I have a PIII IBM desktop, I am trying to install windowx xp, but it keeps on restarting. It starts up booting from the CD, it copies the windows files, but when it restarts to start installation, it start over to the beginning and just does that continuously. I have tried different hard drives and same problem.
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- Thread starter jmanuel29
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You've probably got a hardware problem/incompatibility issue. I've just replaced motherboards in 9 school PCs - also PIIIs. They had had XP installed (98 originally), but then all of them over a few months just went into restart loop. Wiping and clean installing made no difference - just wouldn't take XP any more (also tried swapping out various bits of hardware - but it was the mobo). So yours may have a similar problem (either mobo not compatible with XP or has become so) - or it may be another item of hardware (eg, RAM) - XP is sensitive to bad - even slightly bad - hardware. If you can substitute other items that you know work in XP machine (RAM, graphics) and disconnect everything unnecessary for install (sound, network, modem cards, printers, extra CD/DVDs etc) and try again, may get an indication as to cause of problem.
PS. Quick check - if there's an anti-virus setting in the bios, make sure its disabled. Also, I've just read your post properly! I presume on restart, machine doesn't prompt to press any key to boot from CD - just boots from CD. so, also in the bios - is the hard drive actually on the boot from list (it should be after the CD, and perhaps the floppy, but it should be present).
PS. Quick check - if there's an anti-virus setting in the bios, make sure its disabled. Also, I've just read your post properly! I presume on restart, machine doesn't prompt to press any key to boot from CD - just boots from CD. so, also in the bios - is the hard drive actually on the boot from list (it should be after the CD, and perhaps the floppy, but it should be present).
In BIOS, make sure the Hard Drive you are installing to is the first boot device, the CD second. Make sure your hard drive is visible in the BIOS and Boot Devices. You might need to check the jumper settings of the hard drive to make sure it is consistent with your layout. For testing, I would put the HD on IDE primary, alone, jumpered to Master, the CD drive, alone on IDE secondary and also jumpered to Master.
Tony
Tony
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