RAID in Laptop - Cant Install XP Pro

[Maillme]

Hi there,

ill start by giving a link to the laptop:

http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/home/products/notebooks/amilo_m_3438_4438.html

OK, we ordered these with Windows XP Home, and it was meant to be XP Pro - when we try and just install XP Pro Via the disc, in windows over the top of the Home Install -it doesn't let us

So, we tried a clean install - by formatting it and booting from the CD....but the only way to do this, is to load the RAID drivers form a USB Floppy Disc - it appears to load these ok, but it asks for these drivers again - in doing so, it crashes (this is when the USB floppy drive is plugged in again).

Apparently, according to the Fujitsu Helpline, it is not possible to install XP Pro - as it is "not supported".

Has anyone came accross this problem before - and know how to get around it?

many thanks,

Neil

 

[ddmcp2000]

If it works with XPHome, it MUST work with XPPro. I think they mean "XPPro is not supported by Fujitsu" - not that the hardware won't support XPProp... This is SOP. MOST manufacturers won't support any OS other than the one that comes with the hardware.

Try this: leave the floppy drive plugged in through the entire install, and leave the floppy disc in the drive. When asked for the driver (at the F6 prompt in the setup window) put the disc in, and leave it there. The hot-swap is not supported during the setup, so this is pretty likely where the crash is happening.

Is the floppy drive located during install, and does the setup locate the driver the first time?

That's what I would try...

 

[satrow]

A more complicated alternative would be to create a 'slipstreamed'-type XPPro installation CD that already contains the *.inf, drivers etc. for the RAID chipset. This is what will have been done by F-S for the XPHome recovery CD (if it came with or had an option to create one).

Andy.