blocking xp install?

codezer0

In as simply as I can put it, for a while I had this 3rd gen intel system set up as a stand-by in case of some manner of catastrophic system failure. Now that things are starting to shift, I was wanting to turn it into a Windows xp machine. However, so far it's seemed to just actively block any means of being able to go ahead and do so.

Been using Easy2Boot since forever, and finding that on that particular system, I can't use it at all. Even tried to sanity check by plugging in an external optical drive and loading up a disc that way, and... nope. It's really temperamental. Most often with the USB methods, it will just flat out refuse to even start the text mode version of the install. If it gets past this, then it just refuses to boot for the second stage of it.

I know on this AMD FX machine that is presently set up for it, I previously had a BSOD kill cycle because even though the board would pass Prime95 bootable and memtest86+ for 7+ days in a row without errors, the change in bclk seemed to be the trigger to have it crash on itself. Since then, was able to find a more conservative setting for the RAM and that got me past to have that setup rock stable. But so far, no such luck with the Ivy bridge system. It's weird, because I can't think of any reason it would just refuse to let me install XP. I'm pretty sure at some point I did have xp installed on the platform so it's got me scratching my head.

Guy54435

codezer0 Have you tried ditching everything wireless and try to install with wired mouse and keyboard, I remember back in the day I had to use wired on one of my brothers computers ,which I cant remember what it was, to install XP I was then able to do wireless after setup.

Jbob

I still have a few XP systems loaded here but rarely even power them up anymore. It's been a long time since I attempted the install it clean. I've been meaning to give it a try and on older system if not as a reminder of the long gone days. In your case perhaps something hardware driver related with the XP installer?

Somewhat-Reticent

Maybe try something less complex, like Rufus? Or ventoy?
Have you tried Hirens.BootCD.15.2 ? Or checked at (white-hats) MyDigitalLife?
( Didn't some vintage AMD machines need special boot parameters? It's been so long … )

codezer0

Somewhat-Reticent A couple of my AMD FX machines were real bastards about allowing an xp install for a while, though the common solution is that their disk controllers just refused to tolerate any alterations to bclk. Both were Gygabyte boards and thus had the same programmed behavior, where to support faster ddr3 speed they wanted to alter the bclk to keep the CPU at close enough to its rated clocks. It could sit on a bootable prime95 and/or memtest for a week straight with no errors, but absolutely refuse to boot correctly to an install.

The mATX board was even worse, absolutely refusing to let me POST with anything beyond ddr3 1600, even if the ram was rated for better.

For this intel system, its automatic behavior barely budges the bclk since it's a locked i7 on it. Yet even with that, it gets a healthy all-core clock bump. Still, even when I reset to defaults, it's STILL refusing to let me install xp on it.

Jbob

I follow this guy on Youtube. He has a bunch of videos dealing with older OSes and the problems with installing them especially on more modern hardware.

https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelMJD

real_aurgathor

Can you install some other old OS on it such as W2K, Vista, or 7?
What chipset and CPU are on that mobo?

Somewhat-Reticent

codezer0 Does anything boot?

codezer0

Somewhat-Reticent In case I missed saying so earlier, the ivy bridge system did have an install of Windows 10 at the time; I'd since wiped it to start fresh with XP.

That's what's so insane about the whole situation. I had it on 10, updated, overclocked and rockstable without so much as a blink or anomaly on temps or voltages but now it's even refusing to let me finish the install when it's bone stock.

I could boot Hirens and I can evidently boot the Easy2Boot usb as a matter of course. the problem is I can't seem to get the install of windows xp to finish and get to the point where I can boot from it instead. 🤷

Somewhat-Reticent

What MBR (Master Boot Record) options - BIOS, (U)EFI, or both?

codezer0

Somewhat-Reticent Been a minute since I last turned it on. Though if I recall correctly, always kept it enabled for both because the mandated EFI tends to break stuff like the UBCD for testing and troubleshooting.

codezer0

Trying again, even with selecting legacy only, and... with the easy2boot drive, it just hard freezes when it is at the part of loading the ISO to memory.

This is beyond ridiculous, let alone frustrating.

