Where to buy windows cheaply and install on SATA?

[wowzer]

I have a few winxp disks that will only install onto a PATA drive (no SATA support).

I figured that I had to buy an OS that supports SATA in windows (vista, XP sp3, 7) to run some windows apps. Where do I find the cheapest solutions?

I wouldn't even mind doing some work with the winxp disks that I have to slipstream them...but I'm not sure that I'd be able to install onto a SATA drive (i.e. onto my iMac).

Would this one work?
http://www.discountmountainsoftware.com/...upoem.html

Thanks.

[Speedy]

Craigslist will occasionally have Win 7 Ultimate for $20. And it is worth at least half that.

[wowzer]

I've searched craiglist and haven't found one yet...ebay seems to be very expensive as well...

[Speedy]

$30 http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/sys/2173816880.html

$25 http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/sys/2173631313.html

$15 http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/sys/2173351866.html

$45 http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/sys/2173305547.html

$30 http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/sys/2172651443.html

$40 http://houston.craigslist.org/sys/2172110782.html

$30 http://tampa.craigslist.org/psc/sys/2172768304.html

$20 http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/sys/2168169226.html

$15 http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/sys/2171706573.html

$40 http://houston.craigslist.org/sys/2170179546.html

[Gareth]

Speedy wrote:
Craigslist will occasionally have Win 7 Ultimate for $20. And it is worth at least half that.

Sure, if you like buying illegal copies of software. May as well go look for a torrent file to download and save the $20 and hassle of meeting some random stranger dealing in illegal software.

[Speedy]

Torrents are not as friendly for large files. I'd go with a copy of Monopoly$oft's 7.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

wowzer wrote:
I have a few winxp disks that will only install onto a PATA drive (no SATA support).

Could you provide a little more background for this? I have put WinXP SP2 on a half dozen computers with SATA drives with no problems (assuming the motherboard supports booting from SATA). It also works booting a 5 year old motherboard with a SATA drive an a USB 2 external case.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Whoops, I might have used XP SP2 with SP3 slipstreamed. I do not have that disk image handy to check.

[motopsyco]

Stop this stupidity!!! Now!

Simply put the SATA drivers for the machine on a USB flash drive and put the flash drive on the machine. When durning the XP install you are asked if you have any other drivers to load and press an "F" key, press the bloody "F" key. The Windows installer will get to a point where it will then ask where your drivers are, navigate the installer to the USB drive. All will be good.

Now stop it!!!

Cheers!

[Cary]

You can buy the system builder versions of windows at Microcenter cheaply.