Super duper problem, please read and try to help

[Nocturnal]

My computer kinda died last night. While trying to install Win XP Pro it gets stuck at a certain file. It's either my motherboard is dead, or the cd I'm using is damaged.

My system configuration is as follows:

CPU: T-Bird 1.4 GHZ 266 FSB
RAM: 3x256 Crucial PC2100 DDR SDRAM
HDD: IBM 60GXP 60 GIG HDD 7200 RPM
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS A7N266-e onboard everything
OS: Win XP Pro

I am running three sticks of Crucial ram, and I tried just using one stick and everytime the same thing happens. While trying to copy the files over to my HDD on installation of Windows it gets stuck on one file.

Please help me diagnose this problem as I am at work and only have access to a computer while at work. If you think a new CD of the OS will help, please let me know.

Does anyone think it might be my mobo or ram? I tried all three sticks in different slots and it did the same thing everytime.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ketchup]

Where exactly does it get stuck? Did you try cleaning the CD?

 

[Nocturnal]

Originally posted by: ketchup79
Where exactly does it get stuck? Did you try cleaning the CD?

Tried cleaning the cd. It gets stuck right when it's copying a certain file. It gets stuck at 2% and at a msconfig.dll or some msSOMETHINGHERE.dll. It's right at the beginning. I tried skipping the file and it only ends up not reading another file down the line.

HELP.

 

[DrumBandit]

If you don't need anything on your drive, try reformatting. This is all I can think of.

 

[Nocturnal]

Originally posted by: DrumBandit
If you don't need anything on your drive, try reformatting. This is all I can think of.

I let Windows do the quick format right when it's installing Windows again.

 

[DrumBandit]

You should try the long format then

 

[Nocturnal]

Originally posted by: DrumBandit
You should try the long format then

I think I'll try this, I think I'll also repartition the HDD.

Getting stuck at a certain point all the time... could it mean bad ram or ram slots?

 

[UlricT]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal

Originally posted by: DrumBandit
You should try the long format then

I think I'll try this, I think I'll also repartition the HDD.

Getting stuck at a certain point all the time... could it mean bad ram or ram slots?

yeah... had almost the same problem with installing XP. You should try each of your RAM sticks one-by-one, all three can't be bad....

 

[Nocturnal]

TTT

 

[DannyBoy]

Had the same problem about 6 weeks ago on a clients computer.

Was performing an upgrade and was horrified to find that everything was working until the time to copy files started.

I self-diagnosed the IDE Bus Controller being totally naffed on the mobo (MSI KT4 board).

Funnily enough when the comp was RMA'd they said exactly the same thing.

Dan

 

[Booster]

It's the CDROM problem. Try setting it as a slave if it's a master, running it on primary IDE channel if it's on secondary. Seen this happen when run on the second channel.