WinXP Pro Install hangs at "Setup is starting Windows"

[Tromos]

Machine:

Gigabyte 7VAX Motherboard
AMD XP 1800+
512MB Apacer PC2700 DDR RAM
40GB Seagate 5400 RPM HDD (don't have model name handy)
5.1 GB WD HDD (again, don't have the model handy)

Current setup:
Seagate drive running Win2K, SP3
WD drive running Win98SE
Dual boot setup (loaded Win98SE to D: , then Win2K to C: )

Given all of that, I decided I wanted to change my Win2K to WinXP Pro. Having backed up the data I want to the WD drive, I booted from the WinXP CD. It goes through all of the driver loading steps and such, gets to the point where the message at the bottom of the screen reads "Setup is starting Windows", and hangs. No HDD activity. No CD-ROM activity. I left it there for 30 mins to be sure - nothing. Tried it 3 times.

So I tried another option. I booted up into Win2K, then started the WinXP installation from there (New installation, not Upgrade). It did its file loading thing, asked for the CD Key and location information and such, then rebooted. On reboot, it jumped into that same blue pre-loading screen (except it took very little time since the files were already loaded), then hung up at the same point again.

The Seagate HDD seems to work just fine running Win2K, so I'm hesitant to suggest that it is the problem. The Gigabyte board is one of their newest models (8x AGP support and all) and I have updated the BIOS to the latest and greatest. Is there something in Win2K that is sabotaging my WinXP install? Am I missing some switch somewhere that is stopping this? Any advice would be useful.

Thanks.

 

[Serp86]

Are you using a backup cd?

Don't know for sure, but winxp cd's have a sort of copy protection, that at that stage the setup halts. Again, not sure why.

 

[Tromos]

Interesting question. Now that you mention it, this is the second installation I have had problems with using this CD. While not a backup, it's not a packaged Microsoft product either. My university has a distribution agreement with Microsoft that allows the university to duplicate and distribute Microsoft software to students and faculty at a reduced price. This is such a disk.

In the other installation (on a 9GB Quantum Bigfoot drive), the entire install went normally, but on reboot after install, it hangs at the black WindowsXP splash screen.

Hmmm . . . thanks for that comment Serp. At least I have a path for investigation now.

 

[Serp86]

hmm. dunno then.

My school has made an agreement for ORIGINAL microsoft WinXP pro, Office XP pro, and Visual studio to be bundled in a package for only about $25 (I don't live un US - i live in malta)

Sorry i can't help