Error with Windows XP installation - please help

[Dreadson]

I was trying to install a brand new copy of Windows XP on my computer that used to have windows 98 on it. When I first popped the CD in, the only option it gave me was to have a new installation (no upgrade). So I did that but it always eventually wound up at a screen with a blinking caret but not HDD activity. Then I trying installing it with the option for formating my hard drive. Now it gives me this error message when it gets to the "detecting devices" stage:

"The signature for Windows XP Home Edition setup is invalid. The error code is 800b0100.

No signature was present in the subject."

I've never seen this before, can anyone help?

 

[Kurt111780]

Hello,

You might want to try booting from the xp home cd and running the installation that way.

You will have to make sure in your bios it is set to boot off cd first. Then when booting you will have to press a key when prompted.

After you get it to boot from the cd you should format using ntfs partition. You may want to select and delete all the partitions then create a new one.

Not sure if this will work but its worth a try.

Kurt

 

[linney]

Error messages appear during upgrade from Windows Me or Windows 98 to Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q307153

http://groups-beta.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&q=800b0100+xp&qt_s=Search+Groups

http://www.google.com/search?source...004-50,GGLD:en&q=800b0100+xp+install+or+setup

HOW TO: Partition and Format a Hard Disk in Windows XP (Q313348)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q313/3/48.asp

Read the paragraph,
"How to Partition and Format Your Hard Disk by Using Windows XP Setup."


For more help (shows enlargeable screenshots) go here.

http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPPro/installxppro1.htm

 

[Dreadson]

Hey guys, thanks for your replies. I have repartitioned my hard drive using NTFS and FAT, booted up from CD and set it up from there, and tried the solution in the Microsoft article on error messages that appear when upgrading from Windows 98 to Windows XP (Even though I'm doing a new installation). Nothing seems to have worked. Right now I'm going to get a Windows 98 floppy boot disk, boot to the command prompt, and FDISK and FORMAT it the old fashioned way. I'll let you know how it goes; and I'm open to more suggestions, of course =)

 

[lockend]

I'm just gonna go ahead and throw this out there, maybe you have some hardware that isn't on Microsoft's HAL? This is a very unlikely scenario but maybe keep it in the back of your mind.

-Dale
"There's no such thing as bad luck, just an absence of good luck.

 

[linney]

Sometimes Setup problems may occur because your Bios needs updating, or there is a Bios virus scanner running. Having USB devices attached during Setup is another problem causing item. Faulty RAM suitable for 98 but not the more "picky" XP is another consideration too.

http://www.memtest86.com/

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

Your hard drive manufacturer will have free diagnostic software for thoroughly checking your hard drive.

 

[Dreadson]

Thanks for your help everyone, but I finally got it fixed. For some bizzare reason, after I had formated there was still a "windows" folder on the drive and it wanted to install there. So I told it to install to a different folder and it all worked fine. Maybe my hard drive has some bad sectors or something?

 

[LloydSev]

if there was still a windows folder there, then you did not format the drive...

regardless of what it was saying it was doing...

Computer/Network Technician
CCNA