When i try to install windows xp sp2 it says "no hard disk detected" i also doesn't know how to use nlite.could u pls help me with a complete step by step method starting from nlite to completion of driver in windows xp.

After the death of Windows XP, almost all notebook PCs come with Windows Vista pre-installed. But if you like Windows XP more than Windows Vista then a simple Windows XP wouldn't suffice for installing it on your notebook PC. If you BIOS has an option to change your hard disk mode from SATA to IDE then you can just pop in the good old Windows XP CD and get it set up within minutes. But if it doesn't, then you have to do it the other way as mentioned below.

You will just be requiring the Windows XP CD and a few softwares and stuff that I will tell you as we go along. You might ask just why wouldn't a normal XP CD do the task? The answer is pretty simple. The original Windows XP CD does not have SATA drivers so it can't detect your hard drive during the installation process. The solution is simpler. Just slipstream them into the CD! So lets begin.

Step 1 : Download and install nLite

This is an amazing software that lets you tweak and hack your XP CD to the core with an extremely easy to use UI. Download and install the software .

Step 2 : Download SATA drivers

You need to get your hands on the SATA drivers next, that you will need to slipstream into the CD. Although there are different version based on your motherboard that you can search them on Intel website or download the standard ones , which work with most of the motherboards. After downloading extract the driver and remember the location.

Step 3 : Insert XP CD and start nLite

Now that you successfully have the tools and utilities, we can get down with the real stuff. Launch nLite after inserting Windows XP CD into the drive. Choose to make an image of Windows XP in a directory of your choice. Click next and proceed to skip import or load previous settings step by clicking next and proceed to next step.

Step 4 : Add the SATA driver

On the next page, you will find a "Drivers" tab. Click on it and also check the bootable ISO option and then click on next. Click on the button at the bottom to insert the driver. Give the location to the folder where you extracted the SATA driver. You will find a couple of inf files, select any one of them. Now select the all the driver files. That is it, click Next.

Step 5 : Burn the ISO

You will now be asked for confirmation, select yes and let nLite integrate the driver and create a bootable image. Burn it on a CD by just hitting the Burn button at the bottom and you will be ready to install Windows XP on your laptop!

You can slipstream the storage controller drivers from the floppy disk image you download from Acer's web site into an ISO image of the Windows XP installation CD using a program like nLite.
You can then burn the slipstream ISO image into a CD & use it to boot & install Windows XP without the need to use the floppy disk.

You can download nLite at the following link:
http://www.nliteos.com/download.html
After downloading the installer, install the program & start using it.

The following link describes how to use nLite to slipstraem the SATA drivers into the Windows XP installation CD:
http://maxeasyguide.blogspot.com/2008/04/preparations-for-winxp-installation-cd.html

I tried this myself, & it worked without problems. I now no longer need to use the floppy drive when installing Windows XP on my system.

Method 1 : Go to BIOS and set anything with SATA disable (usually find under Advance Setting).

Save the setting and reboot.

Windows Xp will detect your hard drive now.

Method 2 : This days BIOS comes with only few thing to configure.if that's is the case.
Download SATA driver,here is the link

http://download.cnet.com/SATA-Driver-Intel-Ver-7-0-0-1020-zip/3000-2122_4-162224.html

you need one more software called "nlite" in order to integrate the SATA driver in Windows XP CD so that it recognize SATA drives.

Here is the link for nlite download

http://home.midmaine.com/~nlite/nlite/nLite-1.4.9.1.installer.exe

On how to intergrate SATA driver with windows XP 

Go to this page :

http://www.nliteos.com/guide/part1.html

Rate this answer.

if you want to recover vista then download vista recovery disk here is the link 



http://rapidshare.com/files/145731926/WVRD_www.warezspark.com.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/145698726/WVRD_www.warezspark.com.part2.rar

password : www.warezspark.com

burn the ISO disc and boot from cd rom and get it repair it automatically.

if you want to installed windows XP or 98;the reason why your hard disk could not be detected is your hard drive is SATA. disable any sata setting in your BIOS IDE configuration( if setting is not available then download SATA driver and Nlite ;make a bootable windows xp disc  with SATA driver pre installed .
this is solve your problem

here is the link for lastet SATA driver

http://download.cnet.com/SATA-Driver-Intel-Ver-7-0-0-1020-zip/3000-2122_4-162224.html

here si the link for lastest nlite software

http://home.midmaine.com/~nlite/nlite/nLite-1.4.9.1.installer.exe

regarding how to make a bootable cd with nlite with sata driver check out this link

http://www.windowsreference.com/free-utilities/nlite-slipstream-servicepackshotfixespatches-create-bootable-windows-cd/

let me know if it's helpful to you
'

try to use windows xp sp2 with bootable
just make sure it is bootable.

you need your windows xp disc preferably slip streamed with SP 2 or SP 3 and then you should be able to install it onto your sata hard drive.

If you are having issues then you may need to extract the sata drivers onto a memory stick or floppy disk and press F6 before windows xp loads and specify to use the sata drivers which you can download from the motherboards manufacturers website generally as a zip file which you will first need to extract into a folder.

