Does WINXP write to hidden places on your hard drive?

[Cybordolphin]

I suddenly am having ALL kinds of problems loading my WINXP.

I keep getting error messages during the copy files installation process... and also now getting blue screens showing STOP messages.

I am thinking that XP thinks I am using pirate software..... as I am installing a new drive into my system, and the new drive had a previous XP OS system before it was reformatted.

Is WINXP looking at a previous install on hidden files that are not removable via reformatting?

What a pain in the arss. I mean this is just an OS.... you'd think Bill Gates was playing god with everyones computer these days. His OS can apparently dissable a computer (render it useless), if it likes... and I suppose that is just "ok". Bullsh*t.

I have just about had it with MS.

Anyway... just a tad frustrated right now.

Even when I try to install my "corp" version of XP now... I am getting these errors.

I really get the feeling MS has made its mark on my hard drives... and THEY will decide if and when I reinstall my OS.

Any words of wisdom here..??

Thanks.

 

[AkumaBao]

Well, just format the drive, and install. Most likely it's seeing the old system file, and telling itself that it's wrong. Try also installing on the other drive.

 

[Cybordolphin]

Yep... this is rediculous... especially with all the beta testing and changes I make...

Oh well.. part of the price we must pay to our new "god" (that'd be MR. Gates). This guy really is going too far.

I think he actually thinks he OWNS our computers now... and can do whatever he likes. Someone please tell him... this is just a another piece of software... and he has no right to dissable our lil puter's whenever he likes. No other software company in the world would take on this liability... or be this ballzy. I think he has finally gone nuts.

 

[extro]

Whatever those problems are, they haven't got anything to do with anti-piracy measures in the OS. The activation scheme won't prevent a repair or re-installation, it'll only require re-activation once the OS is installed successfully.

Are you doing a fresh install or an upgrade?

If you're overclocking, try slowing the box down to the default speed. Set the BIOS to the "fail-safe" defaults. Turn off system and video ROM shadowing, etc....

 

[Cybordolphin]

Everything is in fail safe mode.

I am getting all kinds of fatal errors... and errors copying files during the install process. No matter if I am doing a clean install or an upgrade.

I am also trying MANY different disk (XP OS). Still not working.

I have now "wiped" the drive... and will retry.

I spose it could be a fautly Drive (DVDrom) that I am installing from. Or even perhaps a bad ram stick.
Perhaps even a virus.

Will find out using some trial and error.

 

[extro]

Check out the hard drive. If the manufacturer has a diagnostic utility that can repair/refresh it, give it a shot.

 

[RamIt]

Ripped from www.TweakXP.com



Boot with a Windows 98 Start Up disk
Insert the Windows 98 CD into the CD reader
Run smartdrv.exe from the Win98 directory on the windows 98 CD (file caching)
Type cd.. to back up to the root directory
Insert Windows XP CD into the CD reader
Copy the i386 folder to C:\
Go into C:\i386 folder on C: and type winnt.exe to launch the setup from the hard drive.

 

[GigaCluster]

<< Check out the hard drive. If the manufacturer has a diagnostic utility that can repair/refresh it, give it a shot. >>


The best utility of that kind is SpinRite 5. It's $90, though.

RamIt: Eh???

 

[TheWart]

what RamIt is saying is to copy the setup files to the hard drive before install (via smartdrv) so that you cannot blame the problem on ure cdrom.

 

[Cybordolphin]

Thats what I did on one of my systems.... still got a few errors. But managed to get it installed and running. First I did a complete "wipe" of one of my drives though.

Even when copying from an original MS XP disk... I was getting errors... like unable to copy Shell32.dll, and MSTVGS.DLL, etc..
Consistent error messages. Even after I did my wipe.

I have never had so many problems trying to get a clean install with software. I guess I am all alone

 

[jwells777]

I have seen similar problems to those that you are describing...If you figure out what the problem was or how to fix it, please let me know.

 

[DaLeroy]

<< Thats what I did on one of my systems.... still got a few errors. But managed to get it installed and running. First I did a complete "wipe" of one of my drives though.

Even when copying from an original MS XP disk... I was getting errors... like unable to copy Shell32.dll, and MSTVGS.DLL, etc..
Consistent error messages. Even after I did my wipe.

I have never had so many problems trying to get a clean install with software. I guess I am all alone >>




XP has given me some problems reading cd's that work fine on installations of WIN98 on the same machine. Couldn't read certain files etc. Try copying the setup files to the Hard drive on another machine and then installing on the new machine. Those errors are bad reads....either software or you cd-rom...

 

[Cybordolphin]

The weird thing is.... that on the very first "clean" install. The disk installed the OS absolutely perfect. This has been the case on more than one system.

It was just when I removed the OS.... and reinstalled using a different disk, etc.. That is when I got the ton of errors. I really feel that XP writes info to the hard drive.... that cannot be found/seen/recovered. I know that WIN98 installs info., to hidden files in DOS. Even after reformatting the drive(s), I could never get another "clean" install.

 

[NesuD]

write zeros to the hdd. Formatting doesn't really remove everything and sometimes that causes problems with later os installs. I always write zeros to the drive if i want to do a clean install.

 

[MJSTech]

you should fdisk /mbr (kills the master boot record)
fdisk
reboot
format
reboot
boot to disk
install os

this way is pretty failsafe


good luck
mark