Hi, trying to install windows xp on an acer 5920g. After the installation cd asks you to hit the enter key to start the installation there is a complaint about not finding a hard drive to install to. I think I need a controller driver to reckognize the HDD, or not? If so, which driver?

First you need:
To enter Recovery Console in Windows XP, you will need to boot from the Windows XP CD.

Watch for a Press any key to boot from CD... message similar to the one shown above.
Press a key to force the computer to boot from the Windows CD. If you do not press a key, your PC will continue to boot to the Windows XP installation that's currently installed on your hard drive. If this happens, just restart and try to boot to the Windows XP CD again.

1. Enter Windows XP Recovery Console. The Recovery Console is an advanced diagnostic mode of Windows XP with special tools that will allow you to restore the boot.ini file.

When you reach the command line (detailed in Step 6 in the link above), type the following command and then press Enter.

bootcfg /rebuild

The bootcfg utility will scan your hard drives for any Windows XP installations and then display the results. Follow the remaining steps to add your Windows XP installation to the boot.ini file.

The first prompt asks Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All).

Type Y in response to this question and press Enter.

The next prompt asks you to Enter Load Identifier:.

This is the name of the operating system. For example, type Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition and press Enter.

The final prompt asks you to Enter OS Load options:.

Type /Fastdetect here and press Enter.

Take out the Windows XP CD, type exit and then press Enter to restart your PC.

Assuming that a missing or corrupt boot.ini file was your only issue, Windows XP should now start normally.

Try to restart the system using " last known good configuration " option.

If the problem persist you may have to restore the system to earlier restore point by starting the system in safe mode.

hope this will help.

With regards:

Kartikey.

Hi ,
You can't download the O.S but you can buy the install disc here : http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windowsxp/f/download-windows-xp.htm
Don't forget to back up the drivers before launching the XP install disc .
Best regards .

If you have the Windows XP install disk (and not an upgrade type) Simply enter your computers BIOS by pressing the key indicated when you first power the laptop on,(Try Delete, F1 F2) and make sure that in the boot order, the CD/DVD drive comes before the main HDD. Once you have the laptop set to boot from CD, insert the windows install disk and reboot the computer. It should say "Press any key to boot to CD/DVD....." Hit a key here, and then follow the on screen Windows installation instructions.

Place your Windows System disk in the DVD drive and when the menu appears select "replace system" and let it format the drive.
You could of course install an antivirus anti malware programme and attempt to recover your disk.
Follow these links:

http://www.symantec.com/index.jsp
http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

The Microsoft one is free.

Contact ACER -- they will sell you ($30?) a replacement set of Recovery CDs. Or, since your computer has a valid "authentic" Microsoft sticker, with a 25-key license-key, you can install Windows from any "retail" version of XP, and enter your license-key.
After installing, you may have to go to ACER's web-site,
to download hardware-specific device-drivers and install them,
since the "generic" Windows CD-ROM will not have those drivers.
Also, access http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
and click "custom" and later "hardware" to see if the "missing"
device-drivers can be downloaded via Windows Update.

try thease steps 1. Insert a XP CD (any XP install CD will do for this procedure) and boot up.
2. When asked, boot to the CD by hitting the Enter key.
3. After a short while, a menu will appear.
Select R for repair.
4. Next, you will be asked which Windows installation to use. Hit the 1 key on your keyboard and then Enter (assuming it is the C drive).
5. You may be asked for an administrator password. At which point you will need to enter it or hit Enter if their is none.
At the resulting C:\Windows> prompt in the recovery console , type 'CD System32' (without the quotes).
6. Next type:
'copy userinit.exe wsaupdater.exe'.
7. Exit and reboot normally. You should now be able to logon. But you're not done yet!
8. Run regedit from the Run line.
9. Find the Userinit key in:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\
10. Modify the entry:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\wsaupdater.exe
so that it reads:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\userinit.exe

okay you might want to write this down make sure you have your product key #
put winxp
into cd drive then restart press F7 during restart then choose option start with cd or cd/dvd whichever you have
then press enter follow instructions YOU DO NOT want to press F6 for third party or raid let system go past that
then when asked to setup on the chosen space CLICK TO DELETE partition ( or unpartion ) then enter will ask to confirm
once all confirmed your installation will start
let me know how it goes MAKE SURE YOU READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS THE SYSTEM WILL GIVE

Hi there,
Enter BIOS Set CD rom drive to first bootInsert your CD reboot
folow the on screen instructions be patient, it may take up to an hour,  and then two houers to install drivers,
-> if you want me to find the drivers for you, plz state your computer name and model.


regards /Teis

http://soulpass.com/2007/11/10/installing-windows-xp-professional-sp2-on-acer-aspire-5315-2153-laptop/


Looks like a nice tut to do it.