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XP Installation Problems

B

BillyRubin

Member
I originally posted about this on Operating Systems but wanted to try here to. I built a new computer and everything appears to be working but when I try to instll XP (brand new copy) the installation freezes around 60% of installing the installation folders. This is before entering the product key, etc. I have tested the memory and tested the hard drive using Seagates utilities included with the drive and everything tests OK. I guess I will try an additional memory stick (I have 512k in right now) to see if that is the problem but if it is not what would be the next step to try fixing. Should I start with a different hard drive or what.
 
Originally posted by: BillyRubin
I originally posted about this on Operating Systems but wanted to try here to. I built a new computer and everything appears to be working but when I try to instll XP (brand new copy) the installation freezes around 60% of installing the installation folders. This is before entering the product key, etc. I have tested the memory and tested the hard drive using Seagates utilities included with the drive and everything tests OK. I guess I will try an additional memory stick (I have 512k in right now) to see if that is the problem but if it is not what would be the next step to try fixing. Should I start with a different hard drive or what.
Click to expand...

Can you post your full system specs please. Need to know mobo RAM etc...

Definitely try the memory thing first as that was the problem I had (just needed to update my BIOS).
 
MSI RX480 MB
Athlon 3000 Processor
Kingston Value Ram 512k

It may not be the best but I was going for inexpensive. I am not at home so this is what I can remember. I bought the MB, processor and memory from Mwave and they tested it.

Even though the memory tested OK can it still cause problems?
 
I normall do a 'restore fail safe defauls' in the bois if i get this problem, maybe make sure the ram timings are all ok?
 
Originally posted by: BillyRubin
MSI RX480 MB
Athlon 3000 Processor
Kingston Value Ram 512k

It may not be the best but I was going for inexpensive. I am not at home so this is what I can remember. I bought the MB, processor and memory from Mwave and they tested it.

Even though the memory tested OK can it still cause problems?
Click to expand...

Try a different stick if you have one and see if that helps. Did you test the memory yourself at all? If not run Memtest86 on it overnight and see if you get any errors.

 
Originally posted by: BillyRubin
I ran the Seagate memory test but I cannot get memtest86 to run from a disc. does it have to be on a floppy?
Click to expand...

Nope, I have it on a DVD.

Also, clear the CMOS if you have not done that yet.
 
You're not doing something silly like trying to install a Dell branded XP disc on the comp are you? I ask because I foolishy did that once and the crashes during install drove me nuts for several hours until I realized I had the wrong disc in the drive :s
 
Originally posted by: Fishy007
You're not doing something silly like trying to install a Dell branded XP disc on the comp are you? I ask because I foolishy did that once and the crashes during install drove me nuts for several hours until I realized I had the wrong disc in the drive :s
Click to expand...

Haha, good question. I did the same thing once 😱
 
This is what comes to mind regarding your XP installation scenario.

I used to get into a hardware loop like this till I talked to a Microsoft rep at a TechNET seminar.

He said that 80-90% of install failures that happen during install was due to bad XP disks.

I thought yeah whatever I use this disk all the time I know it's good.

Then I started to think!!!

So then I just glanced at the disk and saw something.

There happen to be good light in the room if not I probably would have never seen it.

A speck so small you had to hold it up to the light to see it. You could see light shine through the speck.

You have to remember that the label is on the top, setting it upside down with one grain of sand cost me all this grief.

The bottom line try a different disk your build might good.
 
Okay, the first problem was the memory. I added another 512k and it worked fine. THen I had a hard drive setting problem which allowed me to get further. Now, after I put in my key code, I can get to 26 minutes left but have made it as far as 18 minutes and teh installation freezes. Any ideas on this one?
 
Originally posted by: BillyRubin
Okay, the first problem was the memory. I added another 512k and it worked fine. THen I had a hard drive setting problem which allowed me to get further. Now, after I put in my key code, I can get to 26 minutes left but have made it as far as 18 minutes and teh installation freezes. Any ideas on this one?
Click to expand...

This might sound stupid but are you sure that there isn't anything wrong with your windows cd rom?

 
Originally posted by: BillyRubin
Its brand new and appears to be without scratches
Click to expand...

can still be a bad disc or even a bad cd/dvd rom drive ...you could dl and burn on another machine a livecd(knoppix) to test your system's config/hardware if it runs and has no issues ..it'll most likely be bad xp media(disc)
 
Originally posted by: BillyRubin
I ran the Seagate memory test but I cannot get memtest86 to run from a disc. does it have to be on a floppy?
Click to expand...
Memtest won't run from your optical drive...
XP won't finish installation from your optical drive...
? :roll: ?

 
Originally posted by: Blain
Originally posted by: BillyRubin
I ran the Seagate memory test but I cannot get memtest86 to run from a disc. does it have to be on a floppy?
Click to expand...
Memtest won't run from your optical drive...
XP won't finish installation from your optical drive...
? :roll: ?
Click to expand...

I'm with him on this one. 2 different programs...one of them a plain ol' DOS program...won't run from the optical drive?

a) change the data cable for the optical drive and try again
b) change the drive itself (borrow one or use a spare old one lying around...)

 
take out the original stick of 512 and only run the 2nd stick you got.

I've seen bad memory do thise too many times.
 
I replaced the cable same thing happened but got to the 25 minutes much faster. I tried to replace the cd drive with an older drive from work that i know works but once the computer boots up and the drive starts, the system just keeps rebooting.
 
Originally posted by: BillyRubin
I replaced the cable same thing happened but got to the 25 minutes much faster. I tried to replace the cd drive with an older drive from work that i know works but once the computer boots up and the drive starts, the system just keeps rebooting.
Click to expand...


The fact that you got to 25 minutes faster leads me to believe that something is still off in that 'optical drive' area. However, I'm not quite sure what it is.
If this were happening to me, I'd simply try a newer drive...but then again I have easy access to a miltutide of optical drives.

I didn't go through all the replies on the last page. Did you try a different cd as well? Even though it's new, it could still be messed up. MS has shipped my company bad cds a few times. Also if it's a copy (a LEGAL burn...backups and all), it may have been burned on a bad burner. I remember with my old HP burner, if I burned a data disc at 24x, I'd sometimes get errors. I had to burn at 12x to get stable results.

 
well I finally got XP installed. I switched drives, tried every memory combo I could and nothing worked. Finally, I switched out the video card and it worked. Amazing. Now all I have to do is figure out why XP is freezing after it boots up. I open two windows and it locks. Anyways thanks for all the suggestions and help.
 
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