WinXP Install problem

[ArthriticGrayMatter]

I have a system with new Soyo MB with a clean HD. It will boot from the CD but hangs when installing a DOS CD driver. For example, if I boot from a diskette (or CD) when it gets to installing the "Tomato" driver it goes no further.

WinXP Pro will begin the install process and get as far as restarting and then it hangs. I suspect it is the same problem.

Anyone know what might cause this?

 

[garebo]

That happened to me on a new build on Sunday. This time it was the video card. It was a pci card and the bios was set to look for an agp card. I changed it in the bios to look for a pci card, but still no go. I put an agp card and all was well. Before that it would hang before opening windows, sometimes giving a white screen,and it would hang in different places all the time. I changed the ram, the power supply, checked the bios battery, changed the cdrom, finally the vid card and that was it, all is well now.

I am only saying all this as this is what you need to do in order to find the problem. You have to swap parts in and out til you find the culprit. In my case it was the bios\mobo\os that wouldnt work together on my pci vid card.
Win xp is so picky.
You can always download memtest86 and run it from a floppy to test the memory if you dont have some to swap in and out.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[ArthriticGrayMatter]

Thanks Garebo for the reply. Unfortunately, there is nothing to swap out. This is a SY-P4RC350 with built-in graphics and no expansion cards. I threw it together for backup storage on a home net. Nothing but 3 hdsthat have been tried one-at-a-time and a CD-Rom that has been swapped with a different model.

I was able to install WinXPpro-SP2 but can't use it since it's installed on another computer. I have XPpro that is installable that won't install. Go figure. ;-)

 

[garebo]

How about swapping out the ram?
Win xp is very fussy, i have had to swap hard drives, cdroms, vid cards, ram, even floppy drives (pretty sure) in order to get xp to install and run.
Best thing to do for the hard drive is to let win xp format slow, not quick, with NTFS, as opposed to using the existing formatting of the hard drive, or going with the fast format options.
Dont know if any of this helps but it might. Given the situation thats all i can come up with anyway. But others here know more than me,lol.

good luck

Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[ArthriticGrayMatter]

I tried that also; replaced memory with mushkin blue. I'm suspecting a kink in the bios. I've tried the old Oak CD driver for mscdex and the newer tomato driver with win2k boot disk, win98 boot disk, etc.

I appreciate your input.

 

[garebo]

Well, another time, with the same problem you are talking about, it was a setting in the bios. I cant remember which setting in the bios.
So I would suggest you re-set the bios and try that, failing which have a real good look at each and every bios setting and see if you can spot one that should be changed. Easy to say from here but i have seen that work. Win xp is so very very fussy, one feature that is both bad and good.
One setting you might want to check is to make sure the antivirus is turned off in the bios, but there are others too than can make a difference to win xp.



Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[linney]

Does the first article give you any help?

Setup stops responding or displays an unrecoverable error message

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811267&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

How to Disable a Service or Device that Prevents Windows from Starting

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310602&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[sharkisin]

does it reach the GUI screen which says approx 39 min remaning ?

Solution : Either the cd rom you are installing it from is malfunctioning or the hard drive is not working properly because there is nothing on the hard drive as yet..!!

 

[ArthriticGrayMatter]

To All

First thanks for the help.
I have tried disabling everything that the bios permits. The AMI Bios doesn't allow me to turn off ACPI.
A few notes:
1. I was able to install XPpro-SP2.
2. I can't install XPpro (reformatted drive).
3. I can boot from the CD-Rom.
4. MSCDEX hangs if booting DOS.
5. Install of XPpro reaches the point of setup restarting windows. I get a blank screen with a cursor that I can move albeit with some hesitation. I have let it sit for hours with no further results. I have tried resetting numerous times.
6. I never reach the screen showing boot time remaining.

I don't know if the DOS MSCDEX hang is related in any way. As far as I know Windows doesn't require it.

I'm still perplexed.

 

[garebo]

Have you gone thru the links that linney posted?
For arthritic it pretty much has to be a bios setting or the mobo, or the cd reader. Since you are having probs with mscdex i would suggest using a different cd reader and/or clean your win xp install cd well.
I have had times where i had install probs then went and cleaned the install cd and all was fine. I use liquid soap, slightly warm water, clean it then rinse it very well, then let it sit on paper towels. then take paper towels and dab off some water. Then take unscented tissue paper (we call them kleenex in Canada, lol) and clear off rest of the water in a side to side wipe, not wiping around in a circle.
Dont use toilet paper or scented anything, toilet paper scratches and scented stuff leaves a film on the cd. After that i finish with one of those cloths that you get for your eyeglasses, takes lint off, but you can take your index finger and clean lint off. This has helped me out many times.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[bcastner]

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=217073

 

[garebo]

Bill, i bow to your superior knowledge, no prob there, but that page mentions this info is for server os's not win xp.
It likely applies anyway just wanted to hear it from the guru, that would be you.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[garebo]

Also, what is a HAL?
Im sure arthritic might want to know this too.
thanks

Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[garebo]

I know what a HAL is now, and arthritic will find it on that page too.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[bcastner]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299340/EN-US/

 

[ArthriticGrayMatter]

Thanks to all for advice. I have tried everything but it is still not working. Strange but no atapi CD driver works. I'm going to try Soyo support to see if they will respond. I will log back in with updates.

Thanks again for trying

AGM

 

[ArthriticGrayMatter]

First, thanks again for all of the support offered here. I finally gave up and swapped the motherboard for another. I was then able to install my O/S without a problem. The MB board that I had problems with is a Soyo SY-P4RC350. The board I replaced it with is a Soyo SY-4I865PE-V1.0.