Some help stepping down to xp - SATA & slipstreaming & txtsetup.oem problems

So I just got my Dell 1721 with dual RAID 0 160 gig drives. Want to dial it back to Windows XP, but having problems with XP setup not seeing my drives.

I set the SATA operation in BIOS to RAID Autodetect/ATA.
I downloaded the SATA driver from Dell (R167809.EXE, unzipped to give me ahcix86s.inf, however same file for both Vista and XP on Dell).
I slipstreamed the driver into nLite (I also upgraded XP to SP 2, and included a package of hotfixes etc. from http://www.ryanvm.net/msfn/updatepack.html, very neat site. Don't know if these additions are part of problem or not).

This did not work. XP installation did not recognize drives.

So, Plan B, had a USB Floppy A (my one and only thanks to wife's IMac). Put ahcix86s.inf on the floppy, tried F6 approach on XP install. XP recognized floppy, but got message "txtsetup.oem" not found. Found a general format for this kind of file on Microsoft site, but need the specifics for my computer and don't know where to get it.

Help. Please. What should be my next approach?

 

Confirmed have BIOS set to RAID Autodetect/ATA, and I am using an XP SP2 level image.

I also tried Plan C, the avalanche of drivers method. Went to http://www.driverpacks.net/DriverPacks/ and slipstreamed in a huge bundle of MassStorage drivers (using instructions found here, message "Create a Slipstreamed XP Disc w/Drivers (for xi/xa series)"). Did not work.

I read on some forum that Dell did allow Staples to sell the 1721 with Windows XP, so it must be possible in some universe. I'll keep building a spaceship in my barn, looking at the stars every night.

 

When you slipstreamed the SATA driver, did it ask you if it should be added as a textmode driver? (And if so, what did you choose?)

And what are the different options in BIOS? Have you tried others than the RAID Autodetect/ATA one?

 

Good question. I checked in the nLite slipstream program, and found that the Dell ATI RAID driver mode was 'PNP'. The help file said that if the mode was text, then I needed to make sure that the txtsetup.oem file was available in the same folder. I did (this build) delete the standard windows hard drive drivers to make sure there are no conflicts.

Still no go.

On the BIOS, RAID or RAID Autodetect/ATA are the only choices.

Thanks for considering my problem.

 

The files in R167809.EXE seem to be corrupted.
Start Plan D: When the ATI RAID Bios is scanning the drives, Press Ctrl-F and disable the RAID setup

 

I have exactly the same computer and problem. Did anyone sort the XP install out? If so PLEASE let me know how. Is it something to do with the dual harddrives? Thanks very much.

 

Guess what? Same problem here...

We need help, someone please post a solution

Call this a bump

 

Bump - Help anyone?