I'm having a laptop, HP Compaq nx 7300- with Intel Core duo 2 processer, 512 MB RAM, 72 GB HDD[partitioned as 3 - 49 GB C: drive, 1.55 GB OS tools & balance free F: drive]. In C: drive Windows Vista Home Basic is pre-installed. I wanted to install Windows XP Home in the F: dirve But when I tried to install Windows XP home basic in F: drive, I'm getting a message, "No HDD is installed or powered properly. This may be due to running of Manufacture owned Hard disk uility. Set up cannot continue. Press F3 to quit." When I press F3 the system restarts. Can any body help me in this regard regards Ajay

http://www.duggmirror.com/microsoft... http://www.mydigitallife.info/2006/... that might work since partiton magic doesn't work with vista. Jim R

Take my advice - forget about doing what you want to do - you only have 512MB and running the worst & weakest version of Vista. i_XpUser

While I substantially agree with XPUser, I must also add a few things: 1) Microsoft recommends installing the OLDEST OS FIRST, in Partition C: of Drive 0 (where you have Vista currently installed), then install each NEWER OS on the NEXT available HD/partition. (as in "3.1->9x->XP->Vista".) 2) Do NOT use HD utilities to format your bootable volumes (HD's/Partitions). ALWAYS use the built-in partitioning/formatting tools provided in the Windows installer. 3) To do this, you will HAVE to REMOVE Vista from Drive 0, Partition 1 (C:) by re-partitioning it, then installing XP "CLEAN" (after re-partitioning and formatting Drive 0). This means that you MUST back up any data or softare on Drive 0 you want to save BEFORE starting this adjustment, since partitioning is destructive to all the data on the HD. 3) To then install Vista on a secondary drive (or a secondary partition), it MUST be installed "CLEAN" in its own Primary partition (Windows allows a maximum of 4 primary partitions). Sorry, but there is no "safe" way around this. Actually, it will save you a LOT of heartache to do it the "Microsoft way", I assure you. It will take a little more work, but the work will be CLEAR and EASY to do, and you can be assured of having a well-running dual-boot after this. The one who responded to your post("XpUser") was definitely right in suggesting that your system memory is MUCH too weak to run Vista the way it should be run. I suggest that you upgrade memory to a MINIMUM of 2Gig. as well as add a new graphics card, with has a MINIMUM of 256MB of on-card VRAM, which is rated to be Vista Premium-compliant. Donald McDaniel orthocross@gmail.com

Thanks all. especially Mr. Donald. After doing this I'll be back to you regard & thanks once again Ajay

You have to install XP first, then Vista if you want a daul boot system to work Right. Plus to run Vista you will need a least 1 gig of ram..

I upgraded RAM to 1 GB, Repartitioned, converted HDD to FAT file system from NTFS & formated my entire HDD using fdisk & format command of freedos OS But when I tried to install Windows XP, the setup again shows the same message, which was shown before, "No HDD is installed or powered on properly. This may be due to running of Manufacture owned Hard disk uility. Set up cannot continue. Press F3 to quit." Actually what is the problem ? can any body help me? Please Ajay