xp cd setup will not start

[stubighead]

Hi trying to do a fresh install of XP onto a 80GB IDE drive which already has 2 copies of xp on it. Trying to run xp cd fom boot up, set boot sequence to cd and it starts the process but doesnt get past the black screen with "windows is examining your hardware configuration message"

I have tried this with no hard drives attached, my normal drives attached or with a newly formatted drive attached. Setup will not run! Why not?

I also made a slipstreamed disk with SATA drivers on it and tried this one and have the same problem. All hardware works fine when running normally.

KT6V
2GB ram
80 GB IDE drive
Geforce 6600

Thanks

[timon]

try to use other windows boot disk or boot by removing all extra hardware from motherboard like graphics card or any pci card also ......

[Devasis]

First check out that you hard drive is shown in BIOS. Then make sure that sata drive is a boot device. Then make sure in BIOS both sata and pata (IDE) is enabled. If the hard drive is not there then check out the cable. Touch drive see weather is working not dead. Then restart your system and press tab continuously. A small menu will appear to choose the boot sequence. Select the drive. See the link below for more information :
New SATA hard drive not being detected

[ADISH]

Check this threads : It will help you.
http://forums.techarena.in/windows-x...ort/232162.htm
Windows XP Setup does not go beyond 30% of copying files

[Calvin K]

This error is caused by a number of variables. However, the most common is an incompatibly old motherboard BIOS or SATA disk drivers that aren’t loaded.

[stubighead]

I seem to have tried every possible solution, I have tried running setup from cd with either: no drives attached, an old reformatted drive, the current drive with windows on it, a new formatted SATA drive. I know the disk works cos i tried it on another computer and I know boot disks will boot cos I have tried other boot disks so what is it that setup doesnt like about my PC, especially considering ti worked fine a couple of days ago. After doing a lot of reading some sites suggest that any residual boot sector information residing on the HDD might stop setup from running.

The only thing I havent tried is a HDD that has never had windows on it so Im wondering if somehow this is the problem.

Stu

[rupak]

Have you tried to check your BIOS settings? It sometimes happens due to the changes in your BIOS unknowingly done by you.
So please put your BIOS setting to the defaults. Now try installing the Operating System.
I hope this solves the problem.

[ronju99]

When I run into those kind of situations, I find that booting up the computer and going to Disk Management amd removing the partitions on both operating system, reboot and run Kill Disk or even Fdisk and then install the operating system. You may even have a virus residing in your MBR. Restoring the hard drive to new works best for me.

Ron

[stubighead]

Unbelievably I got it work simply by unpluggin a stick of RAM ! would you believe it, appparently yes according to some!

[MrChris-]

Yes sometimes it happens when computer detects ram it also stores all the temporary data on it. I hope it can be one of your Ram which you removed was corrupt or has some error in loading so it my be getting all temporary data might be failing to work so when you removed that RAM the computer was not having any option of storing the data on the one Ram which is present right now.... If you require any further solution may post here....!