Having problems installing XP Pro on my new system

[mechanic58]

Hi, I'm a newbie here. Looks like you all have a great forum. I wasn't sure where to put this question, so here goes:

I have built myself a computer, it's nothing too fancy. The problem I am having is kinda multi-faceted. When I first turned it on with my XP Pro disk in the drive, I kept getting "Boot Disk Failure" and it wouldn't boot via the CD. So I got out my trusty copy of Windows 98 and IT installed flawlessly. THEN, I put the XP Pro CD in the drive and it did it's auto run and asked me if I wanted to upgrade (recommended), so I did. Everything proceeds normally until it gets to the point where it restarts the computer for the 2nd time...at that point, it goes through all the boot screens, then right after it "resumes xp setup", it hangs on a blank screen and the machine stops responding. I have tried removing the disk from the drive prior to the machine booting for the 3rd time, same result. Anyone know what my problem is? I'm by FAR NOT an expert at this. I usually have pretty good "dumb luck" when messing around with this kinda stuff. Here's some general info about my machine:

WinFast Mother board 761GXK8MB (512mb RAM)

AMD Athlon 64 Processor

Western Digital 80gb EIDE Hard Drive

Liteon 52x32x52x CD-RW drive

Hope someone can help me, thanks!

[flanzig1]

Did you set the CD drive as first boot device in the BIOS? And how are the drives cabled and jumpered.

[rjfvillarosa]

How many actual sticks of ram have you got installed?

[mechanic58]

The CD drive is set as the master device on that cable. The bios is set to boot floppy first, then hard drive then CD drive. I have tried setting it all different ways, still has the same problem when trying to boot from the XP pro disk. It boots fine from the windows 98 disk. The machine operates fine with 98 installed, but I can NOT get XP on it to save my ass!

[mechanic58]

OH, and one stick of RAM. It's a Simpletech 512mb DDR PC 3200.

[rjfvillarosa]

Is your XP disk an original or a burned copy?

[mechanic58]

Um...it's a copy. BUT, I have successfully used it to perform installs on several other machines. No problems until now.

[rjfvillarosa]

Rule 9.

Zero Tolerance on Piracy NO WAREZ. NO SERIALS. NO CRACKS / CRACKING / ILLEGAL PROGRAMS. Anything that can be used in software piracy or other illegal software activities will result in a ban. Same goes for abusive programs like mailbombers, forum and usenet flooders and email harvesting bots. This also includes unreleased products. Workarounds which comprimise security, bypass password protection, or otherwise go to gain unauthorized access to private data or information is prohibitied. Links provided to locations that offer tutorials or tips for any of these activities are also forbidden.

I have seen burned copies cause the problems you are having on may occasions, even though you maybe using legitimate product keys with that copy, the fact that it is a copy will prevent people around here from helping you.

[mechanic58]

Well, not that it matters, but I DID purchase it originally and burned myself a copy of it for safe keeping. Because in the past, I have had experiences where my software is rendered useless by a scratch on the CD. This was the case here.

[rjfvillarosa]

Originally Posted by mechanic58 I DID purchase it originally and burned myself a copy of it for safe keeping. .

I don't doubt that, but the problems you are having are indicative of a burned copy, if you know someone with an exact same version as yours, ie: XP pro with or without SP2 then you could use their copy to do the install as long as you use your product key.

[mechanic58]

Ok, thanks. I suspected as much.

[KevinP]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa I don't doubt that, but the problems you are having are indicative of a burned copy, if you know someone with an exact same version as yours, ie: XP pro with or without SP2 then you could use their copy to do the install as long as you use your product key.

I've just been trying to research slipstreaming my original XP disk with SP2 and the dozens of updates there must be on my current machine by now in preparation for a new install on a new machine I hope to build later this month. I had just about settled on nLite as the facilitating software. Now, after your comment, I'm not so sure.

Can I take it from what you're saying that a copy disk might be unsuccessful? Am I really just better off doing the whole painful download and reinstall everything? I'm sincerely interested since it might be better to do that than try to work out what's gone wrong in an abortive load from a slipstreamed ISO.

I'd be glad of your advice.

Regards

Kevin

[Panama Red]

I use a Slipstreamed SP2 copy for all repairs without issue. Once I had a succesful disk, I burned a copy of that copy so I am sure to have a backup. All my MS disks are SP1 so the SP2 install and WU installs takes too long. You just have to make sure to use the properly owned Product Key assigned to that machine.

[mechanic58]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa I don't doubt that, but the problems you are having are indicative of a burned copy, if you know someone with an exact same version as yours, ie: XP pro with or without SP2 then you could use their copy to do the install as long as you use your product key.

I guess what I don't understand is...why it (my copy) works on OTHER machines and not this new one I am building.

[glc]

I think you have some marginal ram - XP is a lot fussier than 98 on ram, and I've seen horrible quality control lately with Simpletech. I'd run ram diagnostics.

www.memtest.org

[mechanic58]

Nothing wrong with my memory. I think I may just take it outside, place it behind the wheel of my truck and back over it. That'll fix it.

[mechanic58]

Or maybe I'll just put Linux on it. Always wanted to try that. It's a pretty big paradigm shift though. We'll see.

What worries me about using Linux and the related software, like the office software you can get for it, is compatibility. For example, what if I wanted to send someone my resume, but it was in the Linux format. ?? What are the chances that the receiver is going to have Linux on their machine? SLIM. That's the part I hate about it.

[rjfvillarosa]

Originally Posted by mechanic58 I guess what I don't understand is...why it (my copy) works on OTHER machines and not this new one I am building.

