Vince's Annual Tech Support Thread

[Vince]

Ok, I've messed up my computer yet again. This time I was trying to format my hard drive so that I could put Windows XP on my computer with a clean install. The Format worked fine...now my CD Drive has decided it doesn't want to install XP.

It will start installing XP, then it will randomly freeze at different times during the install. I've tried switching the jumpers on my CD-Rom drives so that I can install from the other drive (making my normal CD-RW the Master instead of the slave), thinking that it might be because my CD-Rom drive was having trouble reading the CD...but that didn't work either. So I tried to install Windows 98 SE again...and I get the same problem. The computer inevitably locks up, and when I try to manually restart the computer, it gives me an 'Invalid Boot Disk, replace and press any key to continue.' When I try to boot without the CD (after it has done the majority of the install), it gives me another error, and won't even try to boot up. The furthest I have gotten is to the end of the '98 install, it puts up the 'Enter your Windows Password' screen for the first time, but it is locked up and I had to restart.

Help?

[Vince]

Ok, so I can get it to start installing Windows 98 SE again...but it just freezes again, and won't finish the install. Any ideas would be great...

[MizzouRah]

It sounds like your HD is bad, but:

1. Insert Windows XP into CD rom (the boot CD Rom)
2. Go into BIOS and make sure you have the CD first in the boot order.
3. Re-boot pc and then follow the XP install instructions, selecting quick format.
4. If it hangs up while formatting, you have some bad sectors on your HD.
5. Once XP installs the setup files, it'll reboot and start the install. Only remove the CD when it tells you to.


Todd

[Dutch]

I would pull all of my peripheral devices (and even some un-needed PCI cards like the sound card) off of the machine and try to go as bare-bones as possible.

But I've never experience that problem, so this is only a left-field suggestion.

[Vince]

Thanks for any suggestions guys. I somehow got the 98 CD to run ScanDisk, and apparently every file on my computer is damaged or being reported with the wrong size. It's fixing them now (though there is no 'Fix All' button, which sucks...I have to keep hitting enter for EVERY file ). I'll see about your guys' suggestions if this doesn't work.

[Masked]

You might try upgraded your BIOS to the latest version if you have not already done so. Many older versions don't always interact with XP properly.

However, your symptoms seem inconsistent with this possibility (not getting 98 to work), but it might be worth trying.

[MizzouRah]

I would forget reparing the file and start fresh again, but hey if you can get it to work....

I would also run the extended scandisk to see if any sectors are bad on your HD.


Todd

[hukarez]

I had a friend just recently, ask me about upgrading to Windows XP. He was initially running Windows Me, on his Dell Dimension machine - it's about a few years old, P3, 128 megs of RAM, 40 gig HD.

I forgot the model number, but he wanted to upgrade his operating system and HD also. So he went out, and bought himself a good 160 gig drive and all. In any case, everytime he tried to load Windows XP on the new hard disk (which has been properly formatted and partitioned), he'd consistently get install failure errors.

In fact, I think he actually went back and exchanged the Windows XP software for another one, since the errors he was receiving indicated a 'bad file' or the like on the CD drive - which I thought is odd. Don't quite know about this, but his BIOS was just recently upgraded also. Guess Dell, for some reason, doesn't like Windows XP.

In any case, good luck to you, Vince. It gave me and my buddy a headache.

[MizzouRah]

I have a Dell and XP runs like a champ for me. I've re-installed it many times.

He probably didn't buy a Maxtor harddrive. j/k


Todd

[hukarez]

Originally Posted by MizzouRah

I have a Dell and XP runs like a champ for me. I've re-installed it many times.

He probably didn't buy a Maxtor harddrive. j/k


Todd

Believe it or not - it's a Maxtor 160 gig!

[PilotMan]

Stupid question. How do you go about upgrading your BIOS?

[hukarez]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Stupid question. How do you go about upgrading your BIOS?

Depending on your motherboard, really. If it's a brand name computer (Dell, Compaq, etc..) - your best bet is to go to their website and download a 'BIOS Flash' package. The more convenient ones would end up having both the boot up and installer bit going, so that when you download the file to your diskette (or perhaps download the file first, run a program that'll prepare your diskette) all you'll have to do is reboot your computer with the diskette in.

