ReInstall Windows XP on laptop

[TallTravel]

I have been through quite a bit trying to get XP Media edition re installed after it was hosed due to some bad TCP/IP protocols stacks screwed up all internet connections. After I realized it needed to be reinstalled I called HP, had them look up my laptop by serial number, and send me Windows XP Media edition disks. I cannot figure how to simply load Windows XP onto this system.

Here is what I've been doing with the disk which is labeled:

Windows Operating System DVD Media Edition 2005

Boot from CD, click on any key (which I do)
Windows set up blue screen
Loading files
Starting Windows
Welcome to set up

My Choice:

This portion prepares Windows to run:

1) to set up Win XP now press enter
2) to repair XP using recovery console
3) quit

So I choose option 1
Press F8 to agree, which I do

Then each time I do this, it goes through the basic installation and the power goes off at almost the same time each time, just after the blue screen says " Starting Windows ".

Searching for previous versions of Windows, click repair. It finds a previous version, and I click repair. When I choose this option on the next install attempt, the system shuts down again. So I power up again....

The power up/recovery system shuts down on the next attempt as well.

In case it matters, I have already tried removing the battery completely, and precisely the same thing happens. I have also replaced the power cord/transformer (or whatever it is) with HP product replacements.

By pressing the F keys at bootup I can get to the BIOS screen, from where I ran a Primary HDD Self Test. The system gave me an option of a short test (2 minutes) or long (96 minutes) It passed the short test.

I have yet to run the long test, I'll start that in a few minutes.
Would it benefit me to reformat the hard drive? Or do a low level format?

Any clues?

All I'm trying to do is reinstall Windows, and I'm thinking I do not know how to bypass the faulty installation.

ETA:

In case it matters, I've tried to go into safe mode, safe mode with networking, last known good configuration, etc, and I get the identical black screen with cursor. This, I believe, is the " bad installation " of Windows XP which has a messed up video driver.

[glc]

If it's shutting down that early in the setup procedure, you probably have a hardware issue.

[TallTravel]

Originally Posted by glc If it's shutting down that early in the setup procedure, you probably have a hardware issue.

Thanks. That makes perfect sense. I tested the hard drive and it passed. I used the BIOS set up to test the hard drive. It is a laptop, and so far as I know it has only one hard drive, with two partitions. It passed the following tests:

1) HDD primary qucik test, 2 minutes
2) HDD primary long test, 96 minutes
3) HDD secondary quick test, 2 minutes
4) HDD secondary long test, 96 minutes

Is this a definitive test of the hard drive?

So I am guessing memory is the next logical hardware faiilure? Is it logical, given the information provided, to remove the memory, replace it with compatible and new memory, then run the entire install again with new memory sticks? Am I going to be able to remove and replace the memory on a HP Pavillion dv8000 laptop myself?

How do I reinitialize an IDE Drive on a laptop hard drive? Would that make sense? I am assuming this is an IDE drive. It is in a HP Pavillion laptop, 200 GB, circa 2006.

My gut feeling, though, is that the first reinstallation of XP is stopping the install process. I don't know how to get past the bad XP install which was stopped (power went out in the middle of updates online immediately after successful XP reinstall

[glc]

www.memtest.org

You can test the memory.

www.dban.org

You can zero fill the hard drive. However, this will wipe the diagnostic and recovery partitions.

[TallTravel]

Well, I was really asking if there is any way to test the memory from a known good source which is accessible on this system. I cannot get to anything except BIOS, a black screen, or the CD/DVD, which will then take me to the shut down of the Windows re install.

When you say it seems like hardware, other than memory and a hard drive, any other hardware it might be?

Not sure what I'd be losing at that point. The entire system is unusable, the diagnostics are not of any use (BIOS is the only thing I can get to, so far as I know), recovery is inaccessible....

[glc]

Please do not make assumptions.

Go to www.memtest.org using ANOTHER COMPUTER, download the appropriate package, and create the BOOTABLE CD. Boot the laptop with it to test the ram.

The zero fill utility works the same way - download and create bootable media.

[TallTravel]

Originally Posted by glc Please do not make assumptions. Go to www.memtest.org using ANOTHER COMPUTER, download the appropriate package, and create the BOOTABLE CD. Boot the laptop with it to test the ram. The zero fill utility works the same way - download and create bootable media.

Thanks. I'll make a bootable disk and see what it says.