I have never used a burned/ripped copy of Windows, my only experience of burned copies is the problems I see people posting here on the Mech.
GLC states that he has to burn more copies as he frequently wears out his copies in the field, any chance you can get hold of an identical copy to yours and burn a copy from it? or even carryout the install and use your product key?

[glc]

Nothing wrong with my memory.

Did you prove that by running diagnostics?

[mechanic58]

Originally Posted by glc Did you prove that by running diagnostics?

Nope, I guessed. The machine works flawlessly with 98 on board. The ram is brand new. I don't buy that. I have hovever just about had it with Windows. I'm going to install Linux on it. Bout the only thing I will be doing with it is surfing the internet anyway. I'm sure I'll have much better luck with that. My current rig is an antique Compaq Presario with a 500mhz celeron processor and 256mb of ram that is now running XP pro. It just barely works. Running more than 2 or 3 applications taxes the hell out of the processor. Windows media just kills it. lol. I am amazed at how much use I have gotten out of this machine. It is 8 years old.

[glc]

Suit yourself, but you do not KNOW for a fact the ram is good till you run diagnostics on it. I HAVE seen systems with defective ram install and run Windows 98 perfectly but fail miserably trying to install XP. I just happened to get a defective stick of Simpletech last month - bad out of the box - the SAME module you have, as a matter of fact.

Memtest86+, which is what I linked to, is a very valuable free tool. I do this stuff for a living and I won't be caught dead without it and all my other diagnostic tools.

Mechanic58 - are you an auto mechanic by trade by any chance? Do you try to diagnose problems on today's engines without a code scanner?

[libertytech]

hello room, i'm havving problem posting on this site can somebody help!!

[mechanic58]

Originally Posted by glc Mechanic58 - are you an auto mechanic by trade by any chance? Do you try to diagnose problems on today's engines without a code scanner?

I am in fact, and yes, I would most definitely use a scanner if I felt it was necessary...it's not always necessary. When the machine boots up, it counts up the RAM normally. I'm the kind of person that can't just accept "It's bad, replace it" *I* wanna know WHY it's bad. EXACTLY why. Can you explain to me what physically happens to a RAM module that might cause this problem you speak of? I realize you're way more experienced than I with these matters....so in your experiences, how many "bad" RAM modules would you say you've run across? I am very curious. I paid $79 for that thing and I am quite sure that I will not be able to take it back and get my money back.

[mechanic58]

P.S. I do appreciate the continued attention you are giving my thread though, thanks. I learn something everyday.

[glc]

Just because it counts it up does not mean it's totally good - all that is doing is acknowledging there is that amount of ram installed. You need to exercise it with the diagnostic software to test ALL functions.

All it takes is one stuck bit to cause problems. The diagnostic software will report this as an error.

Simpletech ram is lifetime warranty and the RMA procedure is painless as long as you can prove it's bad - a diagnostic report is good proof and you won't have to submit it in writing. All you have to say is that memtest86+ comes up with errors. As I said, I got a DOA Simpletech module last month - and I have seen a lot of defective ram over the years, it's far from unusual.

Going back to your statement, in this case, as a professional computer technician, I feel that diagnostics are indicated here by your description of your problems. If you brought me your computer and gave me your description as you have posted here, that's the first thing I would do. I'd even do that before putting a known good module in. I test all my spares before using them.

I'm not saying that your ram *IS* bad - but it's my first suspect. You have to start somewhere. What is your first suspect when a customer says their engine is missing under load? Spark plugs and wires? They can both be tested with the appropriate equipment, right? The difference here is the diagnostic software is free and your only expense will be the blank CD or floppy to create the boot disk to run it - and your time to do it.

[mechanic58]

Well, I DID go to the memtest website. But there were like 200 different links. I had NO idea what I needed to download to complete my test. Since the machine in question is new and now only running Windows 98, and all the drivers for the motherboard accessories, like the network card, etc, are in XP format, I can't connect that machine to the internet. I would need to download whatever I need onto a floppy or zip disk via this machine, then transfer it. So what exactly do I need to download?

[rjfvillarosa]

Follow this link to download memtest86 http://www.memtest86.com/ memtest86 is a bootable floppy, you dont need to worry about the operating system at this point as it runs in a DOS like environment and boots up before your OS.

[glc]

No, that's the old utility.

Go to www.memtest.org

-= Download (Pre-built & ISOs) =-

Here is some pre-compiled distributions of memtest86+. Memtest86+ comes in three different way, first is a pre-build bootable ISO, second is a bootable binary and third an installable package for creating a bootable floppy. Third version are compressed in .zip and .tar.gz.

** Memtest86+ V1.65 (10/01/2005) **
Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.gz)
Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable ISO (.zip)

Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable Binary (.gz)
Download - Pre-Compiled Bootable Binary (.zip)

Download - Pre-Compiled EXE file for USB Key (Pure DOS)

Download - Pre-Compiled package for Floppy (DOS - Win)

It's a zip file, instructions for creating the bootable floppy are in a readme file inside the zip file.

[rjfvillarosa]

Shows how long it is since I made a new copy.

[mechanic58]

Ok, I think I have officially totally screwed this thing up now. :| I did run the memtest and it checked out ok. End of that. So then I installed Linux Kumbuntu (or whatever) on it, successfully. Never used it before. However, it would be goin just fine and then just CRASH, all of a sudden. Black screen. Yay. So then I wasn't able to format the drive with the Linux on it, at least not at my knowledge level, so I downloaded the free version of kill disk with my other machine, created a bootable floppy and "killed the disk". Now I can't do NOTHIN with it. It comes on and goes through the bios and gets to a script where it says its loading the "Grub" and then it has an error, "error 17" and just stops at that point. Blinking cursor. I wish I could illustrate to you all how mad I am. lol.