so near and yet so far...

RobertFoster

Hi,

I reacently built my computer from scratch and am at the stage of installing the OS (Win Xp home) - I'm having a bit of trouble and I'm wondering if you could help?

Firstly I'll tell you the details of my system:

---

Motherboard: Soyo Dragon Platinum Ultra
Processor: AMD XP 2600+
RAM: 2* 512MB DDR
HDD: Maxtor 80GB/8mb cache
GFX: 128mb DDR geforce 4

---

Ok, with that out of the way, onto my problem.

Like I said, I'm at the installing OS stage. After completing the BIOS setup, I booted up the computer. When booting up I put in the OS CD and it started from there. I inputted my details etc. and the instalation got down to about 10 minutes to go. I then got an error message - the computer needed to be restarted and the instalation had to start again.

Ever since that, for some reason, the OS can't complete instalation - I don't get error messages, but the green bar telling me my progress stops moving. The information about XP continues to scroll on, but the green bar and timer stays where they are.

The freeze doesn't happen at a specific time (I judge by the countdown timer)

I asked the person I bought the OS from what to do and he suggested that I:

go into dos and
type: fdisk at the c:/ promt
delete all partitions and old drives start a fresh
create new partition as a fat 32 NOT fat

I tried this but I could not manage to get into dos. I boot up the system without the OS CD and all it does is ask for the disc!

I'm at a loss what to do next - any suggestions?

Thanks for your time

Mac daddy

I thaught Xp is NTFS instead of FAT or Fat 32.
Win2k is NTFS. Xp is NTFS. Win98 only runs FAT32 or FAT(16). :rolleyes:

deckie27

All you can try is a fresh install, IE boot from CD when asked what to do choose new installation
When asked what partion? delete the c: partion and then recreate it (this will delete all data, Its a nicer version of fdisk)
To do what the OS seller suggested you should,
If you have access to another comp. using 95, 98, or me format a floppy disk with the system files. and copy fdisk on to the floppy
You can make a boot disk


PS
Mac
There is no problem running XP on fat or fat32 but NTFS is the safest and more secure

Matt Simis

If you want to try the DOS approach make a Windows 98SE or ME boot disk (or download from bootdisk.com).


Windows XP and 2000 are perfectly happy on FAT32 filesystems.



matt

b3t4

Format, format, format.

Get a boot disk as Matt Simis said. That should get you to the dos prompt.

Then get your hands on a little program called gdisk. It's easy to use and supposedly better than fdisk. It fits onto one floppy disk.

Is NTFS truly the safest file system type??

I had Windows 2000 on a NTFS file system. I had to reinstall it onto a FAT 32 partition as Linux doesn't like the NTFS partition. Read somewhere that NTFS wasn't the greatest file system type.

Best of luck with it,
A.

deckie27

NTFS is the safest most secure file system
Eg b3t4 if I was to boot up your system and I didn't have the password I wouldn't be able to log in ie can't access your Data
So I get a boot floppy and boot your machine with it then I can copy what ever I wish off your computer
Dos can't read NTFS so if I booted of a floppy I would not be able to read your drives hense can't access your data

Dec

Col_Loki

Yea i think NTFS if set up correctly is much safer than FAt or FAT32, definetly doing the trick for me. I originally (stupidly) formated my drive with FAT32 and tried to load 2000. Everything was fine until it tried to boot into windows - Got a NTFS error warning. Reformatted in NTFS and it was perfect!!

I presumed from that only NTFS would be ok for 2000??

RobertFoster

is there a way to do it without a floppy? I don't have a floppy disc drive....I supose I could always get one, they're only €25 now a days right?

deckie27

Try a fresh install, ie. boot from CD when asked what to do choose new installation.
When asked what partion? delete the c: partion and then recreate it (this will delete all data, Its a nicer version of fdisk)

and proceed from there

RobertFoster

if i boot from CD all it does is go into WinXP and say something like "Installation is restarting...." and the countdown starts again.

RobertFoster

-- sorry for double posting --

OK, here's what I've done since I last posted:

>Got a FDD and installed it;
>downloaded the win XP bootdisk (from bootdisk.com, cheers Matt) onto my old computer and made the six floppies it required;
>I *tried* to follow this page about fdisk, but it was totally off (must be different for WinXp than 98/ME)

I never made it to dos, but to where I started a while back. I deleted the partition I'd already made and created a new one. The boot disk then asked for the OSCD.

