Cannot install windows xp

[koji]

I go to install windows xp and it runs fine, untill the part where it restarts and loads from the hard drive, where it finishes the installation. After it restarts, on my computer, i just get the error "error loading operating system."
I have an ABIT kn9 (nFORCE 4 ultra chipset), AMD athlon 64x2 4600+ windsor, and Kingston pc2-4200 ram.
I have tried updating the bios with no luck. I also tried Ubuntu Linux, and the live cd will run, and it will install fine, but will not load. I think it might be the ram but im not totally sure.
Any ideas?

 

[Fallen Kell]

Well if Ubuntu runs fine from CD, but won't load from the drive, it sounds like you have a hard drive that is in the process of dying. Use the smartmontools packages in linux to take a look at the disk. You can also try doing using "dd" to copy the disk to itself. This should force the disk to flag bad sectors and use the spares.

"dd if=/dev/hda of=/dev/hda"

Will copy the first IDE device to itself. Replace "hda" with whatever your hard drive is detected as in Ubuntu. It will be "scx" where "x" is a letter a-z if you have a SATA drive.

 

[Slikkster]

Originally posted by: Fallen Kell

"dd if=/dev/hda of=/dev/hda"

Will copy the first IDE device to itself. Replace "hda" with whatever your hard drive is detected as in Ubuntu. It will be "scx" where "x" is a letter a-z if you have a SATA drive.

Lol, this is exactly why Linux will never be the desktop OS of choice for the masses. Mind you, that's not a slap at Linux. It just fails the mom and pop test...badly. The "folks" would think this was a language called Ubuntu!

 

[koji]

Thank you for your reply, I didnt really want to go through all the trouble of using smartmontools so I am currenly hooking up a new hard drive that my brother had lying around. I will post results as soon as i get them. Lets hope it was the hard drive so I can get this machine booted up!

 

[koji]

I really doubt its the hard drive because after putting a new one in, it still will not work. Could the ram do this? If so, how can i be sure that the ram is the problem? Thanks for your time.

EDIT-I also read somewhere that ram timings in the bios could fix this problem. Just throwing it out there, since it may help someone help me.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Originally posted by: Slikkster

Originally posted by: Fallen Kell

"dd if=/dev/hda of=/dev/hda"

Will copy the first IDE device to itself. Replace "hda" with whatever your hard drive is detected as in Ubuntu. It will be "scx" where "x" is a letter a-z if you have a SATA drive.

Lol, this is exactly why Linux will never be the desktop OS of choice for the masses. Mind you, that's not a slap at Linux. It just fails the mom and pop test...badly. The "folks" would think this was a language called Ubuntu!

Dude, we are doing a hardcore device level bit perfect copy here. This isn't some copy file to new location, or move something around. This is on par with hand editing the Windows Registry file, which if you want to configure MANY things in Windows you have to do (like remove auto-run CD on insert or properly set network settings, etc., etc.,) This is on par with using forensic analysis tools and data recovery tools. Your "mom and pop" would say, "It doesn't work." and take it to Best Buy for their "Geek Squad" to look at. After which they will give you a bill for $100 for diagnosis and tell mom and pop that their hard drive is dead and all their data is lost. This actually lets you save the data and recover it. If you want "Geek Squad" to do that, plan on forking over $1000 or more.

In fact, Windows doesn't even HAVE a way to do the above. You need to purchase it from a 3rd party company to get utilities like this.

 

[koji]

YES!!! I found the problem, it was the f---ing ide cable... Thanks for your help/time.