Okay, I have an older system(not to old though) anyway my 40gig drive died so I purchased a 160gig WD drive from best buy installed Windows XP and my system has never run slower! I wandering if it is some type of compatabilty issue. My motherboard is a M266A(AS Rock)...Please Help!

Do I need Windows XP Mode?
Windows 7 has several built-in tools to help with program compatibility and Windows XP programs should be installed directly on Windows 7. Windows XP Mode runs many older Windows XP productivity programs and that are not natively compatible with Windows 7, thus helping realize cost savings and reduce possible operational downtime by extending the life of existing software. Visit the Windows 7 Compatibility Center to find software that works with Windows 7.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/default.aspx

It's the best of both worlds: The new Windows XP Mode lets you run older Windows XP business software right on your Windows 7 desktop.

Designed primarily with small- and medium-sized businesses in mind, Windows XP Mode comes as a separate download and works only with Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise. Windows XP Mode also requires virtualization software such as Windows Virtual PC. Both are available free on the Microsoft website.
Download

Learn how

• Install and use Windows XP Mode in Windows 7
  

• Video: Using Windows XP Mode
  

From where did you get your computer?
It's a serious breach-of-contract if a computer-store "pre-installed" Windows (XP or Vista or 7) on your computer, and they used a "stolen" product-key.

If a "friend" of yours installed Windows XP Professional, using a "stolen" product-key, they have not done you a favour.

Have your credit-card ready, and follow the on-screen instructions to make an online purchase (from Microsoft) of a valid product-key, in order to "get genuine" and to "pass" the "validation" check.

That could even be a USB problem, I have the same one, my issue turn out to be just power. You are not the first one to have that problem. Replace the USB cord and see if that affects anything.

Hi Andrew,

Before you install XP check the memory, harddrive, cddrive is getting detected in CMOS or not. What about the data in your harddrive?
connect the harddrive to another PC and copy the Data from the drive. If not you will lose all the data on the harddisk if you install the XP on the same disk.

If you had mentioned the system configuration, i would have told whether you can install XP or Not. Since its a laptop and just 5 years old i guess you can install XP on that.

Raj

Windows uses NTFS file system.

you need to enter a boot disk/recovery disk/windows xp disk into your CD drive and in the system BIOS select the CD drive to boot first. Once the CD has loaded you can re-format your HDD to NTFS and re-install windows

You will, however loose all your data but your HDD will function again with windows

Hi,

The BIOS is seeing the drive but your computer can only see about 120-130 GB of harddrive. If the drive has a pin option to limit it's size you may be able to limit it then install windows but if it doesn't you're back to looking for a smaller drive.

Hope this helps

Chris

Its hard to tell just like this without having the computer in hand to check and test the jumpers and connection and all, but quick like this i think it might be a trojan virus that corrupted the boot sectors of the old hard drive, and when you copied the stuff from the old to the new, the virus followed and infected the boot sectors of the new one too. Try to reformat completely using the original windows install disk, and not the system restore/reinstall disk and reinstall windows after the format with the original windows disk again. If I was right, it should boot up OK with a fresh format and reinstall with the real windows CD, then install a virus scan and a spyware scan and scan and clean the old drive completely 2 or 3 times to be sure theres nothing bad left on it, then try to copy the whole disc, but skip the Windows repertory, the Program Files one too and the Documents and settings one also, cause those 3 are the ones most prone to corrupting a fresh install even if there is not any viruses in them. If it does not boot up OK after formating and reinstalling Windows though and says it's unbootable, then either there is a config error in the BIOS of the laptop, or the IDE controller that drives the disk is defective. If it's the BIOS settings, it's gonna be easy enough just changing the settings and won't cost you too much, and if its the IDE controller... then that's another story cause it's integrated in the motherboard like any other computer, so basically another computer will cost less than a new motherboard for a laptop. So if that is the case and the IDE controller is shot, you can still try to use an external USB drive to run the computer but not all computers support booting from the USB though, so before buying a brand new external drive, check the BIOS first to see if it does support USB booting.

You say you see data on disks on your existing system, yet they appear blank when trying to install? Please try to dig a little deeper and find your setup file. Data wouldn't disappear unless your running NTFS now and the disks are FAT.

You need to get rid of the Vista Demo, and reload xp. You need to keep one or the other I think, you can't keep both operating systems on the same drive. What were you thinking?
Did you install the vista demo as a dual boot setup? Doesn't sound like it.
I hope someone can help you, I can't.

take the old drive out, copy what you have on it to the new drive beforehand, then remove it and you will have a working backup of your data in case something goes wrong. If you still using old drive as system boot partition you can use Norton Ghost for example to transfer the system, download a free trial from norton website and go from there. But best would be add at least 256mb more RAM as this speeds up your system and reinstall windows and all your software from scratch onto new hard drive, it will be more reliable and significantly faster.