How do you install Windows XP on an HP G60-535DX?

Question

The HP G60-535DX is a nice and cheap notebook that ships with Windows 7 Home Premium. Unfortunately, the hardware for which I bought this notebook is not yet Windows 7 compatible, so an XP downgrade is necessary.

Answer 1

Installing XP on the G60-535DX was relatively painful. HP doesn't publish any XP drivers for this notebook, nor any specific model numbers of its components, and Windows Update only handled a couple of minor drivers, like the trackpad. Hopefully, this info will help someone facing the same task.

1. Use nLite to slipstream the Intel Matrix Storage Manager text mode drivers into a new Windows installation disc.

   • This step is necessary to avoid a BSOD while starting the XP installer, because it doesn't support AHCI. This can be avoided in most other computers by changing the IDE/AHCI setting in the BIOS, but the G60-535DX's BIOS doesn't support the swap. Providing the Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver to the installer will allow it to access the hard disk via AHCI without a blue screen.

2. Download the Realtek ethernet drivers, e.g. from DriverPacks.net in the D\L\R3 directory

3. Download the Intel 5 Series/3400 Chipset drivers

4. Download the Mobile Intel GM45 Graphics drivers

5. Download the Atheros AR9285 Wireless drivers

   1. If the file doesn't automatically download, click the download button > View Source > get the .zip file from the headers
   2. You must select "I will select the driver to install" when installing, or Windows will not find it.

6. Download the Conexant HD Audio driver from Dell.

   1. Obtain the audio card's Hardware ID from the Device Manager
   2. Extract the Dell driver. Add the new ID to the driver's inf file, then install as usual