Processor - Intel Core i3
RAM - 4 GB DDR 3.
How to install Windows XP on your laptop.
Boot up your laptop.
When it shows manufacture logo, press the specified key to enter BIOS. Mostly F1 or F2 or Del. Or any key as shown on the screen. (Also insert the Windows XP installation disk at this moment as it will reboot after you save this settings and you will not have time to insert it, your choice though.)
Once in BIOS, first we will select the boot priority. So, go to Boot tab first and see if the 1st Boot Priority is set to CD/DVD Drive. If not, then select 1st Boot Priority, press enter and Select CD/DVD/CD-RW drive.
Now go to Advance Tab.
See SATA Mode? Drive to it and press enter.
Select ATA (AHCI is selected by default).
Press enter.
Now Save the settings and exit.
Laptop will reboot.
Note that all BIOS does not have same options. If you don't have "SATA Mode" or "Advanced" tab, try to open all tabs one by one and see if you find something similar like Hard Drive Mode or something like that. It will be in there somewhere for sure.
When it says press any key to boot from CD, press a key.
The Windows XP installation will start.
Once it completes loading setup files, confirm that to want to install XP, accept terms (F8) and select hard drive partition on which you want to install XP.
Format the partition and Windows XP installation will start as usual.
After its finished, boot up laptop and see if it loads XP. Did it? Congrats! Did it not? Something went wrong. Read the whole post once again carefully and try again.
What if I have already an operating system like Vista or 7 installed?
If you have Windows Vista or 7 already installed (may be you installed it or your laptop came with pre-installed OS, whatever it is) then first you should decide what you want from the below described two options.
1. If you want both operating systems - Windows XP and Vista/7.
If you want to have two OS on your laptop, then first you have to loose your current OS (Vista/7). As you can not install XP (or any OS like 98, 95 released before Vista and 7) over these OS. So you are advised to take backup of your stuff first. It is also assumed that you have installation disk of your current OS to install it later.
Follow all the above steps to install XP. When you are told to select partition to install XP, select the partition on which your current OS is installed. It will tell you that you have already an OS installed (or it may not. I'm not sure) Format the partition and XP installation will start as usual.
After XP installation is done, you may need to install Vista or 7 again.
The next article will cover how to install two OS on one system. (Please wait for that).
2. If you don't want two OS and just XP, then follow all the above steps of How to install Windows XP on your laptop.
Note : This tutorial is only for those who have laptop (or desktop) on which they can not install Windows XP due to an error (blue screen).
Note : It is assumed that your laptop is brand new with no operating system installed. If you have already installed Windows Vista or Windows 7 on it, please skip to the bottom to learn how to install XP.
Note : This method works with any laptop, it does not have to be Dell only.
Note : This tutorial covers laptop only but it works for ant desktop computer too.
Things you need.
Windows XP installation disk.
Stuff used in this tutorial.
Laptop - Dell Inspiron Model n5010
Laptop Specifications-
Processor - Intel Core i3
RAM - 4 GB DDR 3.
How to install Windows XP on your laptop.
Boot up your laptop.
When it shows manufacture logo, press the specified key to enter BIOS. Mostly F1 or F2 or Del. Or any key as shown on the screen. (Also insert the Windows XP installation disk at this moment as it will reboot after you save this settings and you will not have time to insert it, your choice though.)
Once in BIOS, first we will select the boot priority. So, go to Boot tab first and see if the 1st Boot Priority is set to CD/DVD Drive. If not, then select 1st Boot Priority, press enter and Select CD/DVD/CD-RW drive.
Now go to Advance Tab.
Click An Image To Enlarge
See SATA Mode? Drive to it and press enter.
Select ATA (AHCI is selected by default).
Press enter.
Now Save the settings and exit.
Laptop will reboot.
Note that all BIOS does not have same options. If you don't have "SATA Mode" or "Advanced" tab, try to open all tabs one by one and see if you find something similar like Hard Drive Mode or something like that. It will be in there somewhere for sure.
When it says press any key to boot from CD, press a key.
The Windows XP installation will start.
Once it completes loading setup files, confirm that to want to install XP, accept terms (F8) and select hard drive partition on which you want to install XP.
Format the partition and Windows XP installation will start as usual.
After its finished, boot up laptop and see if it loads XP. Did it? Congrats! Did it not? Something went wrong. Read the whole post once again carefully and try again.
What if I have already an operating system like Vista or 7 installed?
If you have Windows Vista or 7 already installed (may be you installed it or your laptop came with pre-installed OS, whatever it is) then first you should decide what you want from the below described two options.
1. If you want both operating systems - Windows XP and Vista/7.
If you want to have two OS on your laptop, then first you have to loose your current OS (Vista/7). As you can not install XP (or any OS like 98, 95 released before Vista and 7) over these OS. So you are advised to take backup of your stuff first. It is also assumed that you have installation disk of your current OS to install it later.
Follow all the above steps to install XP. When you are told to select partition to install XP, select the partition on which your current OS is installed. It will tell you that you have already an OS installed (or it may not. I'm not sure) Format the partition and XP installation will start as usual.
After XP installation is done, you may need to install Vista or 7 again.
The next article will cover how to install two OS on one system. (Please wait for that).
2. If you don't want two OS and just XP, then follow all the above steps of How to install Windows XP on your laptop.
