I have experienced several instances of system crashes as a result of a known incompatibility between BIOS, ACPI and Windows XP. This is a documented issue and according to Microsoft, is to be fixed at the BIOS manufacturer level.Why is it that I already think I know the response from Gateway regarding the above?
The following linked article explains the issue, the reasoning behind it and the solutions recommended by Microsoft.
http://microsoft.com/hwdev/tech/onnow/BIOSAMLP.asp
My question is whether Gateway has any plans to offer BIOS upgrades that support the modifications discussed in order to increase system stability for older computers running Windows XP, or if backward compatibility was not to be extended to systems as old as mine (purchased in mid-1999).
Thank you,
David July
My Letter to Gateway
by David July
Archived Article (2001–2014) 
Sent via the Gateway online "E-Mail a Tech" form:
Previous Article
Dear valued customer,
Thank you for your valued input. We are determined to continue toward our goal of customer satisfaction. We appreciate your concern, and we hold the utmost respect.
Sincerely,
Gateway Tech Support.
What model gateway do you have? I've actually got a little experience on a couple older models running XP.
I am very happily running a Gateway Solo 2500.