If that does not work using the memory stick you can use nlite to slipstream the drivers with your windows xp disc :

Nlite download

if you need more help post back

Problem : When Windows XP was made there was no concept of SATA drives now ur drive is SATA and ur installation disc does not contain drivers for ur Hard disk thats why it is unable to find ur hard disk as it doesnt recognize it u need sata raid drivers on ur windows inst cd

simple solution: get WINDOWS XP CD with SP3 it contains support for sata drives

Workable Solution:

this specific model of Toshiba was shipped with vista OS and drivers now u are downgrading it to XP it depends on the installation disc if it is new one like SP3 included then u would have never faced this issue in ur case u should get a RAID driver from www.intel.com and then include them in ur copy of windows XP cd to load them at the startup of installation , so u need them in the first place to carry out installation, u have to do some job here download RAID DRIVERS from www.intel.com select ur board and chipset either it is 945 or 965 gm and then download nlite a software used to integrate these drivers to ur inst disk , u can also include SP3 thru this software in ur current win xp cd

SATA DRIVER FROM:

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/license_agr.aspx?url=/17268/eng/iata87enu.exe&ProductID=2800&agr=Y&sType=&PrdMap=&DwnldId=17268&strOSs=45&OSFullName=Windows*%20XP%20Home%20Edition&lang=eng

http://www.nliteos.com/

just download sata drivers from intel and nlite from the link and install the software integrate these drivers and burn ur cd incl them and then install normally as u were installing them earlier now it will recognize ur drive simple for more info how to do check this out

http://www.zimbio.com/Laptop+Reviews/articles/10840/How+Integrate+Floppy+SATA+RAID+Driver+Windows

http://lifehacker.com/386526/slipstream-service-pack-3-into-your-windows-xp-installation-cd

after windows XP installation u will have one more task to find drivers for ur notebooks with XP support but it is the next step if ur some hardware like modem / sound/ doesnt work then i can help more

pls let me know if i can help u more
and rate me FIXYA if i have fixed ur problem

The hard disk may be set to Enhanced AHCI SATA mode. Look for Legacy or IDE mode setting in BIOS menu options.
XP SP2 does not recognise Enhanced SATA mode hard disks.
see http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/10/23/windows-xp-setup-could-not-detect-and-find-any-sata-hard-disk-drive-on-ahci-mode/ 
You may be able to use NLite to make a CD which has correct SATA drivers.

Installing Windows XP on a SATA Drive
Author: DJ Oslo
Date: August 18, 2007
Description:
This tutorial will describe step by step how to install XP on a laptop with a SATA hard
drive in order to downgrade the operating system from Vista to Windows XP SP2. The
laptop model that this tutorial is based on is listed below:
Model: Toshiba X205-S9349
In order to install XP, you will need the following software:
Windows XP SP Installation CD
nLite (http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/OS-Enhancements/nLite.shtml)
Introduction:
If you want to downgrade to XP from Vista you may run into a problem during the boot
stage of XP Installation. The problem I encountered was a message that read:
“Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed on your computer”
The problem is that XP does not provide the necessary drivers for the SATA controllers
and as a result it won't detect the SATA hard drive. You could use an external floppy
disk drive but that might not guarantee success.
What has been suggested is that you perform a procedure called "Slipstreaming".
Slipstreaming is the procedure where you create a new build of the XP installation files
and "merge" the drivers you need for the SATA controllers. You would then use this
new build to install XP onto your system.
Note: These procedures were performed on my Toshiba P105 laptop, which is my current
working laptop.
Step 1.
Create a directory under My
Documents where you will
copy the contents of your
XP installation CD.
Step 2.
Download the SATA driver that you will need in order to “Slipstream” into your XP
installation.
The following link is to the SATA drivers that will work with the Toshiba X205-S9349.
http://209.167.114.38/support/Download/files_Downloads/pspb7c/Intel-Matrix-Storage-Manager-V1.0.0.1082.zip
Step 3.
When you download the .zip file,
unpack the contents in a new
directory under My Documents.
Step 4.
Open nLite and locate the
directory where you copied
the XP installation files to.
Click on the Next button.
Step 5.
You will get information on the
Product. Click on the next button.
Step 6.
Click on the Next button
Step 7.
In the Task Selection, you will click on
the button called Drivers and Bootable
ISO. After you click on each button the
red dot will turn green. What this means
is that you will “integrate” drivers into
the installation and then create a bootable
ISO file.
Click on the next button.
Step 8.
Step 9.
Click on the Insert – Multiple driver
folder option to select the drivers that
you will integrate.
Locate the folder where you
unzipped the SATA drivers.
Highlight the folder and click OK.
Step 10.
The following drivers will be listed.
Note: you must select the correct driver to
integrate or else you may experience errors
during the installation phase of XP.
Select the first driver.
Click on the OK button.
Step 11.
Select all the items to
integrate. Click on the OK
button.
Step 12.
Step 13.
Highlight all the drivers and click on
the Next button.
Select Yes to start the process.
Step 14.
nLite will now apply the changes
to the installation files.
Step 15.
When complete, it will display how
much the installation grew. Click on
the Next button.
Step 16.
In the Bootable ISO section, click on
Make ISO.
Step 17.
Step 18.
You will be prompted to save
the ISO file. Select where you
want to save it and click on the
Save button.
nLite begins the process of
creating the .ISO file that can
then be burned to CD and used
as the installation file for
Windows XP.
Step 19.
You should get a message
that the ISO file has been
created successfully. Click
on the Next button.
Step 20.
Step 21.
Open your CD burning software. In this example I will use Nero Burning ROM.
Customization is finished.
Click on the Finish button.
In the menu bar, I select Recorder – Burn
Image…
Step 22.
Step 23.
I locate the ISO file that I created in
nLite. Highlight the file and click on
the Open button.
Click on the Burn button. This will now
burn the ISO to CD and thus create your
new XP installation that will install the
SATA drivers during the boot stage of XP
installation. this is 100% working thank very much

Boot to the XP CD and format the hard drive. You will loose all info that has not been backed up on the drive.After the format, it will continue to loan windows XP. Make sure you have the product code before doing this.