Can't install XP on Gateway Vista notebook (ML6230, $299 BB deal)

So far, I'm unable to load Windows XP on the Gateway $299/$349 notebook from the BestBuy deal a few weeks ago. Here's what I've tried: I downloaded the handy XP Drivers Bundle). I found the XP SATA drivers on the Gateway support site, and wrote them to a USB floppy drive. I booted up a real Microsoft CD of Windows XP Pro with Service Pack 2, and loaded the SATA drivers via the "F6" option. After XP Pro boots from the CD, the installer isn't seeing the SATA hard drive in the Gateway. It sees USB drives just fine (I checked). I've tried everything I can think of. I verified that the XP Pro installer is working by installing it on another notebook with a SATA drive. I checked the Gateway's BIOS settings. Everything looks fine.

Has anybody managed to get XP loaded onto one of these Gateway ML6230's? Vista is worse than I could have imagined possible. I *need* XP, and I don't know why this is so difficult (given that Gateway even provides a set of XP drivers.)

Thanks for any help.

Nemesys

Have you tried the XP CD without the SP2. I remember when I loaded the XP pro into a Panasonic M34, it would give me BSD no matter what. If I loaded another XP CD without SP2, it worked ok. But once I installed SP2, it went to BSD again. Ghost was handy.

Gateway responded to my tech support questions regarding Windows XP compatibility for the Gateway ML6230. Here's the relevant excerpt:

...Gateway does not support the retail version of [Windows XP]...we do not have any available drivers for Windows XP for your system. I recommend that you revert back to the original pre-installed Operating System...

Ok, Gateway is off the list. I'll stick with Dell from now on.

You know its cheaper to buy a custom built; And then Vista/XP/Linux and whatever you want for PCs will work.

Isn't that nice?

Ok, here's how I did it with 3 steps.

1) Download the ML6230 SATA Drivers from Gateway: http://support.Gateway.com/support/drivers/getFile.asp?id=20974&dscr=Windows%20XP%20and%20Vista%20(32-bit%20or%2064-bit)%20SATA/Mass%20Storage%20Controller%20version:%20Intel%206.2.0.2002&uid=178942227

2) Download Microsoft.Windows.XP.Professional.OEM.SP2.Integrated.September.2007-ETH0 from http://www.newzleech.com/usenet/?p=2532704 (too bad if you don't have usenet)

3) Use nLite to integrate the SATA drivers into the disc to recognize the hard disk on Windows XP install. http://news.softpedia.com/news/Install-Windows-XP-On-SATA-Without-a-Floppy-F6-47807.shtml

I just did this today because Windows Vista sucks. Have fun!

Why is a pirated copy of XP required for nlite?

UPDATE:

SUCCESS! From the links that nirv provided, I used nLite to add Intel ICH7M SATA/RAID (text mode, not PNP) drivers to an OEM Windows XP Pro SP2 installer (from original Microsoft CD, not pirated). This should work for other versions of XP as well (possibly including Media Center Edition 2005; but I haven't tried it).

So how do you add the drivers to your XP install? Here's how:

Download nLite, the Gateway XP SATA drivers (see links above in nirv's post).

Install nLite.

Unzip the Gateway ML6230 drivers ZIP file somewhere.

Put your XP installer CD in the drive.

Fire up nLite, browse to your CD drive. Select it and hit "Next".

Browse to the location where you'll store the modified XP installer (make a new folder for it if needed). Hit "Next".

In the list of nLite options, click on "Make Bootable ISO" and "Load Additional Drivers".

When asked to add drivers in nLite, select the "Single Driver" button and browse to the folder with the Gateway SATA drivers (from nirv's link, above).
Select the x86 F6 floppy folder, and then select the iastor.inf file
From the text mode driver list, select the ICH7M SATA/RAID drivers, and nothing else.
Hit "Next" and when you get to the end, either create an .ISO or burn a CD for the modified XP installer.

Use the modified XP installer to boot your Gateway ML6230, and you should see the C: drive listed as an install target. Install XP as you would normally.

Hope this works for you as well as it did for me. Thanks to nirv for giving me the "nirv" to try this again.

BTW: The Gateway ML6230 runs *much* faster under Windows XP. You will notice the difference immediately. I'm still having a bit of trouble with the Sigmatel audio and Intel video; but hoping to sort that out.

Nemesys

Hello Everyone Your savior to the 299 Best Buy Gateway ML6230 drivers for XP has come!!! Hopefully its not too late but I have found all of the drivers it took a while but I got it done here is the zip with all the drivers I think I'm missing the sm controller but big deal no one uses it anywaysto the drivers they are located on my site splat880.com but I can assure you they are legit drivers I'm not one to screw peoples computers up with a virus lol so trust me and you will be good to go I'm the good kind of hacker lol

Click on the link ahead to download the zipped drivers: http://www.splat880.com/ms/ml6230forxpdrivers.zip

Your welcome
splat880

YES!! I have installed XP on Gateway ML6320 thanks nemesys for bring this problem in the forum also the greatest nirv for the solution and splat880 for some drivers but one problem still for me...the audio drivers!!! I can't find it when I treat with the ones that splat880 give all ok less the audio one. can't some body help with that one? should I make a update for windows first? I'll appreciate the help thanks!!

