Breaking out of a Windows 2000 Setup 2

[Whatsizface]

Ok here goes.

For some unknown reason My Computer, My Network Places, My Documents and Recycle Bin icons were renamed to @\WINNT\SYST. I'm fairly technical and I have absolutely no idea how that happend nor have I ever seen that before.

So I figured I'll just reinstall my Win2k Pro and keep my settings (and if that doesn't work, do a fresh install). So I use the CD and boot into the setup. It asks to boot again.

I get the standard "looking for keyboard/mouse.." message. It gets about 50% down the guage and then goes no further.

I reset and try again. Same thing. I've left it overnight just in case I'm too impatient. Same thing the next morning.

At that point I figure I'll just finally install XP Pro. So I pop in the CD and reboot. It ignores the XP Pro CD and tries to continue with the 2k installation and of course stops at the same point agian.

How do I break out of this installation loop?

System:
Asus 266PB.. something or other
Intel 1.7
512k RAM
20GB primary HD
60GB secondary HD
2 CD drives
USB keyboard/mouse/4-port hub

Any help would be appreciated.

thanks,
Whatsizface

 

[Jocsta]

First check that your XP disk IS an autoboot disk (dont know how to check this offhand)
Second check the boot device order in the bios, and make sure CD is first in the list.

Thirdly - to get out of the install loop, do the same as you would to get into safe mode (keep tapping f8 whilst booting up) - not 100% sure about this last bit, just seem to remember having the same problem in the past...
<< JOC >>

 

[Whatsizface]

I thought all xp install cd's were bootable. I wonder how I'd find out.

Once I get out of the setup by pressing f8, where does that take me?

I heard there's a way to change the boot.ini (?) file to go into a boot menu?

Whatsizface

 

[wolluf]

If machine is booting into an unfinished setup when you're tryingto boot from install CD then either the bios is not set to boot from CD or the 'bootable' CD actually isn't (I'm pretty sure all XP ones should be, but occasionally one may become slightly damaged - files still ok, but won't boot).

Obvious question - you have watched for 'hit any key to boot from CD' - and hit a key (otherwiase boots from hard drive).

Alternative. Use the 6 boot floppies to start XP install instead - get them from here (4 links, depending on XP version and service pack level)

http://www.bootdisk.com/original.htm

 

[axeplayer]

Make Sure that the XP disc isn't an upgrade, or it isn't bootable. check your CMOS, maybe the motherboard isnt seeing something it oughta.... Good Luck
CHeers
Axe

 

[jeradsyn]

First, a question about the original Win2kPro install: did you have fat32 or ntfs partitions? once you started the 'clean install' did you fdisk (fat32) or delpart (ntfs)then reformat? and run fdisk first, after reboot then fdisk /mbr ?

Question about the ram... is it a single 512mb/pc133 or was memory recently upgraded? I have found 3 pieces of 512mb/pc133 ram that doesn't like any version of Windows, as I was having a similar problem when trying to do a clean install with Win2kPro. I tried a 256mb/pc133 and it flew right through.

Hope this is of some help...

 

[Liam22]

If all else fails, what I have done twice in the past, is take your w-98 floppy boot disk, and then re-format the hard disk. Once this is done, go back to the W-2000 install and I always re-format when asked by the W-2000 setup. This should work just fine with W-95 if thats what you have..