Can not reinstall Windows XP 1

[jimsav]

Hi folks,

last year i made up a budget system for a friend comprising motherboard ASRock K7S41GX, Athlon XP2000 and Windows XP professional..

The system worked straight away with no problems. However due to th efriend 'playing' with it (including loading SP2- but dont know if this is relevant) the system recently refused to load windows. I decided to reload the operating system. However i was not able to do so, as after going through the windows set up process I get to a screen which says Setup is starting Windows, and the PC just stays like that.

i have put the drive into my PC and using the same windows disc, it loads windows XP perfectly. therfore there is no problem with either the drive or my windows disc.

However if i put that drive in my friends PC it will not start up. i have also tried putting a formatted drive in the friends PC and i am still getting the same problem.

It would seem that there is some kind of conflict between the m'board and the ability for windows XP to load successfully - although there was no problem before. Not heard of this before

Any suggestions warmly welcomed

Thank you

Jim

 

[micker377]

Did you turn off the "Partition Virus Protection" in BIOS? Is CMOS set for "auto" hard drive detection? Reset BIOS jumper? Start from square one - you don't know what they did. I had one once where the kid had it in BIOS setup, reached for a book, and placed his elbow on the keyboard!

 

[wolluf]

Has your friend changed any of the hardware in the machine? This sounds like a hardware problem, so would guess either something has been changed or something has started failing. I'd try installing XP with as little connected as possible (eg, if > 1 memory stick, try with each on its own, if any sound, network, modem cards etc, disconnect them, if onboard, didable them, just one CD/DVD ROM drive, one hard drive). I'd also check the bios - no over clocking? (in fact, might be worth 'underclocking' if you can). And there are usually default settings you can use - safe ones and optimal ones - make sure safe ones are in use. Cpu fan ok - no overheating? And all connections sound. If still no joy, try a different graphics card?

 

[jimsav]

I have tried all o f the above suggestions - and no difference i am afraid.

I have taken the drive out of my PC which works perfectly (XP) and this comes up as a disc error when i try to install it in my friends PC. When i put in another drive that has windows ME as the operating system, it works OK.

Threre would seem to be some problem with the motherboard and windows XP (although there wasnt when i installed it before).

Is it possible to have a conflict between m'board and a particular operating system.

Jim

 

[wolluf]

Jim - as you say, it worked originally. So something has changed. The bad hardware might be the motherboard (many components, one may have become defective) or CPU or PSU or anything (what about the hard drive - have you run diagnostic on it - should be one on manufacturer's website). Swapping out mobos is of course not easy (unless you happen to have an identical model to hand).

XP is more sensitive to failing hardware than ME - so that proves nothing. And if you tried to boot from your own drive in another machine, without reinstalling XP on the target machine, there's a very good chance it won't boot (motherboard drivers).

So, I still think you need to eliminate all the good guys to find the one in the black hat!

 

[lgebhart]

Have you tried changing the hard drive cable? Take the cable off of your machine and see if the hard drive will boot.



lgebhart

A+, Network+, IC3
MAI for MS Office 2000
OSHA Outreach Trainer

 

[jimsav]

Hi all,

changed cables, used a new drive in the machine, drained the m'board and put back to default settings. Still no good. The drives work in other machines. A drive i have with windows me on it works in the failing machine. Is it possible that there is a conflict between the m/b and a particular operating sytem ie XP.

 

[wolluf]

Jim - we seem to be in a loop. Your original post said this machine worked ok. So, that would suggest that the hardware was then compatible with XP, and was all working.

The fact that ME 'works' - have you done more than boot it up? - presumably it had to load all the new drivers - several reboots - before settling down, unless machine it was from was very similar to this one - isn't conclusive, as XP is more sensitive to failing hardware than ME. If you can run ME for a while with no odd problems (like registry corruptions, spontaneous blue screens or reboots), then the hardware may be ok.

So, likelyhood is that something has started failing in the machine since you installed XP originally. And that could be the motherboard, or any of the hardware components - you need to start a process of elimination if you want to get to the bottom of this.

 

[garebo]

Can you run a test on the memory stick(s) with the ram in another computer?
Often its failing ram.
Like Wolluf said, something has to have changed.
I also suggest you look thru each and every bios setting, make sure antivirus is disabled.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[bcastner]

However i was not able to do so, as after going through the windows set up process I get to a screen which says Setup is starting Windows, and the PC just stays like that." This indicates a hardware problem.

