Can't install Win XP on NTSC hard drive, please help!

Do the XP installation CDs include Service Pack 3?

J W Stuart: http://www.pagestart.com

You mean NTFS,The file systems used are FAT32 or NTFS..

Either way,some mfg do have the xp cd installation data on a seperate,

but protected partition..Youre options from here.1St open up the BIOS on

pc start,see what boot device is listed (priority),set for xp cd partition,if

available,set C: as 2nd,save & exit.If thats a dead-end,download &

install the hd mfg MS-DOS utility,it will detail as to where all the space is,you

can delete & format partitions also with it...Alsp,8Mg ?? As in 8 GB or 73GB

space,MB is possible but it wont hold any data of any size.. 

Right, ok, NtFs, crud, ok I'm I'm typing this with glasses of the wrong Rx and there's only so much patience I have with spell check and cut and paste from the crappy MS "demo" version of Word that I have on this borrowed Pc. So, booting to CD 1st, yeah, of course, because there's no OS on the HD, not surewhat I'm missing here fro what you re saying, sorry. It boots to the the CD drive since the HD doesn't work.You can't choose to boot to the xp CD partition, you can only chose the HD, and there's no XP praition, there's nothing on it, it's empty that;;s the problem you can't load xp. If you bot to the hard drive, it's blue screen of death, period.

As for downloading, how do I download somthing on this borrowed computer and get it onto a laptop that has no OS? I don't know how to load anything onto the laptop that has no HD running, no OS-- ? Do you mean copy it to a CD, but then how am I going to run it off the CD when there's no OS--will it boot off the CD with just this DOS utility you're talking about?

Here is the information you need to use your existing XP CD to create a CD that includes Service Pack 3. You may have a better chance at installing XP if the CD includes SP3.

============================================================

Create a "Slipstreamed" version of XP that incorporates SP3
AutoStreamer, it's easy to use and for the most part self explanatory.
After you create the CD then do a "Clean Install", see the last part
of my reply.

Auto Streamer Guide and Download Sites:
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.shtml
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/1092632287/1

Where to download SP3
(This file will be used in created the slipstreamed CD)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5b33b5a8-5e76-401f-be08-1e1555d4f3d4&DisplayLang=en

Create a Slip Stream version of Windows XP using SP3
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm  (Using AutoStreamer)
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp3_cd_final.htm
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/xpsp3_slipstream.asp

How to create a Windows XP SP3 slipstreamed CD
http://www.pagestart.com/slipstreamsp3.html

The slipstreamed CD you create will not include any specific drivers
for your motherboard, audio, video, network, etc.  Those you will
need to download from your PC manufacture's or motherboard's
web site.

How to do a Clean Install of Windows XP
Start by changing the BIOS setting to Boot from CD drive first.
Then see below:

From Michael Steven's: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
more info: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
and: http://www.theeldergeek.com/clean_installation_of_windows_xp.htm

How to optimize your chances of installing Windows XP SP3 successfully:
http://www.pagestart.com/windowsxpsp3p3pg8.html

J W Stuart: http://www.pagestart.com

So, not to be an ungrateful jerk, but why do you think I will be more successfull with an SP3 version? It seemed like SP3 had a lot of issues. Not worried about the driver thing, thanks though for the tip--I do have a separate CD with the drivers. You've got my heart beating fast thinking that this oould be the answer, and I am willing to try anything for my faithful XPS (Hey, I already installed 5 hard drives that failed in fiave years, this is my baby, even stripped of all data), but I guess I just wnanted to know the theory behind SP3 install because, ok, frankly, again, not to be a jrk, but I've successfully installed SP2 and then upgraded five times before, so I'm just wondering. And if it's just a "shot in the dark" that's cool too. Just thought I would ask, maybe I can learn something.