Installing Windows XP on a Sony VGN-FW21M Laptop

The drive drives should be picked up from the BIOS. You dont need drivers for your HDD. Try a different installation CD. The CD could be a problem. I wont rule out the problem with the hard disk. If the hard disk is ok, cd is okay try updating the bios.

cheers

could be due to memory fault as well.
check it with a live cd like UBCD

If your new hard drive is SATA try changing the AHCI setting to ATA in the BIOS.
Also, If you don't have XPPRO - SP3 you might need to slipstream it with the SATA drivers or provide the drivers from a floppy drive when booting from the XP CD (it will give you a chance to press on F6 a few seconds after booting)....

Thanks for the responses

There are no options in the BIOS for AHCI / ATA.  

Not a memory fault as works fine with the Vista drive.

HD is new - same fault with another.

The Disk is XPP SP3

It looks like you will need the SATA drivers and have some slipstreaming to do.

so it looks like you need to add the specific sata driver at the install.

Go to the intel site and download the matrix storage manager and the floppy configuration utility. You may be able to place the driver needed onto a memory stick. If not, you need to slipstream the driver or use  usb floppy drive. Watch for the F6 prompt andinstall the driver when asked.

flubbster: I have tried before to force a computer to recognize a memory stick as logical Drive A unsuccessfully..... How do you do it?
This is why I had advised above that he press F6 and use a floppy drive ..

There should be some options for the hard drive mode in the BIOS settings. It mightr say Compatable mode or non-raid.
If not, check for a newer BIOS version for your laptop.