It continued from there. Enter name, product key, region etc. etc. The counter got to 13 minutes to go and guess what happened? It stopped. Like before, the little green bar moved no further and the XP "info" (i.e. look how *great* it is) kept going, it made it all the way to the end(thank you for buying XP) and started again (welcome to XP)

I left it there for 10 minutes to see if it would move on, but no luck, and I reset and turned off the computer, hooked up my old one and came here

What next? Anybody? Please?

deckie27

Rob

Something similar happened to me except it brought up a BSOD then procedded to reboot and continue for a min then bsod again
The problem was with the bios, It was an old board '98ish

There maybe a hardware problem
Do you have another OS you can try and install?
If another os works you could try hardware testing
there may be a problem with the bios ( I know it a new board but you never know)
Best of look

PS enjoy ur nite ;-)

Dec

RobertFoster

Thanks, I actually managed to install the OS.

What I did was go to bootdisk.com and get a "custom bootdisk" and I was able to follow the steps in the link I provided earlier.

I installed all my drivers etc and everything was going smoothly until I tried to install Service Pack 1. It's instalation froze (whats new). And I closed all the windows open and got the "end now" option thing - I then was told I had an error in explorer and that closed too. I decided to restart.

But now the computer wont start up! It gets so far and then reboots itself! I checked my motherboard manual and it suggested I "clear the CMOS battery" but no difference.

It boots like this:

scanning the ram > detecting master/slave drives > verifies DMI pool data > shows the XP logo > few seconds later I hear the monitor crackle (like it does at boot) and the computer restarts.

I feel like I'm never going to get it going! At least I enjoyed the hour I had with it working....

Capt'n Midnight

re Dos can't read NTFS so if I booted of a floppy I would not be able to read your drives hense can't access your data

www.sysinternals.com - ntfsdos , works great on a dos 5 boot disk - security - what security...

OK it can't read the NTFS 5 encryption - but if you trust microsoft to look after your data - remember doublespace / drive space and the fact that at least one of the recent service packs supposedly fixes an password issue

Prsonally I prefer a FAT 16 partition at the start of the drive - everything can see.

Get an boot disk - use fdisk to make sure the partition is active.
If you have read other threads you see I recomend copying the i386 folder onto the HDD and installing from there. - win 98 cd will boot up into DOS with cd support...

RobertFoster

anyone know a good place in Dublin that I could bring the computer in for them to look at it? I don't know if I trust PC World - they'd probably charge me just for talking to them...:D

yellum

so year and yet so far and so not on topic for this forum... now should I delete or move ?

damiens in a good mood this evening

RobertFoster

where should it be? delete it if you want, I supose I could find some non national sites to help me in future, I don't know anybody Irish online.

maxheadroom

I don't know if this link is any help, but have a look:
http://www.theeldergeek.com/clean_installation_of_windows_xp.htm

Your other option is to strip the computer down to the bare minimum, one stick of ram, "generous" ram timings, one Optical drive on a different IDE channel to your HDD.

Then see if it installs. If so, then readd components one at a time until it fails. That's your problem.

Also, if you have access to a CD-RW drive, try preparing a slipstreamed install CD with SP1 + drivers already on it.

GRAHAM2002

get a win 98 boot disk.

delete all partitions dos or otherwise but using the debug text.

which is as follows when u get the A: prompt from the boot disk.

A: "debug "
f 200 L1000 0
XXXX XXXX mov ax,301
XXXX XXXX mov bx,200
XXXX XXXX mov cx,1
XXXX XXXX mov dx,80
XXXX XXXX int13
XXXX XXXX int20
XXXX XXXX (hit enter to leave blank)
g
q

the X's are code the machine will give u.

This will wipe all info from the h/d so just place ur bootable cd as usual in the rom and off u go as usual.

Hope it works.

Cheers
g

RobertFoster

Thanks, I've got the OS installed but now the computer wont boot (gets past the XP logo and then reboots - it's a continous cycle)

maxheadroom

look in bootlog.txt and see where it fails?

RobertFoster

where would I find that?

maxheadroom

1. Reboot PC
2. Hold down F8 when its starting up
3. Select "Enable Boot Logging" from the startup menu
4. Wait for the machine to die

If the machine will boot into safe mode, do it, and look at c:\bootlog.txt and see if anything comes up as failed.

