installing windows XP on my laptop

Quadrotix

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(before anyone replies telling me why XP is bad and unsafe, I know. I'm doing this for experimental purposes)
hi, I have downloaded a windows XP professional ISO that I would like to install but when I run setup.exe the button to install it is blanked out. Other web articles seem to say that I must use a DVD/USB but I do not have access to either. Is there a way around this? I will use a DVD if i absolutely HAVE to.
My current operating system is Windows 10 64 bit.

Thanks to anyone who replies.
 

RattletraPM

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You cannot use setup.exe to install Windows XP unless you're upgrading from an earlier version of Windows. You need a DVD or USB drive or any other kind of bootable media.

On the other hand, have your considered making a virtual machine? It might not run as well as a native install but you won't have to replace your OS or set up a dual boot environment.
 

KleinesSinchen

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What are you trying to do with Win XP? It will most certainly not work good on a modern computer, even with SATA drivers. If you just want to try out XP, you can easily install it in a virtual machine (with software like Virtualbox or VMware) – like RattletraPM already stated.

A computer that came with Windows 8, 8.1 or 10 installed is configured to boot via UEFI with secure boot. You would have to switch to legacy boot for even booting a CD/DVD/USB with Windows XP.

My last idea: Get an old computer for experimenting with an old operating system. As long as you’re not going online there is no problem with old and insecure software.
 

Quadrotix

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What are you trying to do with Win XP? It will most certainly not work good on a modern computer, even with SATA drivers. If you just want to try out XP, you can easily install it in a virtual machine (with software like Virtualbox or VMware) – like RattletraPM already stated.

A computer that came with Windows 8, 8.1 or 10 installed is configured to boot via UEFI with secure boot. You would have to switch to legacy boot for even booting a CD/DVD/USB with Windows XP.

My last idea: Get an old computer for experimenting with an old operating system. As long as you’re not going online there is no problem with old and insecure software.

All I really want to do is mess around with XP and see how it performs. I have considered using virtual box like I did a while ago but I have been trying to collect as many os’s as I can into my dual boot menu

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

what specs you got? If you have a SATA drive, and you're installing xp, use Windows XP Black Edition/Pirate Edition. Those come with all the drivers.

Also use a DVD/USB.
what specs you got? If you have a SATA drive, and you're installing xp, use Windows XP Black Edition/Pirate Edition. Those come with all the drivers.

Also use a DVD/USB.
not sure what drive I have but these are my specs

PC specs.png
 

RattletraPM

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not sure what drive I have but these are my specs
We can't see what type of drive you have from that screen, you have to go into Device Manager for that. Once there, look into "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers".

Still, given that your PC uses a fairly recent CPU it's likely it uses a SATA drive, IDE has been obsolete for a lot of time now.
 
Last edited by RattletraPM,

Quadrotix

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We can't see what type of drive you have from that screen, you have to go into Device Manager for that. Once there, look into "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers".

Still, given that your PC uses a fairly recent CPU it's likely it uses a SATA drive, IDE has been obsolete for a lot of time now.

I can confirm that I have a SATA drive so I guess I will be installing black or pirate edition. Thanks for the help!

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Its gold compared to the crap that is 10.

I have to agree with this
 

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I remember windows XP missing some crucial drivers (I thought SATA, but not sure) that seriously hampered any alternative ways to install it. I never got it to run properly off of a USB drive, but I had a DVD (or even a CD) of the thing. I would say this is the way forward if you want to go back in time. :)

"I have been trying to collect as many os’s as I can into my dual boot menu"

Hmm...wouldn't it be easier to cram a bunch of linux distros on it instead? With distros like ubuntu or mint, installing it from USB pops up a "hey...you've already got these operating systems installed. You wanna put this one in a new partition? Or...do you want to overwrite one? :) " message. Last I tried on windows, it happily assumed the linux partitions were free space and overwrote the stuff.
Of course, if that's your plan, you already know you should start by getting your windows OS'es in place.
 

Quadrotix

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I remember windows XP missing some crucial drivers (I thought SATA, but not sure) that seriously hampered any alternative ways to install it. I never got it to run properly off of a USB drive, but I had a DVD (or even a CD) of the thing. I would say this is the way forward if you want to go back in time. :)

"I have been trying to collect as many os’s as I can into my dual boot menu"

Hmm...wouldn't it be easier to cram a bunch of linux distros on it instead? With distros like ubuntu or mint, installing it from USB pops up a "hey...you've already got these operating systems installed. You wanna put this one in a new partition? Or...do you want to overwrite one? :) " message. Last I tried on windows, it happily assumed the linux partitions were free space and overwrote the stuff.
Of course, if that's your plan, you already know you should start by getting your windows OS'es in place.

