Can't install Win XP pro on Acer Aspire 5102wlmi

I'm trying to fix an Acer Aspire 5102wlmi laptop for my friend.
Originally the laptop came with Windows Vista Home premium x86.
He told me that he bought the laptop second hand and Windows XP was installed.
Now I try to re-install Windows XPpro SP3 via CD-rom, but after loading all drivers etc,
the installation hangs and only a blinkin' cursor shows in the upper left corner.
I have tested all hardware, only the USB-ports seems to be not working for I had to update
the bios to the latest version by CD-rom. It won't boot from USB.
I even took out the Harddrive, attached it another PC and tried to install XP this way, but it didn't work.
Later, after installing the hard drive back in the laptop, I tried to install Ubuntu: no problem!
Installed Win 7 Ultimate: no problem, except for some drivers and since Acer only supplies drivers for
Windows Vista and Windows XP, I tried the Vista drivers and they work quite well under win 7.
Even installed windows Vista Home Premium again, but that's really not the finest one!!
Also my friend wants to have XP again installed.
Anyone any idea why XP pro can't be installed and hangs during setup? Is the malfunctioning USB port the problem?
By the way: I have even created a slipstreamed XP-version with all acer aspire 5100 windows XP drivers,
including the SATA driver, so that can't be the problem....which is in most cases the problem!

Anyway; I hope anybody has a good suggestion in order to be able to give my friend his laptop
again with Win XP installed!

Thanks in advance!

 

Can you try a different XP Pro disc? Not a modded/slipstreamed version, an original uncracked disc. If you weren't able to install it from a different PC it doesn't sound like the laptop or BIOS are at fault.

 

Hi,
I haven't mentioned the complete story, but yes I have also tried with an original (genuine) Windows Xp pro SP2 disc, but no go too. Due to a lot of issues I found on internet related to SATA drivers which are not baked into XP, you should either have a separate CD and have them installed during setup, or have them slipstreamed. Anyway, thanks a lot for your reply!

 

Did you try to disable SATA-mode in the BIOS? or change it to IDE. That should fix the problem.

 

Thanks, but there is no option available in this BIOS version to disable SATA-mode. I have updated the BIOS to the latest version, which gave me some hope that it would appear, because I read about this change from SATA to IDE mode, but this is not possible! Very stupid.... ( I think this was also the last time I ever lay my hands on an Acer laptop again....what a crap!! Never had these idiot things on my wife's HP low budget laptop......

 

It should be listed in the bios as AHCI.