Fix: Re-run Rufus, ensure MBR is selected, or use a different USB slot (preferably a rear USB 2.0 port rather than a blue USB 3.0 port).

If you can tell me , I can tell you if you need special SATA drivers, or I can help you find the right version of Rufus to use .

Standard modern USB creation utilities like the Microsoft Media Creation Tool or basic Rufus settings often fail with Windows XP. XP requires specific storage drivers (specifically for SATA/AHCI controllers) that are missing from the base installation media.