I am not really sure what you mean by this but if you explained it a bit more I would be happy to try it out :)
 

Minox

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I remember windows XP missing some crucial drivers (I thought SATA, but not sure) that seriously hampered any alternative ways to install it. I never got it to run properly off of a USB drive, but I had a DVD (or even a CD) of the thing. I would say this is the way forward if you want to go back in time. :)
You remember things correctly. Windows XP did not include SATA drivers in the installer until Service Pack 3.
 

WildDog

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(before anyone replies telling me why XP is bad and unsafe, I know. I'm doing this for experimental purposes)
hi, I have downloaded a windows XP professional ISO that I would like to install but when I run setup.exe the button to install it is blanked out. Other web articles seem to say that I must use a DVD/USB but I do not have access to either. Is there a way around this? I will use a DVD if i absolutely HAVE to.
My current operating system is Windows 10 64 bit.

Thanks to anyone who replies.
Of course you cannot install Win Xp from Windows 10...

Also the easiest way is either get an USB or blank CD-R, there are other ways to install Win Xp on machine but they are more cumbersome and take more time...

A) make a bootable USB, set the bios of the laptop to boot from the USB and then you will be promted to blue screen that will ask you if you want to install Xp among other options.


B)Burn it to the CD. Set the bios to boot first the CD/DVD reader, put the CD in the tray, reboot the PC and once again you will be prompted by the blue screen asking you what do you want to do.

BUT in any case unless you have a very old laptop, you are never going to see XP performing like it should. Because you are not going to have proper drivers for it.


If you have a powerful laptop or desktop and want to see how old OS did behave with proper drivers and hardware, download 86box. A low level emulator that will emulates bios and let you use gpus and cpus from the era. Of course you do you need a powerful machine.
 
Last edited by WildDog,

migles

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You remember things correctly. Windows XP did not include SATA drivers in the installer until Service Pack 3.
also in windows 7 it will give you hard time if your chipset has usb3 stuff. (i can't install damn windows 7 in my machine using a usb stick even with the drivers and tools provided by asus)
so i guess xp will be the same deal with usb drivers... and force him to use the old reliable optical drive

hi, I have downloaded a windows XP professional ISO that I would like to install but when I run setup.exe the button to install it is blanked out. Other web articles seem to say that I must use a DVD/USB but I do not have access to either. Is there a way around this? I will use a DVD if i absolutely HAVE to. My current operating system is Windows 10 64 bit.
as told above by other users, that setup.exe is only for upgrade from a previous version
you require to install from scratch
i reccomend you either using a virtual machine (vmware or virtual box, whatever ya poison)
or if you really want to install xp in your computer i reccomend to use a sacrificial hdd\separate hdd which you can format and let it handle it.
since you have windows 10, probably you got modern stuff like a GPT partitioned drive and uefi shit...
to save you the trouble of installing back a modern windows after you experiment, i really suggest the "sacrificial" hdd way.. (one empty drive you can freely format and use for this task without losing data.)
 
Last edited by migles,

WildDog

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i reccomend you either using a virtual machine (vmware or virtual box, whatever ya poison)
For what he is looking for which is seeing how XP did behave in the past, 86box or PCem are ideal. Vmware, virtual box are excellents options when you just to run old programs that don't work anymore. On the other hand software like 86box emulates the bios and old hardware that you can install the drivers for it. The real downside of 86box is that you need a pretty powerful machine to emulate a CPU that behaves like a low end Pentium 2.
 

comput3rus3r

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Its gold compared to the crap that is 10.
exactly what I thought too.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

(before anyone replies telling me why XP is bad and unsafe, I know. I'm doing this for experimental purposes)
hi, I have downloaded a windows XP professional ISO that I would like to install but when I run setup.exe the button to install it is blanked out. Other web articles seem to say that I must use a DVD/USB but I do not have access to either. Is there a way around this? I will use a DVD if i absolutely HAVE to.
My current operating system is Windows 10 64 bit.

Thanks to anyone who replies.
watch this video and try window 7 for your experiments. you wont need a dvd, just a usb. why do u say u dont have access to usb?
 

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