How to install windows XP on Gateway ML6230
Gateway ML6230 is a entry level laptop that ships with MS Windows Vista Home Basic. Being an entry level notebook hardware, Windows Vista uses up most of the system resources so with the shipped software the whole notebook crawls. Installing XP on the same hardware eases the heavy use of resources.
To install windows XP on the laptop you would need the hardware and software ingredients which are summarized below.
Ingredients:
USB Floppy Drive. I tested with Memorex (part# 3202 3239)
The following drivers had to be downloaded from the respective URLs. It took me some time to find out the authentic URLs fro the drivers instead of just downloading
ICH7 / SATA Controller Driver
Windows XP SP2
Wired Network Interface Driver
Chipset INF Update
Video Drivers
0. Prepare the ICH7 Driver floppy
1. Install Windows XP using the ICH7 Driver Disk
2. Install XP Service Pack2
3. Install Chipset INF Update
4. Install Video Driver
5. Install wired LAN driver
6. Install Wireless LAN driver - Dbl click on the Marvell EXE file
7. Install Media card reader from c:\cabs\D20003-003-001. Double click on setup
8. Install Audio driver from c:\cabs\D00758-001-001. Double click on setup
9. Install Modem driver from c:\cabs\D00624-001-001. Double click on setup
10. Start windows update.
A note about step #1:
To install windows XP with the ICH7 driver, boot with XP CD. When prompted to specify additional driver press F6. When you use the F6 floppy and specifiy a new device when installing, you only see the following:
"Intel(R) 82801HR/HH/HO SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH8R)"
"Intel(R) 82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R)"
"Intel(R) 631xESB/632xESB SATA RAID Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
"Intel(R) 631xESB/632xESB SATA AHCI Controller (Server/Workstation ESB2)"
None of them will work.
Use arrow keys to scroll down the list and find this one:
"Intel(R) 82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH7M/DH)"
This one *will* work.
To find this I did some digging and booted with Knoppix CD. Dmesg told that the controller is ICH7 not ICH8. Later I opened the driver inf and txtsetup.oem files provided and they had 11 drivers on the list. I booted with xp again and used the driver file (F6) from the usb floppy.
