Bizarre Win 2000 Install Problems -

[plotzer]

I am having problems installing windows 2000 on a brand new PC. Actually the processor and motherboard is new. I took the hard drive (80 GB) and cdrom from another computer. Before installing I used a western digital utility to erase the entire disk. I would assume this would erase the boot record too. When I begin the install, it never completes. I usually end up with the BSOD, but at different times during the install. The BSOD messages vary. Sometimes it crashes before I get to the point where I partition the dirve, sometimes I can partition the drive, but it crashes while copying the setup files.

After each failure, I having been using a dos boot disk to go in and run fdisk, to delete any partitions that may have been created during the failed install.

At one point I even created a fat partition with fdisk and tried to do the install using the FAT partition and I got a BSOD error while the setup files where being copied.

I would think that erasing the entire disk would resolve any problems.

My bios does not have any anti-virus software that I can see in the CMOS setup.

Also,

I have tried to install Windows XP, but that has met with failure each time too, but with different BSOD errors. And to further complicate matters, I tried to install red hat linux on the box just to see what it would do, and this install met with a 'Kernel Panic' and failed.

I've used the western digital utilities to determine if there are any bad sectors on the drive and it said it is clean.

Could there be a virus within the bios itself or is there a virus hidden on the drive somewhere that is causing this.

Just for grins I took an old 8GB hard drive out of an older PC, and tried to install the os on it. I basically had the same problem. SO I am confused whether the problem is the bios or the disk

Thanks in advance

 

[wolluf]

You've got a hardware problem (memory, expansion card, cpu, mobo, psu....). You'll need to go through process of elimination (suggest starting with memory if possible - use only one stick if 2+, or get some from elsewhere. Remove all unnecesary cards - network, sound, modem, swap graphics card if possible etc).

 

[BIS]

sounds crazy maybe, but i once had this and the fault turned out to be the CDROM player- try changing that first...

 

[plotzer]

I've got a feeling it may be the memory sticks. One I installed the two 256MB sticksin the new PC, The bios sould not start. I then removed the sticks and changed the order, I made the second stick first and the first stick ssecond and then the bios started. I will check it out when I get home tonight and let you guys know what happens.

Thanks

 

[plotzer]

Well, I turned the computer off and removed the memory (ddr) sticks. I tried each one separately and then together in a different order and I was unable to get the bios to start at all now. It doesnt even beep. I find it hard to believe that the both memory chips would fail simultaneously. I know this isnt a hardware forum, but if anyone has any input I would appreciate it. I am truly stumped and also disoriented without a functioning PC at home.

Thanks

 

[wolluf]

Remove/disconnect everything else (ie, drives, cards) except graphics card and see if machine will boot with just graphics, cpu & memory. If not, remove graphics card too (should hear beeps if it is booting). Have you access to other memory you could try?

 

[crisc]

Booting with no RAM will generally cause a series of beeps, not a lack of them. The problem lies elsewhere.

 

[mightyscotchpine]

It is my understanding that the first thing that the POST checks is the powersupply to see that you have the correct voltage, etc. If you get NO beeps, I would suspect the power supply. Check to see that when you changed the mother board that it was reconnected properly. Try disconnecting/reconnecting. If that doesn't solve it, I would grab the power supply out of another box and try it.
Let me know if that works.

Scott

 

[m4526]

use windows98 bootup disk
Type A:fdisk
press y
press 4 to view partition
press 3
Delete Primary dos partition
press Esc
press 1 to make a new partition
Get out of fdisk
reboot the computer with a boot disk

next step
use oformat or format
Aformat C:
do it 2 times
If this dose not work
change you bootup
D: C: A:
after install change it back
A: C: D:
Make 4 bootup disk