# Howto: Installing Windows XP on Asus F3Sv/F3Sc



## inception

INSTALLATION GUIDE FOR ASUS F3SV
INSTALLING WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL
_Written by: Inception 15/10 -07_

*
Please do not copy this guide, but instead link to this thread! *

_I've been wanting to write this guide because there are so many people who want to switch over to Windows XP from Windows Vista, of various reasons.
So, here goes:_

For this guide, you will need:


An image file of Windows XP Professional (or a CD)
A computer running Windows XP or Vista
A CD-burner
Some patience, and an average level of intelligence.

1. First off, you would want to get your copy of XP. XP Professional contains a lot of crap that most people generally do not want on their computer, so get a lite-version. My version was named "Customized_Windows_XP_Vista_Unattended_Fully_Updated_High_Perfor", and I have based this guide upon it (google it!).

2. Get "nLite". nLite is a tool for customizing a Windows XP image to your flavour, where you can among other things include drivers. You can include as many drivers as you want on your install, but I chose to only add the drivers neccecary for the installation of the system, and let it be up to the users to get their device drivers afterwards.
nLite can be downloaded from here[url].

3. Get [url=http://rapidshare.com/files/55256954/intel82801HEMSATA.zip.html]the SATA driver from this location. Extract it to a folder, you'll need it later.

4. Unpack your image, or drag the complete contents of your XP CD to a folder on your local harddrive.

5. Start nLite, locate your image, select that you wish to insert a driver into the installation, and that you want to re-write the XP image to a new file. If you have issues regarding this, there's tons of guides regarding how to do this on Google.

6. Burn out the new XP CD, reboot your machine and boot up the XP CD. If you need software for burning the .img file, I recommend DVD Decrypter, which is an excellent freeware program.

7. The XP installation should find your hard drive automatically. For the best system performance, I would advice you to make two partitions on your harddrive, a system partition on 12-30GB (depending on your hard drive), and leaving the rest of the harddisk space free. We'll partition this later.

8. Complete the XP installation

9. Get these drivers:

Mainboard:LINK

Wireless Driver:
File1: LINK 1LINK 2
File2: LINK
File3: LINK 1LINK 2 
_Note: Try only file3 if file2 fails to install_

Hotkeys:
File1: LINK 1LINK 2
File2: LINK 1LINK 2
File3: LINK 1LINK 2
File4: LINK 1LINK 2
File5: LINK 1LINK 2

Graphics:LINK 
Select the top one on the list, this is the newest driver. Download the driver and the Modded INF (green link on top of the driver details page). Extract the driver, put the inf file in the folder, overwrite the old one, and install the driver. This should work fine, if not, try an older driver.

Sound:
File1: LINK
File2: LINK

Bluetooth:LINK 1LINK 2

Memory Card Controller:LINK 1LINK 2

LAN Driver:LINK 1LINK 2 
_Note: The LAN driver is for an Atheros L1 Gigabith device, not the Attansic. However this driver works, and the Attansic driver for XP does not._

Touchpad Driver: LINK 1LINK 2 
_Note: The touchpad seemed to work right out-of-the-box for me in XP SP2._

Utilies:
BIOS Updater: LINK 1 LINK 2

Bugfixes:
File1: LINK 1LINK 1
File2: LINK 1LINK 1
File3: LINK 1LINK 1
File4: LINK 1LINK 1
File5: LINK 1LINK 1
File6: LINK 1LINK 1

10. Obtain Partition Magic 8
11. Format the remaining disk space of your hard drive
12. Get antivirus, anti-spyware and firewall software.
I recommend AVG 7.5 Free, Lavasoft Ad-Aware and Keiro Personal Firewall.
13. Get CCleaner, run it to remove any smudge the drivers might have made on your drive.
14. Your XP should be good to go!

This guide has been written quickly, and not while doing the steps mentioned above.
Post questions and errors here.


----------



## ozrom1e

*Welcome to TSG....*

Since this is written for a specific motherboard a ASUS F3SV and it is not a solution for a problem do you not think this might be better posted in Tips & Tricks or some other place than in a problem solving section of thew forum?


----------



## inception

Sounds like a good idea, yes. Sorry!
Could a moderator move it (but still keep the link to it intact?)
Thank you.


----------



## Naira

Hello Inception. Following your tutorial I am already running XP on my F3Sv. I have done it in 2 - 3 hours. Already left some drivers but I will soon have it perfect. I have done it differently: I have done an Acronis image of the XP in my desktop. I have formated and changed the Hitachi for a Western Digital. I have booted with a CD with the UNIVERSAL Acronis Image Enterprise which makes the copy without the main drivers, letting you choose where the new drivers are. I entered the path to a CD with the drivers you nicely offer in your tutorial, gave the path to this CD and began the copy. Now I have exactly the same programs, utilities, etc. than in my main computer. It's fantastic! Once done, I have made some cleaning and that's all. By the way, I have just received this answer from Asus on a question about these drivers. They say: 
"Apreciado cliente, los drivers del portatil actualmente se encuentran en desarollo y se iran implementando progresivamente." (Dear customer, the drivers you are asking for are being developed quickly and will be progressively in our website, from where you'll be able to take them). Of course, the'd better send an XP Asus OEM with the drivers as we have already paid for a "slow, incomplete, full of problems, etc." OS. When the first SP1 for the Premium arrives, I'll change to the Hitachi and will see how it runs. I supose Asus will pay Microsoft for my XP!
Thanks very much for your help, Inception.


----------



## Naira

Where I say 'I have formatted' in the previous post I refer, of course, to the new Western Digital I have bought. The Vista Premium remains in the Hitachi in case Microsoft makes a miracle. They asked me to validate, I don't know why, and their nasty active X told me the copy was not original! I emailed them and still waiting for their answer. It's idiot! The only thing they ask is to send them where you purchased the OS, with all the details. They obviously think you are using a pirate copy... How stupid and sad!


----------



## kakuke

Hi. I have an F3Sr and I want to do the same thing. Will it work?


----------



## inception

Most probably YES, as the only variable here is the SATA driver, which should probably be the same kind


----------



## kakuke

Well I did it a couple of weeks ago and everything works but I'm getting awfully lot of blue death screens quite often. What could be the problem ?


----------



## inception

I would think it's your drivers in some way..


----------



## malm123

GRRRRR THIS ISNT WORKING FOR ME!!!!

i am actually completley done and sucssful, accept i cant find a working bluetooth driver?!!? can somone PLEASE help me.. ( my mouse is bluetooth)

i downloaded the latest generic from the toshiba website as well and no luck


----------



## lukasb

hello and thanks for all the info!

would you know where to obtain the tv tuner driver for this laptop for xp?

thank you.


----------



## seppo_beppo

thanks for this thread, i also need the tv tuner driver, i cant find any which is working

thanks


----------



## Hazuki

Just followed this guide through, nice work .

I have a few things in device manager but its hardware I dont use such as the finger print scanner etc..

Thanks for the guide .

/Haz


----------

