I need to install Windows XP on a laptop with Win7 Error 7b Help

[Yasser Morales]

Hello all. I have an older HP DV6-1030us that originally came with Vista and was upgraded to Win 7. I need to downgrade this to Win XP to run an old version of Pro Tools with about $3000 worth of plugins that I must use for a recording. I set the CD-ROM as the primary, ran the Win XP cd and it starts prepping for install and I keep getting this error 0x000007b

I now it's a hard drive issue and I read you have to set the AISA to compatible but my Insyde BIOS is very basic and I can't see what my settings are. I updated the Bios to the latest version and I still can't see that option.

I need to get this XP into the laptop. any ideas? My version of Pro Tools will not run on anything but XP or Vista.

Please Help!

 

[fleggett]

You'll probably have to slipstream the latest XP-specific AHCI drivers that match the hardware of the DV6 and make a new, bootable XP system disc, especially if the bios is the no-frills type. nLite can do this with a fair amount of ease. The potentially tricky part will be to find exactly which driver the laptop expects that'll mesh with XP. This might require burning several CDs until you happen across the right driver set.

 

[Deleted member 245375]

Not that it matters but, have you tried to use XP Mode which is free from Microsoft? Believe it or not it actually works very well, and I've used it over the years to run some apps (very rare ones) that simply will not work properly on Windows 7 - they do work to some degrees but some aspects of their functionality won't work 100% so, I used XP Mode and resolved issues. One of them is an older audio creation program that works with a USB dongle and even in spite of my own talents it just won't work with Windows 7 natively but it functions perfectly when I fire up XP Mode.

It could be a simpler solution than mucking around with native XP anymore:

Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode Setup and Installation Guide

If that's not a potential solution check in the BIOS of that laptop to see if you can adjust the SATA controller for Compatibility aka IDE mode of operation which would make the AHCI requirement irrelevant. The XP SP3 ISO did have some SATA AHCI compatibility drivers but depending on the situation it still might not load properly. The issue you're having is a non-specific one because of that error code, unfortunately - while a lot of research info does seem to be related to the storage controller it's also turned up for other devices as well.

 

[dbwillis]

7b is hard drive access error.
Since it came with Vista, possibly there is no IDE/SATA options in the bios, but you should look for some hard drive setting that has an option for 'legacy' or IDE, possibly even 'compatable'
Otherwise Id plop Vista on there if the Win7 compatable mode options dont work