Problem installing Win98/2000ProUpgrade

[Vyrr]

Hello, my first time posting here.

I have just built my first computer and have come across a problem when trying to install my OS. I have Win98 cd with key as well as a 2000pro upgrade with key and have the same problem at the same point. Both setups go well after formatting and the MS scandisk setup but when that is finished and the process calls for a restart before installation can continue is where the problem occurs.

I restart the computer or let it restart itself and I am brought back to the beginning of installation. The HD is formatted and checked but windows will not proceed to install - instead the setup is redone until it scans the disk and prompts to restart only to begin again. I have tried reformatting as well as starting with each of the cd's individually and sequentially. Here are the specs on the new comp:

Abit SG-80 Socket 775 with Intel Celeron D 346 OEM Processor
WD Caviar 80GB 7200 8MB ATA-100 EIDE OEM Hard Drive
Ultra 512MB PC3200 DDr 400MHz CL3 Memory
and a salvaged optical drive that works.

I read the clean install for Win98 guide at Wayne's Computer World Self Help which I found in another thread here, but I come to the same spot.

Please help.

[GaryRouth]

Hi Vyrr

It sounds like you are still booting from the installation CDs rather than the hard drive after the prompts to restart. Check in your computer's Bios to make sure that the boot order follows from CD (first) to hard drive (second). If you see a prompt to "press any key to boot from CD", by all means, don't press any keys (let the prompt time-out - it should then boot from the hard drive).

I think you'd be best off clean-installing Win2000, using the Win98 disk as your "proof of previous version" (you just insert the Win98 CD when asked during the Win2000 Setup for a "proof of previous version, then after the verification, put the Win2000 CD back in & continue).

________________
Among the reasons to go with Win2000:
Since your Celeron is an over 3ghz processor, you'd likely have to patch Win98 to get it past the following error:

While initalizing devise NDIS
Windows Protection error. You need to restart your computer.
[as mentioned in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article (with patch link at the bottom) http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q312108
________________

You'll want to take Win2000 to the most recent Service Pack right away, and try to have a firewall and antivirus running before connecting to the Internet.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[PS .... use the Win2000 disk tools to partition and format the drive - the fdisk tool included in the original Win98 version has trouble with drives larger than 64gb.

... and Welcome to the PC Mechanic forums!]

[Vyrr]

Thanks for the response, Gary.

However, when I proceed in this manner and try to restart here is what happens:

It comes to the prompt Boot from CD.
Press any key to boot from CD.....

I let it time out then:

Disk Error
Press Any Key to Restart

Means it is the hard drive, right?

I'll swap out an old 13gb Hard Drive from an old computer and format it and see if it works I guess. Any other advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[GaryRouth]

Hi again

If you boot successfully from the Windows 2000 CD, delete the old partitions, create a new one (or more), then format them, and are in the process of installing Win2000 - and it asks for a restart - and THEN see the "Disk Error" something is very odd indeed.

I hope I didn't confuse you - you will need to press a key the very 1st time you wish to start the Windows installation from the Windows 2000 CD - that is likely the only time you should need to boot from the CD during the process. Just don't boot from the CD when Windows is asking for a restart - it simply wants to make changes, and then to boot with those changes in effect.

"Disk Error" is what you should see if the computer tries to boot from a disk that hasn't been partitioned & formatted.

If you aren't sure of your drives or cabling, use the diagnostics from the hard drive manufacturer's website (the download usually creates a bootable diskette and begins the diagnostics automatically - you'd temporarily set the boot order to floppy diskette first to do this). If you still have the Western Digital "DataLifeGuard" CD that came with the hard drive, you can create the floppy with that.

If Setup wrote to the drive earlier, you should have a decent chance that the drive is OK. The diagnostics will let you know for sure.

. . . Hm - why not check that settings are OK in the Bios for the install: 1) make sure that the Bios Antivirus is Disabled (you can enable it again after you are done installing Win2000) 2) make sure that the hard drives are set to "Auto" (for automatic detection). You could look around at the other settings as well: just to make sure it all looks OK.

Once the install gets started OK, it doesn't take very long. You should be enjoying your Win2000 computer in no time.
. . . Gary

[p.s. -- use an 80conductor, 40pin IDE cable to connect the Western Digital to the Primary IDE controller]

[Vyrr]

The first scenario that you mention is exactly what is happening. I see the Disk Error after the format and setup, right before the Windows startup screen is supposed to be.

It seems that I received a faulty hard drive: I picked an old 14gb HD from a computer and formatted it with my new computer and it has installed W2K perfectly. So I will be calling Tigerdirect and sending back the hard drive and getting a new one as soon as possible. Thanks for your help, Gary. I really appreciate the responses.

Thank you. :D