I want to install XP over Fedora Core - can't get it to work

Seanie M

I've got a 'stand-by' machine I use for various things, it has Fedora Core 4 on it. I want to install XP on it now. I changed the BIOS settings to boot from CD etc, which it only starts to do (XP cd is in, checking hardware configuration etc), then it remains at a dead screen with no activity.

What am I doing wrong?

Seanie.

nava

Hi

I did the same about 6 months ago but installed 2k, I formatted the HD before trying to install from the CD.

Regards

Seanie M

I tried to do the format with FDISK/Win98 boot disk - I have 2 floppy disks. Neither works for the fdisk process.

bman

Try gparted: http://gparted.sourceforge.net/ I've never tryed it but it seems pretty popular. Its bootable from cd or usb.

Edit: Windows won't install unless its a clean hard drive as far as i know so that may be your problem with the cd stalling.

subway

xp should install from boot and allow you to format then partition the drive as you like.
the usual reasons for not installing are a corrupt burn or scratched disc

Seanie M

I can't get to format the disk, and the '98 boot disk recognised that it is not a FAT drive. The XP disc is original and (almost) new.

I'll have a look at the linked gparted software there.

subway

id still double check for dust and scratch marks.
it would highly unusual, but not unknown for a disc to be corrupted point of manufacture.
have you used it to install before?

Seanie M

subway wrote:

id still double check for dust and scratch marks.
it would highly unusual, but not unknown for a disc to be corrupted point of manufacture.
have you used it to install before?

I have, successfully.

delop

From your Linux OS, make a Linux boot Disk, then use fips to wipe the HD

If that does not work it might be that the OS loader on the master boot record is causing you problems...

With your dos disk type fdisk /mbr ( or maybe its format /mbr its a long time since ive done it..)

Seanie M

bman wrote:

Try gparted: http://gparted.sourceforge.net/ I've never tryed it but it seems pretty popular. Its bootable from cd or usb.

Edit: Windows won't install unless its a clean hard drive as far as i know so that may be your problem with the cd stalling.

I can't get this to start at all! I downloaded the ISO and CD versions, even unzipping all the files, but the destination PC says it can't read the media. It can be read in this PC.

S.

subway

dodgy cd drive?
have you got a lens cleaner

Seanie M

subway wrote:

dodgy cd drive?
have you got a lens cleaner

No, can't be that. I can read the disks fine when I am in DOS prompt in FDISK.

bman

So it can boot the gparted disk on one machine and not on the one you want install on, yes?

If thats the case then it looks like theres probably something dodgy with the cd drive in the test machine.

Capt'n Midnight

* WARNING - DO NOT USE IF YOU HAVE DATA ON THE DRIVE *

scripts to trash the partition table
gpart in linux might recover,
or the old DOS 5 utility Mirror to back it up first ( pity it was then dropped )


fire up debug on dos / windows boot disk and use the commands to overwrite the partition table, but only if you don't mind loosing all data on the drive. only good for IDE, don't think it works for SCSI or SATA http://www.fdisk.com/fdisk/HardDrive.htm
[php]
-F 220 L1000 0 (ENTER)
-A CS: 100 (ENTER)
xxxx:0100 MOV AX,301 (ENTER)
xxxx:0103 MOV BX,200 (ENTER)
xxxx:0106 MOV CX,1 (ENTER)
xxxx:0109 MOV DX,80 (ENTER) <---"80" for hd1, "81" for hd2 >
xxxx:010C INT 13 (ENTER)
xxxx:010E INT 20 (ENTER)
xxxx:0110 (ENTER) <

---

BLANK LINE "VERY IMPORTANT" >
-G (ENTER)

Program terminated normally

- (CTRL)-(ALT)-(DEL) to reboot system[/php]


or use this from inside linux[php]dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda1[/php]

Seanie M

Ah yes, good ole DEBUG. COMPLETELY forgot about that! D'uh, Seanie (my CompTIA days are coming back to me now!). This should do the trick.

humaxf1

If you have a spare Windows PC, put the linux drive into it as a slave and format as NTFS :-) (provided its Windows 2k or XP)...saves the DEBUG typing plus the formatting part in the XP setup.