Idwer Vollering wtote:
]Have you though of using an USB flash drive, to install Windows from? ]http://www.windowsvalley.com/install-windows-2000-xp-2003-using-usb-%5Dstora... e-device-pen-drive/
Hello Idwer,
Thanks for the suggestion and information. That could be useful in situations where no CD drive is available. I think it does not directly solve the AHCI driver problem though. The Windows XP F6 driver mechanism seems to be completely hard-coded for floppy drive only (tradition or USB). For example, BIOS can make a USB flash drive appear as floppy drive A: to DOS. The Windows XP F6 method is happy with this for the early access where BIOS calls are used to read drive A:. But later in the setup process, execution switches to native mode drivers for floppy access, at which time only a real floppy or a limited number of models of USB floppy will work. Somehow an AHCI driver has to get loaded in order for Windows XP setup to find the hard disk. Probably nliteos could be used in combination with the tool you mention though.
Thanks, Scott