I am having issues loading XP on a new Gateway laptop.
I run the XP home CD (authentic copy) and it doesn’t even recognize the HDD.
It says: unknown disc (There is no Disk in this drive)
I used your Super Fdisk to delete and recreate partitions and format it to fat32 but it doesn’t see it.
This is a New Gateway laptop that originally had Vista on it but my neice couldn’t stand it so she bought XP home to put on it.
I did also download the XP drivers from Gateway but I should have to worry about those later, right?
I am stuck.
Can give me just a tid bit of info to help me over this hurdle?
Thanks in advance!!

Hello and welcome to PC Help Forum.

To delete a partition using the Windows Vista DVD proceed as follows:
1/ Switch on your PC
2/ Quickly insert the Vista DVD into your CD/DVD-ROM drive
3/ A message will appear asking you to 'Press any key to boot from CD/DVD
4/ Press any key
5/ A black screen will now appear with a progress bar along the bottom. The legend say's 'Windows is loading files'
6/ After the files have been loaded the Language screen will appear.
7/ Select your language from the list and press Next
8/ At the Installation screen press the Install Now button
9/ The product key window will now open
10/ Type your product key number into the available box and then press OK
11/ The End user Licence Agreement now appears. You 'must' accept this to continue
12/ The next screen to appear is 'Where do you want to install Windows'
13/ At the bottom of this window you will see an option marked Drive options (Advanced), click on this option
14/ In this Window select the partition you wish to Delete from the list available and then click the Delete option link
15/ A message will now appear informing you that the partition is about to be permanently deleted. Click OK to proceed
16/ Your Partition will now be deleted

Then you can install XP

__________________
It is all in the hardware..........................................
Sources:
http://www.microsoft.com/en/gb/default.aspx
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/Home/
http://www.petri.co.il/index.htm

PCHF Rules Scan Computer for Driver Updates Pre-Work

Or you would have to create a dual boot to remove Vista if you do not have Vista DVD.

__________________
It is all in the hardware..........................................
Sources:
http://www.microsoft.com/en/gb/default.aspx
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/Home/
http://www.petri.co.il/index.htm

PCHF Rules Scan Computer for Driver Updates Pre-Work

Thanks for the fast response --
I have a new XP home edition and the gateway Vista recovery disc.
When I run XP it says that there is no HDD.
I was thinking of setting up 2 partitions and then installing dual boot but i have never done that and i can't find any instructions on that either.
I believe that both partions have to be Logical drives to have the OS on them and they also need to be NTFS, correct?
Fdisk makes the partition but formats then Fat32 and then I boot the Vista disc to where you said to go to format it to NTFS.

So you think deleting the partion all together then I will be able to install XP... I will try that and if not, then I will try dual boot.

How can I create a dual boot if i already have Vista installed? can I partition after I have Vista installed and then add XP?

Here try this:How to dual boot Vista and XP (with Vista installed first) -- the step-by-step guide

Step by step guid.

__________________
It is all in the hardware..........................................
Sources:
http://www.microsoft.com/en/gb/default.aspx
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/Home/
http://www.petri.co.il/index.htm

PCHF Rules Scan Computer for Driver Updates Pre-Work

Thanks for the link.
I am trying your first suggestion and then i will go dual boot.
I just downloaded the Gnome Partion editor.

When I try to load XP - where it would say your HDD info on wheere you want to install it, it says that there isn't any Hard drives on the system.
I will update after I try the Gnome Partition Editor.

I am wondering if either gateway or Vista is blocking it somehow...
I dunno.

I did click your thanks button.
What does that do anyways?

You can use Vista to create partitions.Go to disk management.

Use the link and create a partition of at least 20 gigs for XP to be installed on.

Windows Vista Help: Create a boot partition

You can ignore warning on link about installing Xp first you can still dual boot with Vista already installed.

Then the new partition will be assigned a drive letter then reboot=restart machine enter BIOS=Setup set first boot to CD/DVD rom put in XP disk save and exit.Choose the drive you wish to install XP on wich will not be C drive.You cannot down grade Vista=C drive to XP.That is why we create a partition or uninstall Vista.

Or do this to create a partition.

To create a new partition using the Vista CD proceed as follows:
1/ Switch on your PC
2/ Quickly insert the Vista DVD into your CD/DVD-ROM drive
3/ A message will appear asking you to 'Press any key to boot from CD/DVD
4/ Press any key
5/ A black screen will now appear with a progress bar along the bottom. The legend say's 'Windows is loading files'
6/ After the files have been loaded the Language screen will appear.
7/ Select your language from the list and press Next
8/ At the Installation screen press the Install Now button
9/ The product key window will now open
10/ Type your product key number into the available box and then press OK
11/ The End user Licence Agreement now appears. You 'must' accept this to continue
12/ The next screen to appear is 'Where do you want to install Windows'
13/ At the bottom of this window you will see an option marked Drive options (Advanced), click on this option
14/ In this Window select 'unallocated space' from the list of partitions and then click New
15/ A size box will now appear under the New option
16/ Type the size of the new partition into this box (or simply accept the default), then click the Apply button

The thanx button is a thankyou for help and a usefull post.

__________________
It is all in the hardware..........................................
Sources:
http://www.microsoft.com/en/gb/default.aspx
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/Home/
http://www.petri.co.il/index.htm

PCHF Rules Scan Computer for Driver Updates Pre-Work

Here are some usefull links on boot.ini file,only use if you cannot boot into one or the other operating systems.

How to edit the Boot.ini file in Windows XP

Windows Vista no longer starts after you install an earlier version of the Windows operating system in a dual-boot configuration


Remove Windows Vista From Dual Boot System:John Barnett's Windows Vista Support: Remove Windows Vista from A Dual Boot System

__________________
It is all in the hardware..........................................
Sources:
http://www.microsoft.com/en/gb/default.aspx
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/Home/
http://www.petri.co.il/index.htm

PCHF Rules Scan Computer for Driver Updates Pre-Work