Member Avatar for kak_kulubob

Hi there,

I have a compaq presario CQ43 laptop whoes HDD just crashed giving the blue screen error (system couldn't read drive at all). I replaced its original HDD (a 320GB Seagate SATA HDD) with a 250GB Hitachi SATA HDD. But when I tried to install WINXP OS, it still gives me the blue screen of death. I connected the 250GB HDD in my external (the HDD was read perfectly) and did a check disk on another laptop. I connected it back to the compaq laptop and tried to install but it still gave the same error.
I haven't tried replacing the RAM because I don't have any but I don't believe that could be a problem.
On the original HDD, it says "replace with HP spare". Does this mean that no other HDD brand can be used except the specified (ie: Seagate or HP)?

Thank you for any help.

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Dani AI

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Common causes of a Blue Screen during an older Windows XP install are missing SATA/AHCI drivers, trying to install to a drive connected over USB, or failing hardware (RAM or the drive itself). The replies from , and point in the right directions; the “replace with HP spare” label is just a service/part tag and does not mean only HP-branded drives will work, as implied.

Practical diagnostics and fixes (priority order):

  • Make sure the target drive is installed internally (not in a USB enclosure) when running the OS setup. Windows XP will often fail to boot or show INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE if it was installed to a USB-attached disk.
  • If XP setup stops with an inaccessible-boot-device type error, either switch the controller to IDE/Compatibility mode in BIOS (if available) or supply the correct SATA controller driver to setup. For XP-era machines that lack a floppy, slipstream the chipset/AHCI driver into an XP install ISO (nLite or similar) or use an installer that already includes AHCI drivers (Windows 7+).
  • Wipe the disk fully (delete all partitions / use diskpart clean from a Windows PE/installer) and create a fresh MBR/partition table before reinstalling.

Further checks and notes:

  • Run Memtest86+ from a USB stick to rule out bad RAM.
  • Run the drive maker’s diagnostics (SeaTools, Hitachi Drive Fitness Test) to check SMART and surface health.
  • Try booting a Linux live USB or installing Linux to the disk as a quick hardware sanity check; a successful Linux boot usually indicates the drive and SATA controller are physically fine.
  • For large partitions on XP, use NTFS as noted.

If all software fixes fail, replacing the 2.5" SATA drive is reasonable — new drives are inexpensive and eliminate the drive as a variable, as suggested.

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Member Avatar for bobbyraw

Do this , when the compuer start, go into the BIOS and see what sata mode the hard drive is in. if it says ACHI change it to legacy or IDE or ATA but some other mode than ACHI. give that a try.

if that does not work, connect the hard rive back to another computer and use windows disk manager to create a new partition ( wiping the drive) then put it back and try.

are you using a flash drive or a cd/dvd to install.

Member Avatar for kak_kulubob

Hi bobbyraw

I've tried looking for the hard drive settings in the BIOS but this compaq laptop does not have any (I don't know why but may be some manufactures are doing away with that because most laptops now use SATA hard drives).
However, I tried using the hard drive in a dell latitude D630 laptop which had hard drive BIOS settings. I tried using each of the settings (ATA and latter ACHI) but still had the same blue screen error (I installed the hard drive externally and tried to install the OS).
I haven't tried creating a new partition using the disk manager but I've only formated the hard drive and ran chkdsk several times. I'll try to create a new partition. (if all else fails I'll get a new hard drive)
By the way I tried using both methods of installation (flash drive and cd).

Thank you for the help

Member Avatar for ChemE_Programma

Get a new HDD. They are cheap and a new HDD will be more reliable.

Member Avatar for rubberman

Some systems do require manufacturer-branded disc drives for the system disc as least. HP has had this issue in the past. I don't personally know about this model. In any case, I don't purchase HP PC's any more, though my company has started to use them instead of the Lenovo systems we have been using for a number of years, and NOBODY likes them, at all! I think that HP just made our purchasing dept. an offer they couldn't refuse... they definitely are cheaper than an equivalent Lenovo. An engineer I have been mentoring on C++ for a year or so spilled coffee on his Lenovo's keyboard a week or so ago, letting the magic smoke out. They gave him an HP as a replacement, and I can't stop his muttering and sub-voce swearing... He is threatening to purchase his own Lenovo (or something other than an HP) for work use! :-)

Member Avatar for BigPaw

Which Filing System is on the Harddrive? On such a large chive, or on large partitions, you must use NTFS and not FAT32.

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