Windows XP Pro Installation - Need Help

[esun]

Read Please: Please read below so this makes sense. I decided just to unplug my 60GB hard drive (which contains my C: and D: partitions, since the C: was being read as "corrupt") and install from the CD again. Well, after copying the installation files and rebooting, I wasn't sure whether to boot from my hard drive or my CD-Rom. I tried first from my CD-Rom, and it just gave me the same Setup process. I then tried from my hard drive (not in a RAID config), and it just booted to a black screen and nothing happened.

Please help!!

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Ok this thing is really pissing me off now.

Here's the situation: I used to have Windows 98 on my RAID 0 array (2 x 20GB Hard drives). I moved this partition onto my 60GB drive (after deleting/resizing others) and tried to install WinXP on the RAID array.

I booted from the CD and tried to format those drives (RAID 0) using an NTFS quick format. After hitting 100%, it said it couldn't format them and that the drives were corrupt. Damn.

So I delete my RAID array and try installing on just one of the 20GB hard drives. This time I booted into Windows 98 and ran setup, it saved some installation files and asked me to reboot, so I do as I'm told. When it boots to my Win98 partition, it asks if I want to bood Windows are start WinXP Pro setup, so I choose setup. I go through the same thing as when I booted off my CD-Rom, just now it's copying files from the hard drive.

So again I quick NTFS format the one of my 20GB drives. NOW, here comes the real bull sh*t, after formatting, it analyzes my drives, then tells me that my C: drive is CORRUPT and unfixable. Now I'm on my C: partition (FAT32) right now, writing this message, in Windows 98 SE.

So goddamn, I think there's some miscommunication (or NO communication) between my FAT32 partition and my NTFS partition. WHAT DO I DO?!!??!?!?!

BTW I read their POS little setup readme and it told me nothing.


EDIT: I tried loading the Highpoint (RAID Controller) XP drivers using F6. It gave me another stupid error like "txtsetup.oem does not exist, press enter to continue." No clue if that means it worked or not, but again it told me my C: was corrupted. I have the exact error message this time:

"Windows XP Professional Setup

Setup has determined that drive C: is corrupted and cannot be repaired.

Setup cannot continue. To quit Setup, press F3."

Again I want to emphasize that drive C: is currently IN USE and having ABSOLUTLEY no problems. I am thinking of some other ways I can try installing XP, like unplugging my 60GB hard drive (which contains Win98 and partition C and installing it without the drive in, the plugging in the drive again.

I figure that I could also try installing it with FAT32, but I don't want FAT, I want NTFS. Damnit, why the hell is Linux so much easier to install than the so-called "user-friendly" Windows XP?!


EDIT #2: About the txtsetup.oem error, I just saw that there is a file included with the HPT drivers called txtsetup.oem, and that I didn't copy that to the floppy, so I'll by trying again. Wish me luck!


EDIT #3: Well I tried it again, and it gave me another error, something like txtsetup.oem caused an error in blah blah file. I don't think that's the problem, though. I did a quick search on google, and found these:

http://www.seniority.co.uk/ubb/Forum12/HTML/000080.html
http://www.computing.net/windows2000/wwwboard/forum/415.html

Both show pretty much the same error I'm getting, and in one case a person mentions getting that error despite using a brand new motherboard and hard drive. They suggested trying fdisk /mbr, which I've done multiple times and found it has not solved the problem for me.

 

[Insidious]

with the quick format not working, would it do to try the full format?

I don't really understand what is going wrong, but it is something else to try.



afterthought: did you say there is no communication between the fat32 partition and the NTFS?

If you are booted and running from FAT32, it cannot (by design) read NTFS.

 

[esun]

I've tried doing a full format, but that hasn't changed anything.

I know that NTFS and FAT can't see each other, but it's specifically saying that the drive is corrupt. I don't know if this means it *thinks* it's corrupt because it's FAT32 or if it is just saying that (because I know for a fact that it isn't corrupt). I would imagine that Microsoft would be smart enough to prevent such a problem from occuring, which is why I'm doubting that the NTFS is reading the FAT partition as corrupt just because it's FAT. Plus, my D: partition goes through just fine (it checks D: first, then C: for some reason, and only fails when checking the C: drive).

I'd appreciate any more advice.

 

[NzAnE2K]

Have you tried using fdisk, deleating the partition, creating a partition, making it active, then setting up? You can try that.

 

[esun]

Which partition? The NTFS partition? I didn't even know fdisk could make NTFS partitions, can it? If that's what you mean, though, I've tried. I have Partition Magic and have tried both letting the setup program setup the partition itself, and I've tried creating an NTFS partition and tried to install on there. No difference.

EDIT: NM the fdisk & NTFS comment....duh, fdisk doesn't do any formatting

 

[KerryMunro]

Are you trying to dual boot? The W98 (FAT32) partition must be first.

 

[esun]

Kerry I currently Dual boot Windows 98 SE and SuSE Linux 7.2 Pro using Boot Magic (bundled with Partition Magic) and it works great. I have a separate partition ready for Windows XP Pro, and after installing it I could add it to the Boot Magic menu, it doesn't matter where I install it (to an extent).

 

[esun]

Bump! Still need help, and I've updated the first post!

 

[bacillus]

did you press F6 at the start of the setup to load the raid drivers??

 

[esun]

I tried, but it gave me an error. But I've deleted the RAID array anyway, so that shouldn't matter.

 

[dfroggy]

This is what i did when install XP pro. I use win98 start up disk. I deleted my old partions then i created a new logical partion. I then set it active. I use fat32 partion. I didnt use NtFT. Reboot my computer after that, Then i Format C:. after that was done. I did the installion process. D:/setup.
Everything works find I didnt have to install any driver or anything.

 

[esun]

I suppose I could use FAT32, but I really want to try out NTFS. I was thinking that I might install it using FAT32, then convert it to NTFS using Partition Magic, but I'm not sure that would work, first of all, and second of all, it seems that something like that shouldn't have to be done just to install XP.

I wish they had some better documentation of this stuff, too.

 

[Insidious]

If you do end up choosing to convert after your install, I think you will have your best luck if you use

the conversion program within XP instead of partition magic. (I've never been convinced that M$ does

a very good job of communicating the ins and outs of it's software, and this way you won't have to

worry about compatability)

From XP help:



<< To convert a volume to NTFS from the command prompt
Open Command Prompt.
In the command prompt window, type
convert drive_letter: /fs:ntfs

For example, typing convert D: /fs:ntfs would format drive D: with the ntfs format.

Notes

To open command prompt, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt.
You can convert FAT or FAT32 volumes to NTFS with this command. >>

 

[esun]

Yet another bump. Hope someone can help me.