Somewhat-Reticent

Does Hiren's v.15.2 boot & run OK ? Or any other OS ISO ?
Easy2Boot is fairly complex - any support from the author ?
Have you tried any simpler tool ( Rufus, Etcher, … ) ?
By legacy, do you mean instead of AHCI ? Or BIOS instead of UEFI ?
Any articles out there with same issue on same hardware?
How much RAM ? Memtest passed OK ? Disk tested OK, wiped ?
Hangs before loading ISO, or just after? Is ISO file contiguous on flash drive ?
Is flash stick USB3 ? Using a USB2 port? … ( having fun yet? )

codezer0

Somewhat-Reticent I don't have any spare usb flash drives to dedicate to rufus.

HIrens boots okay. memtest passes without issue, literally leaving it overnight for 10+ hours. Needed to use hirens to wipe the ssd because the old parted magic part of UBCD absolutely refuses to secure erase any sata drives, ever.

I have ahci on, for whatever difference that makes. I made a point to turn OFF all the secure boot stuff I could find in the bios, but it's still doing this.

Even tried a usb dvd drive and just loading an xp disc that way. at first in text mode, it absolutely refuses to recognize any input from the intended wireless keyboard/mouse I was hoping to set aside to it. had to literally power cycle to get it to recognize a wired usb keyboard.

Then when it gets to the first boot of the graphical phase, it gripes at me about 7zip being missing, which doesn't make any sense to me. hitting esc gets it to get past at least, since it still refuses to talk to the wireless key and mouse.

Now when it reboots, it just goes into its kill cycle. I don't even get any time to see what the error is before it reboots.

I'd RATHER use Easy2boot because that's literally what I used everywhere else for installing xp or any other Operating System. But for some reason ON THIS system, it refuses to. Booting it on here, it just hard freezes at the point where it loads the ISO to ram to start the process. And at least with it, I make sure I have the storage controller drivers, so that it actually effing works. But because that won't work, it seems nothing else will. I've never had a platform that I KNOW previously had an install of XP actively REFUSE to let me install and run it again. This is absurd.

Somewhat-Reticent

codezer0 the old parted magic part of UBCD absolutely refuses to secure erase any sata drives, ever.

Flash method is very different from spinning rust, and varies. Parted Magic distro kept up.

codezer0

Well, might have an idea to resolve it, which is... Perplexing.

Figured out wireless key/mouse was simply acting up because batteries were that low. Given the cubby cabinet it's presently arranged around, i really don't have room to keep a wired keyboard and mouse attached; not full time, anyway.

But i did finally catch a bsod long enough to snap a picture along the attempts. Looking it up, however... It doesn't make any sense.

Stop 0x0000007b refers to a lack of AHCI drivers.

The ISO is one prepatched with driver packs for all the storage controllers supported; I've already been using AHCI mode successfully in the past on this motherboard. I've used it successfully on other intel and AMD platforms, too.

Won't be able to try tonight, but i could try setting ide mode in the BIOS... But really does defeat the point of giving this one an SSD at all if that's what it requires to actually work. Needless to say, I'll be ticked off if that's what it makes me do to get it to stop killing itself.

Somewhat-Reticent

F6 to add SATA drivers?
Or slipstream 'em into ISO?

codezer0

Somewhat-Reticent That's what I'm saying. They should already be there. They've worked without issue before. I don't understand why it's griping now.

Somewhat-Reticent

codezer0 SSD pre-wiped ( No MBR ) & tested ?
And ISO file is contiguous ( unfragmented ) on drive?
( As-recalled old Easy2Boot issue )

codezer0

Well, time for some updating on the thread.

Finally had some time to tinker with it, again. And again, it was giving me heck during a fresh install. Equal parts from the easy2boot method, and again later when i booted off a burned DVD to set it up, with it refusing to acknowledge the (wireless) keyboard and mouse. That said, ended up having the most success with a disc i made that had both integrated driver packs, and a community ram patch to let it work with greater than 4gb of system ram. I fully expect that to be undone later, once i can get it online, thanks to LegacyUpdate being a thing. Even so, i got it running.

This was more or less the platform i wanted to stick the 980ti in, given the modified GeForce drivers. But this is what I was able to make happen with a 4gb gtx 960. This thing just screams with performance, already.