creating sata driver disk for XP install

Hi. I am reinstalling XP Home Edition. I have an HP Pavilion a1540n, and I am NOT using the HP recovery disks (because the dumbkopfs sent me the wrong ones). The computer has SATA, and XP with service pack 2 does not support the drivers. You have to install them yourself. I have done a bunch of research (2 days' worth) on this, and I am finally getting somewhere, but I am still confused.

Here is my first question: 1--the files I have to put on the disk are Installshield files. This means that you can't extract them with any extractor I've tried--and I have tried about 10--but now I have downloaded the InstallShield Cabinet File Viewer and I will be able to extract the files. However, I am now uncertain what files I need to extract. There are .cab files, which are what the other extractors couldn't extract (because they are Installshield cab files), and there are also hdr, exe, inx, and ini files. From what I read earlier, I need the cab and hdr files, but I also see that ini files are the usual files you extract. The ini files weren't even viewable until I ran the IS Cab file viewer. I really hope someone can tell me what I do actually need. Or, alternatively, whether it matters if I have extra files on the disk.

Do I extract everything to one file? Can I extract all the different drivers I need into 1 file?

2--The plan has been to use nLite to slipstream the files in, but I am wondering if it would be easier to make a cd just to add the chipset, graphics, and sata files before installing XP. I have never done any of this--all of this is new to me. Actually, it seems that maybe I HAVE to install the drivers first, because the computer just won't read the disk now.

3--I have read through the information at www.howtogeek.com/.../resolving-set...d-disk-drives-during-windows-xp-installation/ on how to create a slipstream disk, but I am not sure how to create just the sata driver disk. Any guidance or links would be very much appreciated.

4--Do I need to install the following files before installing XP, or only some of them: Summer 2006 Original Modem Drivers, Summer 2006 Original NVIDIA Chipset Drivers, Summer 2006 Original NVIDIA Graphics Drivers, Summer 2006 Original NVIDIA LAN Drivers? Can I install a later version of the Nvidia graphics driver, or do I have to install the original version first, since this edition of XP only has service pack 2.

Thank you very much for any and all help!

 

:wave Welcome to Major Geeks! :major

There's a couple ways to handle the SATA problem: you can format the drive in a different PC first by connecting it as a secondary drive and booting to Windows and using the Disk Management console to format it as NTFS, or you can download a bootable utility (like this one) and create a boot CD, boot to it and format the drive, or you can go the "F6 floppy disk" route. You can use the files I've attached below to create the floppy disk. I'm not sure which exact set of files you need, so try one set and if it doesn't work, try the other set. Unzip the attachment, and copy the contents of the unzipped folder to a formatted blank floppy disk (simply drag-n-drop 'em, or use the "Select All" and right-click and "Send To>Drive A:" method). Then press the F6 key when prompted to during the first part of the WinXP install...

Install WindowsXP first. Once you're at your desktop, install the drivers from the HP web site. Once all the drivers are installed, install SP3 for Windows, then update the video driver using the latest available from NVidia (use this link). You can slipstream any drivers into a custom XP disc, but it can cause strange things to happen during the install; it's rare, but it happens. If you have the hard drive formatted before booting to the XP install disc, you'll have no need for any drivers slipstreamed or floppied or otherwise. If you're unable to format the drive first, and you're bent on slipstreaming, you can use the files I've attached below, and they can be slipstreamed into your install disc.... once the PC is up and running, you may want to create an install disc with SP3 and the SATA drivers slipped into it, but for now, lets just get Windows installed! LOL

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

I left out something from this sentence and waited too long to edit..... it should say:

OOOOPS! :-o

 

:-o I made another mistake - the partition tool I linked too doesn't have a bootable option, I thought it did. I was thinking of a different program (but I KNOW a have a boot CD for Partition Wizard at work! :confused ). Anyway- there are many other bootable tools to suit your needs: you can download the free utility from the drive maker's web site, or you can check the Major Geeks Drive Utilities section, or you can try Partition Logic or Paragon's Partition Manager Express (which I haven't used, but the description says it's a boot CD, but you need to do the free registration for a CD key to 'activate' the product).

 

If the computer has AHCI or RAID enabled in the BIOS (If windows setup cannot see the hard drive) then you MUST slipstream AHCI drivers into the XP setup, or install them using the F6 prompt from a floppy drive.

@dlb: Your second-to-last post is incorrect. ACHI or RAID drivers are necessary for XP and previous OSes. If no AHCI/RAID drivers are provided then XP will not be able to see the hard drive, formatted or not.

@lindalou1: XP will be able to format the drive once you have used nLite to slipstream the AHCI/RAID drivers into the XP install. You will need the .ini files to slipstream in.

 

Thanks for your replies, all. I finally just took it in. It was beyond my capacities. Also, they guy at the shop told me that because I had an XP Update disk, I wasn't going to be able to actually reinstall XP without anything on my computer.