os install issues, not sure which component is messing up.... !

[decibel08]

i am trying to install an operating system (at this point have tried win98 and xp) and the installation either doesn't start or doesn't make it past the preliminary steps. with 98, i would try to install and it would quit before it got away from dos-looking interface and just return to the prompt, sometimes saying "could not find PROGMAN.EXE" With Xp, i would boot from the cd, and it would begin installing, saying it was loading all sorts of things, and then would just freeze when it got to "starting windows" every time. ive stripped the system down to the bare components to try to isolate the problem and this is the current setup:

- a cleanly formatted ibm gxp60 hdd (formatted numerous times now, including erasing the boot record using ibm's disk utilities)
- asus a7m266 mobo
- 256 pc2100 micron ram
- amd 1.2ghz athlon (plenty of cooling)
- leadtek geforce2 gts 32mb video card
- pioneer 12/40x dvd
- 300 watt ps, standard ms mouse and keyboard
- 17" lcd screen (pnp)

i have tried swapping the pioneer cd drive with a 12x cd burner and i get different error messages which makes me think it might be the cd drive, but that seems so unlikely... it took numerous tries for xp to make it as far as saying it was installing.. first it just restarted my computer repeatedly when it tried to load. any ideas? is it possible that both of my cd drives (only in one at a time) are jacked? or could it be the mobo... would taking out the cmos battery etc have any benefit? any help is appreciated.

dbpolaris@hotmail.com

 

[bgauntt]

Try this article and see if it applies to you.

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...640&iterationID=1&sessionID=anonymous|7946340

 

[decibel08]

unfortunately it doesn't apply... i use ps/2 mouse and keyboard already and disabling the usb legacy support in bios didn't change anything. any other ideas?