Am just doing mine now. Have installed XP Pro on a 120G HDD I bought new. Don't know why, but am retaining original HDD intact just in case they ever get Vista working correctly (not holding breath).

My thanks to Splat and other posters here. Had to obtain a couple of drivers on my own, but was able. The lappy works GREAT with XP Pro. It's an absolute NO BRAINER to make the change.

Am not super happy with video resolution choices - only one appears right for our screen. But am making do. Assume driver came from a lappy with a 4:3 screen.

I used the USB floppy method to install original SATA driver. Am on dial-up so downloading .NET framework was more than I wanted to face. Used nLite years ago and liked it. It works well. But this time just went with the floppy approach, which also works.

If anybody is still on this task, fire away with your questions or reactions. I guess by now most everybody has either long ago completed this work . . . . . . or given up.

But I say: Better late than never!!

Boy Vista sure sucks. It is soooooo slow compared with XP Pro. And soon there will be SP3 for XP. WoW!!

hi im deciding over a laptop right now but feel uneasy with so many complaints about vista, ive started a VISTA vs XP thread, could you guys take a look as to how things stand right now? what are the pros and cons? im really ocnfused, posts like this just make it worst, thanks

I was wondering if anyone could post a screenshot of their device manager with windows xp install on this laptop, i was successful in installing xp but I have a problem in the device manager, an PCI device shows up with no drivers installed and I can't figure out what it is, I used all the drivers listed in this post for the install, any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

I think it may be the modem, but I have tried pointing it to the modem drivers and it says it can't find any drivers for the device. I also noticed that my sound isn't working, any one else have this problem and get it working?

My screenshot

I followed all the instructions to install XP on my crappy new Gateway Laptop with Vista. All is fine - I am working on drivers now. I have the original Vista on C and the XP on F drive. Problem - when I boot up - goes straight to XP - where is my choice to boot to Vista - Thanks

Gateway Laptop - Dual Boot - XP on a system with Vista installed first - works great, but no audio. Have tried just about every driver SigmaTel ever made - still no luck. Gateway seems to have configured the hardware to ONLY work on the original system setup that Gateway did. Any other ideas from anyone (other than not to buy Gateway again). Thanks

Just a brief update from me since I posted above late last month:

My laptop continues to work flawlessly without exception, however there remains indication I have an improper driver for the MSC (mass storage controller).

I have tried everything I can think of to beat this problem back; nothing has worked so far.

As I wrote above, I did the XP install obtaining the SATA driver from a USB-connected floppy. Has anyone else had success with this approach, or did you all slipstream with n-Lite?

If nobody else has been 100% successful using the floppy approach, I may have to go back to square one, start from scratch, and slipstream.

macdave said: The MSC could be a card reader or some other controller on the board.

Thank you!

That never even occurred to me, yet obviously you are correct. I was just fixated on the SATA HDD, equating it to this MSC issue.

I have never used or messed with my card reader, so I would not know if it was working or not. I'll bet it's NOT!

Thanks again.

EDIT

Later:

Special thanks to you, macdave, you put me on a path to success. Thanks entirely to your tip, my XP installation is now 100% complete and clean, with an absolutely pristine device manager.

For anyone else with MSC installation woes:

The key is to download file D20003-003-001 at the Gateway website. This file will install itself into your C:\cabs file. D20003-003-001 is what you need in order correctly to install the MSC.

My problem was that, for reasons which remain unknown, I never had installed D20003-003-001 into my computer. And of course I WAS thinking the dilemma was with my HDD controller. This was 100% wrong.

Success after such a long effort, and after so many tries and flaming failures, sure is sweet!!

Okay, for anyone who is still having trouble with the sound here is how I got it working (this assumes you've already downloaded the audio driver "D00758-001-001" and XP tells you there isn't hardware present on the system for that driver or something like that):

1) Install all the other drivers so there are no visible question marks in the device manager list

2) expand the "System devices" entry, and locate "Microsoft UAA Bus Driver for High Definition Audio" and double click it. It was easy for me to find because it was the only entry in that list that had an exclamation point. I didn't notice it before because I always had the list minimized.

3) Choose "reinstall driver" (or something that lets you choose a driver)

4) point the driver to the folder "C:\cabs\D00758-001-001\WDM" and click "OK" or "next" or whatever button means "go on" (don't remember exactly)

5) This should install and suddenly you'll have 2 more question marks "show up" in the main device list: The audio and the modem.

6) Install the driver under C:\cabs\D00758-001-001\ by clicking "Setup" and it should install with no reboot! (the reboot seems to happen when it isn't working correctly)

And that should be it! You'll probably want to install the modem as well, but I saw so many issues with the audio I decided to post this. Hope this helps somebody.