007b

7b means you need to make the registry changes I mentioned and or you have the wrong driver installed/used for the current BIOS setting

how do i post pictures?

here are screen shots of XP in ide mode

see anything wrong?

when i get this iso file and burn it to disk do I set the computer in IDE or ACHI mode

did you see anything wrong with my screen shots?

@tuc47 - Yes, set AHCI mode in BIOS, then install XP

@Fernando, what do you mean "SATA IDE controllers need to be updated to run AHCI mode"? When I see that, I hear BIOS mod (update), is that what you mean?
If yes, what are you saying he needs to update in the BIOS and I will update it for him. Good thing you noticed this, he probably needs to set AHCI in two locations of BIOS settings too, I will download and check this now.

Actually, that must be due to something he's done trying to get this working, I see nothing like that in his specifications, no additional storage controller listed - https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/Z87-G55/Specification
Nothing in BIOS either, so I think it's something he did that messed it up to show that.

Yes, I saw that image but wasn't sure what you meant initially. Thanks, now I get what you mean.
Why does it show up like that anyway, when there is only one controller (the Z87 PCH)? IS that due to how Intel or the ME FW laid out the lanes or something like that?

Well I did downloaded the pro version and made a cd and did a fresh install to a blank hard drive and it did work.
I used the cd to try to write over my existing XP drive with all the stuff on it and it did rewrite but then would go into a continuous reboot cycle without showing any errors.

Now is there a way to get the drivers over from my new working installation of xp to the one with all the stuff on it?
There must be a way to get the xp drive with all the stuff on it to work in AHCI mode