There was some hardware added to this machine - through a PCI slot, through a USB port, through a firewire port.

Disconnect everything but the keyboard, monitor and mouse; open the case and look for a new hardware addition and remove it. Snug down all cables. And try to boot again.

 

[ceh4702]

Well this must something you did not check.

The motherboard or something on it like memory, Processor or IDE Controller or possibly a cable.

Another issue may be the power supply, but if that was bad I would expect intermittent problems.



If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[jimsav]

Thanks for all of the suggestions folks , but no luck.

i have used ram that i know works. i have changed all ide cables. i have used new cd drive. i have stripped down to bare system.

i have checked all bios settings.

no new hardware has been added to pci slots. I guess that there was some hardware such as printer broadband connection added through usb, but this is now disconnected.

windows ME runs perfectly ok on the system.
Drives that either have xp on them and work in other systems, or drives that i can load xp onto on another system, will not have xp loadd on them on this system.

i am now completely out of ideas, the first time i have been 'beaten' (with the help of this site of course!) , by a pc fault for a long long time. I am now resigned to buying a new motherboard, and sticking to my favourites of Asus and Gigabyte that i normally use in budget pcs i build for friends.

Unless of course, anyone has any further ideas.......

Jim

 

[jimsav]

Eureka!! Went into the software forum of this site, and saw a problem that mentioned HAL and the problem with ACPI compliance. By pressing F5 when it asks to Press F6 on th windows setup, i have managed to load XP.

Thanks for trying to help everybody.

Jim

 

[bobbers64]

I have the same problem
I have 3 computers on a network. laptop preinstalled with XP
1 desktop with XP home and 1 desktop with me. Had problems with a printer on the ME system stopping when a print from a xp laptop. Decided to load XP copy that i already had on the other PC. loaded fine, topped up with SP2 no probs for a couple of weeks. Daughter installed game and screwed up windows. reinstalled xp. During the install i forgot to uncheck the update setup files from the net. The install stalled after a few moments. Restarted machine and since then i have the same problem that you mention. Call me a cynic but i suspect that Microsoft has established that this version of windows is registered to another machine and delivered data onto my hard drive/bios to stop Xp reloading. Is this possible anybody.

 

[wolluf]

bobbers64 - you should start another thread for your problem.
And there's no reason why the same XP install wouldn't install on 2 machines - but you obviously won't be able to activate the second. If there are problems, its probably bad hardware or hardware incompatibility.

 

[Jokerman28]

Jimasav: You are my savior!!!

I have had the same exact problem you mentioned step by step. When I started reading your thread I got spooked out... Thank you for the solution!

I've been stuck with the same issue for about 2 weeks now and was so close to dump the motherboard and get a new one.

I am watching now XP formatting the drive Wooohooo!

Thanks again for the post and thank you Google for letting me find you fine people on this board!!!!

-Jokerman28

 

[bobbers64]

Jimasav:

can you be more specific to the link where you solved the problem.

wolluf

The problem has manifestered into ME not working either. Blue screens abound.
I have a PC chips board, amd 1300 duron.
I have a ATI radion PCI graphics card
Samsung hard drive.( checked with HDD utility and is fine.)
There does not seem a way to disable the onboard graphics only change it to a lesser value 64-32-16.
Kingston2100 ram at 264MB. onboard sharing 64
I set the default graphics to agp(onboard) so that there is no conflict. then run the ati software reboot and change the monitor over, the bios registers the pci card. Disable the sis display adaptor in windows.
Could there be a problem there.
So far yesterday 6 formats later
Last two attempts loaded Printer after establishing all working= blue screen
re format load MS office lock up and blue screen.

My knees are on fire and im sick of the damn thing worse still the daughter on my sacrid laptop 3 years and no reinstall anything.
getting to think budget systems are for the die hards.

Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[garebo]

bobbers64, you need to start a new thread. If i saw you with a new thread i would ask if you checked out the mobo specs to make sure it will accept a duron 1300?
With the vid card, there has to be a way, for sure, 100%
Either is via the bios or a jumper on the mobo. one or the other for sure.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[Jokerman28]

bobbers64: the answer is at this link:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310760

 

[garebo]

Hey bobbers64, dont forget to tell them you got this:

"Good advice + great people = tek-tips"

from Garebo!!!!

lol



Good advice + great people = tek-tips