If your machine's one of those custom built ones, you'd have to figure out what kind of motherboard you have, your BIOS version, and the type of revision your motherboard model may be. So if your motherboard is an ABiT motherboard, or ASUS, etc... you'd just go to their website, look up your motherboard's model and version, and compare the latest BIOS updates available on the website, to the version that you see when you first boot up your computer.

Hope that helps!

[Vince]

Well here's the problem guys...I've already formatted the hard drive. I can't go online, I can't do anything.

I managed to get Windows 98 installed...which is amazing in and of itself. However, then I tried to install XP. It seemed to be going well, and I went to get a drink of water. When I got back, it had just automatically restarted. It loaded the BIOS, then said 'invalid boot disk, remove and press any key.' However, before I could do anything, it automatically restarted again. I tried removing the Windows XP CD, but now it won't even get that far. It shows the info on my Video Card (GeForce4 Ti 4600, 128 Megs), then the American Megatrends (my motherboard) info on the hardware, then it restarts. No prompt, no nothing. This is so frustrating...

Any ideas on what I can do?

[MizzouRah]

Not trying to be funny, but do you have a disk in the floppy drive?


Todd

[Vince]

Heh...please keep asking the stupid questions. It very well may be that I am stupid. But no, there is no floppy in the drive.

Update though: XP CD seems to like to read now, and is currently Formatting my C drive. Again.

[druez]

Originally Posted by Vince

Heh...please keep asking the stupid questions. It very well may be that I am stupid. But no, there is no floppy in the drive.

Update though: XP CD seems to like to read now, and is currently Formatting my C drive. Again.

do your format of your hardrive from within XP install. Make sure you choose format NTFS and don't choose the quick option.

[Vince]

Wow, so I don't know what changed...but I got it to work. XP is now on my computer. That was the most ramshackle method of getting it done, I'm certain.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by Vince

Well here's the problem guys...I've already formatted the hard drive. I can't go online, I can't do anything.

I managed to get Windows 98 installed...which is amazing in and of itself. However, then I tried to install XP. It seemed to be going well, and I went to get a drink of water. When I got back, it had just automatically restarted. It loaded the BIOS, then said 'invalid boot disk, remove and press any key.' However, before I could do anything, it automatically restarted again. I tried removing the Windows XP CD, but now it won't even get that far. It shows the info on my Video Card (GeForce4 Ti 4600, 128 Megs), then the American Megatrends (my motherboard) info on the hardware, then it restarts. No prompt, no nothing. This is so frustrating...

Any ideas on what I can do?

same thing happened to me when I tried to install XP on my old computer. I had an American Megatrends board, and it got about halfway through the XP install before it said "setup.exe" has an error, please restart the install. I did, and then it screwed up even worse, so now when I turn on the computer, it doesn't even get to a DOS prompt, the screen just runs through the initializing, but then goes to a blank screen. Its just been sitting on my shelf collecting dust since October.

[Vince]

Well Easy, I managed to get through it. I wish I could tell you how.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by hukarez

Depending on your motherboard, really. If it's a brand name computer (Dell, Compaq, etc..) - your best bet is to go to their website and download a 'BIOS Flash' package. The more convenient ones would end up having both the boot up and installer bit going, so that when you download the file to your diskette (or perhaps download the file first, run a program that'll prepare your diskette) all you'll have to do is reboot your computer with the diskette in.

If your machine's one of those custom built ones, you'd have to figure out what kind of motherboard you have, your BIOS version, and the type of revision your motherboard model may be. So if your motherboard is an ABiT motherboard, or ASUS, etc... you'd just go to their website, look up your motherboard's model and version, and compare the latest BIOS updates available on the website, to the version that you see when you first boot up your computer.

Hope that helps!

Thanks, something I have always wondered.

[MizzouRah]

Originally Posted by Vince

Well Easy, I managed to get through it. I wish I could tell you how.

Sometimes the best solutions come in odd ways. Glad to see you're back up!

Can I close your ticket now or put it on monitor hold?


Todd