XP wont install

[SysRed]

I have a PC that reboots at the same point upon installation of XP

History

1. Turn computer on reboots almost imedietly

2. Boot into safe mode command line, freezes at mup.sys

3. Ran Repair Wizard from XP Install disk and noted that a new installation of XP had been started. Would not allow me to run repair as did not have admin password or blank password.

4. Continued to continue with existing installation once pc restarted and came up with the 'Windows installing etc' will take aprox 39mins to complete, when i touched the mouse it would reboot immediately.

5. Explored the HD on another PC and noted it had no files other than the attempted re-installation of XP therefore decided to repartition and format the disk NTFS

6. Attempted to re-install XP on the newly formated HD had the same result as per point 4

7. Replaced the HD with a a different one attempted to re-install XP froze at 'Setup is loading files (Generic USB Host Driver)...' Removed PCI 4 port USB card (just in case) restarted install routine it got as far as point 4 AGAIN. Therefore i conclude it is not a HD problem as such.

8. Tested the Memory with Micro2000 Microscope diagnostic software, test is still being conducted.

Could this be a HD controller problem, do you have any ideas where to test / look next?

Many thanks

Rich

 

[linney]

Have you tried setting your Bios to Safe Defaults and turned off any Bios scanning?

Have you tried a different Mouse and Keyboard?

I assume you have tried removing all the easily detached hardware from the machine.

When you are talking about requiring passwords, was that the Recovery Console, rather than in a Repair Install?

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp

How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Grab something like BartPE which is an cut down XP that runs from CD, see if that runs or confirms some underlying hardware problem.

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

Maybe you could try a "Mouseless" Install of XP?
How to Perform an Unattended Installation of Windows from a CD-ROM

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314459&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Why do you find yourself in this position in the first place. Does the prior history of this machine hold any relevant clues?

 

[BadBigBen]

To point 1: Do you mean when XP Boots? or when you turn on the power?

Things to check:

if you have any PCI USB adapters, unplug them for now...
if you have any USB devices pluged in, remove them...


Have a read:

Windows halt after loading mup.sys during boot-up

http://www.earthv.com/tips_detail.asp?TipID=63

How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q307545

Stuck on "mup.sys" during boot up

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-71958.php

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[linney]

Ben,

Anything with the word "thread" in the URL is like a red flag to a bull as far as Tek-Tips is concerned (something to do with javascript???), I think you have to turn off "Process TGML" from Step 2 of the reply box.

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-71958:

DNS Lookup works but how long does it remember.php

Then the reader can just copy and paste the dodgy link into their browser.

And if that still doesn't work, we find a working link, like I just had to, and the reader can try pasting that in to his browser.

http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-71958.php

The moral of the story is that "thread" has a special meaning for Tek-Tips.

 

[SysRed]

Thanks Linney / Ben will get back to you with my results.

In answer to some of your points
1. BIOS is pretty old and simple can not find advance settings for BIOS, will look again
2. Yes,tried 3 different mice & keyboards
3. Yes, removed ALL unnecessary Hardware
4. Yes you are correct, Recovery Console
5. Have not tried BartPc on this PC, i have this utility will give it a go. It does boot into Linux and Microscope Diagnostic software no problems from CD.
6. I find myself here as the PC is not mine, I'm checking it over as a favor. Some Favor <VBG>

1b. When XP boots
2b. Yes, have removed all non essential devices

Thanks again will check out your suggestions

 

[BadBigBen]

Linney,

thanks for the correction there, it was my fault, I knew about the [ignore]<thread>[/ignore] thingy, for not proofreading (preview) the post...

SysRed,

if it boots into Linux, then it is not hardware related...

so mostlikely it is either an User Profile issue, Hive mess up (ergo the Registry), or just plain system file corruption...

I would boot into the Recovery Console, there would type the following:

CHKDSK /F

let it finish checking the drive...

then (here I am not sure if it is possible) type:

SFC /SCANNOW

for it to check the system files...

Keep us posted...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[ComputerKid1988]

has anyone thought of the media being bad?

Just for the sake of argument, download a copy of Linux, or a different copy of windows just to see if the install fails.

I have had the same type of problem before, it just froze and rebooted at the same place during installation, and it turned up to be my install media.

just a suggestion, hope it helps

 

[SysRed]

Apologies guys for not getting back to you sooner, here are my results (in the broadest sense of the word)

linney
1. Not tried In-Place Upgrade or Recovery console as I have tried two new installations of XP home on newly formatted single partition disks. BOTH installations failed at the same point, that being 'windows will restart in 15 seconds'. Upon restart as soon as (2 secs) the Windows XP Home logo is displayed, bang, reboots.

2. Installation of BartPE of bootable optical drive, almost identical. Once the B&W progress bar finishes, it loads the Windows XP Pro Logo, bang reboots.

3. Have not tried a 'mouseless' install as the PC does not have a floppy will install one and try this, but suspect the same thing will occur, will report back.

BadBigBen
4. Yes all unnecessary hardware has been removed.

5. Not tried any of your suggestions, simply because I haven't got an installation of XP to repair, see point 1

ComputerKid1988
6. I have tried two different copies of XP Home, one being the one that came with the PC (Fujitsu recovery disk) the other being a standard OEM disk I have, both fail as per point 1.

7. I have installed PuppyLinux of of a bootable CD, but have not tried to install a copy onto the HD, will give that a go and report back.

8. Not tried to install XP Pro, I suspect it won't make a difference as BartPE is a cut down of XP Pro.

So guys, there you have it. Having spent hours upon hours on this PC I am in no better position than I was when I first started. Any further suggestions, else I'll take Ben up on his signature tune "If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..." , at least I would feel like I've achieved something.

Cheers

Rich

 

[linney]

I suppose the next thing to consider is a faulty motherboard or even replacing the machine?

Fauly capacitators.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague

 

[SysRed]

Hi Linney, thanks for that. Yes i am aware of bad caps, indeed i have just ordered a board for another machine which showed no signs of life. But this one P.O.S.T's and if you remove the memory etc it bleeps. This is so frustrating, i appreciate it could still be bad caps, but there is no evidence of any leakage or swelling of the caps.

 

[SysRed]

Hi Guys, just thought i'd ad that the computer no longer boots into Puppy Linux off of the bootable CD/DVD which it once did. But it still boots into microscope diagnostic software!!! which has its own OS.

 

[BadBigBen]

Q: Have you tried another PSU?

reason: Out of experience, some time ago I had a server board that would behave like yours, would POST and all, but upon installation of XP it would just reboot... turned out to be the PSU would break down once the second CPU kicked in...



Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[SysRed]

BadBigBen (MIS) wrote
Q: Have you tried another PSU?

Yep BBB tried three different PSU's still no luck, going to try a new mobo next.