Problem installing XP

[excalibur3]

Hi everyone,
I was curious if I could get some advice. I recently built a core i5 based system with a GIGABYTE GA-P55M-UD4 motherboard. I would like to run Windows XP because I have some older software that have been having issues with Windows 7. Even when turning off SATA in the bios, I get kernel panics left and right durnign the install. Is there a good method of running XP on such a new system? Could I somehow restore a disk image directly on to a drive to circumvent the install process? Is Vista something I should try or would that be even worse? I kind of feel like Windows is at an awkward stage right now where it isn't exactly clear the best version to use.
Thanks!
Stephen

 

[GaryJohnson]

Can you be more specific about your problem than "I get kernel panics"? What specific error messages are you getting?

You could also try XP mode in W7:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

 

[MrChad]

What older software are you afraid will have issues on W7? Windows 7 x64 is really the best fit for that hardware.

 

[excalibur3]

I have an ultimate edition that allows me to install either x64 or x32 bit. I tried the x64 bit first but even trivial things like adobe acrobat froze repeatedly upon install. I assumed that 32 bit applications just didn't work, but what you say suggests that something else was going on. Am I sacrificing anything with going for the 64 bit version?

I was trying to install labview and also some software that interfaces with scientific hardware. I didn't know about the XP compatibility option. I tried starting the installers in XP mode under properties and that didn't cut it.

 

[GaryJohnson]

It sounds like you're having some general stability issues. You should check your temps, your voltages, run a diagnostic on your RAM, and check your HDD for errors.

 

[excalibur3]

So everything runs perfectly with Ubuntu and Windows Vista/7 so I think it might be due to SATA driver incompatibilities. It's possible you are right, but would it just be that modern operating systems are better at dealing with bad memory? I've tried the install on different physical hard drives so it probably isn't that, but it could be memory. I get it even when running 1 memory stick at a time though.