XP won't install on new drive

[azscary]

I have a brand new WD 80GB Special Edition drive that the install of XP failed on due to a bad stick of RAM.

After I replaced the RAM, I tried to run the install from the CD. The install finished and activated the XP. I disconnected the drive and added a second drive leaving the installed as the Master, set the second drive as the slave and booted up. It told me the NTLDR was missing so I tried to rerun the setup of XP.

When it gets to the partition display, I deleted the previous partition and tried fresh install.

It creates the partition but when it tries to install, I get the message that the partition is not compatible with XP and to press enter to return to the previous screen and partition for XP.

Delete partition and repeat and get the same error. This is doing the same thing on both WD drives and it is absoultely frustrating me.

HELP!!!

[DragonNOA1]

Originally posted by azscary I disconnected the drive and added a second drive leaving the installed as the Master, set the second drive as the slave and booted up.

So what are you trying to do? If you disconnect the original, make sure your second drive is set to master since it is the only drive in the system. Are you trying to install XP again on the slave drive to make a dual boot?

[azscary]

All I did is add a slave drive to the configuration after I installed XP on the Master. The drive I did the original XP install on was still the Master drive but after I hooked up the second drive configured as the slave, I got the message that NTLDR was missing on the Master drive so I tried to reinstall the OS on the Master drive and it says the partition is not compatible with XP.

[DragonNOA1]

You should be able to do a repair install or "sfc" to load ntldr back on the drive. So it happened upon the first boot after you connected the drive?

To be safe run some tests on your RAM or try them in different slots to make sure everything is ok. Try installing with just one stick of RAM.

[azscary]

Yes it happened the first boot after I installed the second drive and I cannot run SFC because I have deleted the partition and tried to reinstall the OS which failed.

If there is anyone who actually reads this post that has any input I would appreciate it.

[DragonNOA1]

Fine I won't help you anymore, here's my last post.

1. I don't know what system you are talking about but make sure it is XP compatible.

2. Confirm that your hard disk or file system is not damaged. Start up the Recovery Console and use the Chkdsk command-line tool.

3. Are you using a burnt copy of the XP CD?

4. Use Memtest86 to test your RAM. A bad piece of RAM will cause you installation problems.

5. Make sure your BIOS is up to date.

6. Make sure you are using NTFS and not FAT32 and are actually deleting the whole drive and reformating and partitioning exactly what you want.

7. What is the exact error message?

If worse comes to worse. Just have your slave as the master and remove the original master. Install on the slave and reconnect your old master and format it within computer management.

Good Luck!

[azscary]

I have already mentioned this in the post, but it appears as if you didn't read it so to clarify:

1. There is no system because I have not been able to install an OS on a BRAND NEW DRIVE.

2. There are 2 (two) brand new WD drives that will not install on either. If the system won't install you cannot run system recovery can you.

3. Why would anyone want to use a burnt copy? Brand new, out of the box CD from Fry's Electonics.

4. I already determined it was bad RAM originally and have replaced it with a known good stick and it is still happening.

5. Brand new Intel board from Newegg with the latest BIOS.

6. It does not even get to the point where I can choose NTFS or FAT32 because it is not getting past the partitioning. Why would anyone want to use FAT32 anyway?

7. The exact error message as I stated in the post is the partition is not compatible with XP and ask me to repartition for XP which I do and it still says it is not compatible.

Sorry if I sound upset, but I AM UPSET. I spent over 8 hours trying to get a simple install done with all new parts, post what I thought was detailed information, and you reply as if you had never read the post. Sorry if I upset you, and I welcomed the fact that you replied, but we need to move on. Thanks

[azscary]

OK.

I was wrong to respond the way I did and I offer my amends to DragonNOA1

Let me explain:

I am doing broadband technical support for a company that is closing our call center to outsource to India therby making me soon to be unemployed. I have to keep working so I can get my severance. They have put me in a dedicated Saves cue that handles escalations from customers who have called to cancel the accounts. Most of them are dialup, angry, too stupid to even own a computer, or have POS computers that need to be scrapped but expect them to work.

My car has had to have the 2nd rebuilt transmission in 14 months and just cost me $2,286.32 to rebuild, when my income is about to cease.

I am trying to build a few computers to make a few extra bucks and I have had little to no sleep, and had to come to work today with a dead computer on my desk.

This was a simple, routine build with all new parts from Newegg and I get a stick of bad RAM that took me 6 hours to discover what the problem was due to lack of sleep. It should not have had an issue and it is pissing me off.

I am not happy. I am cranky. I am broke. I am very tired. I need help.

This is more than likely a simple thing that I am over looking, but I cannot get a grip on.

Please accept my apology, and explanation.

If anyone could point me to a solution or towards a good bed with Swedish massage and smoldering Sage, I would appreciate it.

[DragonNOA1]

I was mad but I will just say that while you mentioned some things, you weren't to clear, in my mind, about exactly what you had or did. I didn't know when you said you disconnected the drive that it was actually still installed. I didn't know you did tests on your new RAM or if you have tried them one by one just in case they were giving problems.

Originally posted by azscary 2. There are 2 (two) brand new WD drives that will not install on either. If the system won't install you cannot run system recovery can you.

Actually just because they are new doesn't mean that they are good. Your RAM was bad and your HD could be to. AND YES you can run recovery console from the CD to check your hard drives for error.

Originally posted by azscary 3. Why would anyone want to use a burnt copy?

I've seen people around here use them before and they have problems because of it.

Originally posted by azscary 7. The exact error message as I stated in the post

I didnt know they exact error message because it wasn't in quotes. i thought you were just mentioning that it wasn't compatible. I didn't know that it was the exact message.

Sorry for bad luck and misfortunes I was only trying to help. Sometimes when people get upset they miss the little things, so I mentioned them while trying to get a clear story from you and I was marauded with negative comments. If I think of anything else I'll be sure to post them so that I can help you out. That is unless you are going to be rude to me again.

[azscary]

I apologize for my outburst, and I have managed to solve the issue by booting from a Win 98 boot disk, FDISK and partitioned the drive and then was able to reinstall the OS successfuly.

[DragonNOA1]

Congrads! Since you used FDISK are you running FAT32 then?

[azscary]

No. I just left it unformatted and let the XP install do the rest and format to NTFS.

[DragonNOA1]

D'oh, stupid me, that's right. It's been so long since I've used FDISK. But hey that was easy now wasn't it? Good luck to you in the future. Hope everything works out for you.