If not, you'll have to use recovery console to view the file.

RobertFoster

I followed your instructions and went into the recovery console (I can't access safe mode as it reboots also)

however I could not find the bootlog. At the command prompt I tried "type bootlog.txt" ; "type c:\bootlog.txt" ; "c:/bootlog.txt" but I kept getting the message that it couldn't be found.

I read that I can only access the directory I'm in and no other (i.e. c:\WINDOWS) - is there some way I can go up a directory so I can access the c:\bootlog.txt?

maxheadroom

Oops - my mistake. In WinXP, the Boot Logging text is recorded in the Ntbtlog.txt file in the %SystemRoot% (C:\Windows) folder.

You're looking for a driver that did not load (there'll be lots, look for an obvious culprit first)

RobertFoster

will there be a marker saying it didn't load?

maxheadroom

It'll say stuff like:

Loaded driver \WINDOWS\system32\ntoskrnl.exe

or

Did not load driver AFD.SYS

(I've actually got a string of those at the end of mine - must check that out)


Lots of drivers won't load because they don't need to, but it could give you an idea of what's going wrong. Start at the end of the file and work back.

RobertFoster

The following had the prefix of "DID NOT LOAD DRIVER" and repeated themselves over 20 times (in this order, apart from the first one, which appeared the first time)

Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC
Audio Codecs
Legacy Audio Drives
Media Control Devices
Legacy Video Capture Devices
Video Codecs
WAN Miniport (L2TP)
WAN Miniport (IP)
WAN Miniport (PPPOE)
WAN Miniport (PPTP)
Packet Scheduler Miniport
Packet Scheduler Miniport
Direct Parallel
Processor
NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440
Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC
CMI8735/C3DX PCI Audio Device
Communications Port
Communications Port
Printer Port

The next list appeared from time to time at different stages of the above list. all were prefixed with "DID NOT LOAD DRIVER" and "\SystemRoot\System32\Drivers\"

1brtfdc.SYS
Sfloppy.SYS
i2omgmt.SYS
Changer.SYS
Cdaudio.SYS
Bap.SYS
vga.SYS
msfs.SYS
npfs.SYS
mnmdd.SYS
RDPCDD.SYS
RasAcd.SYS
IPSec.SYS
Tcpip.SYS
netBT.SYS
NetBIOS.SYS
Serial.SYS
Rdbss.SYS
MRxSmb.SYS
PCIDump.SYS
Imapi.SYS
Fips.SYS

What do you think....? I'm totally confused

maxheadroom

Try it without the network card - I had a similar boot problem once until I upgraded the network card drivers (same manufactutrer, same product family)...

It is also loading the wrong graphics driver.

I think "Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC" not loading might mean that the wrong Hardware Abstraction Layer (basic set of hardware interfaces) is being loaded - no way to fix this execpt for a re-install...

from the elder geek
When XP is first installed it tries to determine what type of BIOS is available on the computer. Newer systems have what is known as Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) capability. Unfortunately, XP doesn't always recognize a computer BIOS is ACPI capable and doesn't install the support for ACPI. Even more unfortunate is the fact that if ACPI support isn't determined at the initial install it's virtually impossible to correct this at a later time short of reinstalling XP over the top of the previous XP installation. To do so requires changing the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL). The chances of successfully changing a HAL after XP has been installed is pretty close to zilch.

Once you drop the CD in the tray and fire up the computer to install XP, the first thing you'll see at the bottom of the screen is the option to press F6 if you need to install a SCSI or RAID controller. Don't press F6. Press F5 instead. This will take you to a separate menu of Hardware Abstraction Layer's where you can choose an appropriate HAL that supports ACPI. The choices will be:

ACPI Multiprocessor PC

ACPI Uniprocessor PC

Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC

Compaq SystemPro Multiprocessor or 100% Compatible PC

MPS Uniprocessor PC

MPS Multiprocessor PC

Standard PC

Standard PC with C-Step i486

Other

Try selecting "ACPI Uniprocessor PC" instead of Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC . If it still doesn't work, try Standard PC (but you'll loose all power managment including automatic shut-down).

Have you tried flashing the bios on your motherboard to the latest version?

GRAHAM2002

have u checked the powersupply

GRAHAM2002

Have u considered that it may be your power supply causing the reboot when u are loading windows.

Might be worth checking:rolleyes: