Installing XP....Problems

[MethodMan]

Hi, I was trying to, and currently trying to install Windows XP. I tied upgrading, and I got some weird error, so I totally formatted the drive, and proceeded to install XP. It does the initial setup, restarts the computer, and then at the 37 min. mark it just hangs. On the bottom left side is a status bar that says 'Installing dvices', but it doesnt move, or get filled up. The right side of the screen, still shows messages about XP etc (These change every ten seconds or so, and I can still move the mouse), and the bottom right side of the screen, has this little green box, moving back and forth. The computers little status light isnt blinking, and it isnt accessing the cd-rom. Its like its just sitting there.

Any suggestions?

Should I just wait?

//Edit: Its been sitting there for a half hour, and nothing still. I dont know what is going on!

[Hillbillie]

If it hasn't done anything for a while, then reset. Setup should recover the installation if it's recoverable. If not, you'll have to do it all over again.

*chuckles* Windows installation crashes, can't beat that...

[MethodMan]

Ive tried to restart it several times, I think it may be my dvd-drive, but I cant get it to boot up using the other cd-rom drive. I also tried to run it from the other cd-rom drive through dos (boot disk), but it says, I cant run setup in dos.

[Hillbillie]

What do you mean you can't get it to boot up with the other CD-ROM? Does it not even try to boot from that drive, or does it try to boot but doesn't recognize the installation CD as bootable?

[MethodMan]

I have 2 drives, a dvd drive, and a cd-rom drive. It boots from the cd-drive, and when it gets to the state where it is initializing devices, nothing happens. I can even take out the cd from the drive, and it wont complain!!!

[Hillbillie]

From what you've told me, I think you have a bad XP CD.

[Waldo2k2]

in your bios settings, which does it try to boot from first...and from what hillbillie said i have to ask, did you buy your cd from a "reputable vendor"?

[MethodMan]

I changed my bios setting to boot from the cd drive, floppy, hard drive. Well it could be the cd, but I have two copies of it, and I have tried to use both (neither are from "reputable vendors").

I tried formatting a second time, and this time it couldnt find a dll file, when installing again.

[Waldo2k2]

i'm going to agree with hillbillie and say it's the cds

[Hillbillie]

>and I have tried to use both (neither are from "reputable vendors").<

If they are illegal CDs obtained from a certain P2P network, I happen to know both probably have a few files missing during the installation phase. You can just skip that file (or files) and it should install fine.

If they aren't illegal CDs then like I said before, you should contact MS. But before you do that, I'd take out ALL of your extra (i.e. non-vital) hardware then try installing. You never know what might turn XP's stomach. :)

[MethodMan]

Well you wont believe this. It actually installed. I had to format twice, and then during the installation two more times. At one point it couldnt find files from one cd, so I would put in the second one and then continue. It froze at different spots during the installation, so I had to restart it several times, until FINALLY, I have it installed.

(Thanks to those that sent me PMs, I appreciate your willigness to help out!)

[rick barclay]

That sounds like a typical XP inststallation with a copied cd.
The great thing about an XP upgrade installation is that if it crashes it will not recover and your original OS will be lost, too! :)

I've installed XP on 3 1/2 computers. One was a clean install from
a new hard drive, and the others were 2 upgrades of Millenium
and my latest half installed upgrade from Win 2k Pro. The
installer is presently hung because it says it cannot read some files in the i386 folder. Yet this same cd installed the program on
all the other computers I've mentioned. Thus, I'm theorizing that
my Creative cd drive is no good for this install and will have to
be switched in order to bring things to a satisfatory conclusion.
Fortunately, I also have Win 2k Advanced Server installed on the
same machine so I can still use it.

Installing XP can definitely be a flaky process, but the rewards
of getting it to install successfully are worth the risks involved.
It is the best Windows OS on the market--by far.

rick barclay

[beely]

[info]
is winXP upgrade version from win98 or winME? why should you format again your computer. i guess it's impossible.

[solutions]
ermm.. is your system requirements poor?

[mepaco]

Originally posted by beely
[info]
is winXP upgrade version from win98 or winME? why should you format again your computer. i guess it's impossible.

[solutions]
ermm.. is your system requirements poor?

Windows XP is based off of Windows2K so it is more stable, but it is made for home users so it has all the pretty graphics and helpers that a Mac OS would have. I don't understand the rest of the first question.

[RoD]

Originally posted by mepaco
Windows XP is based off of Windows2K so it is more stable, but it is made for home users so it has all the pretty graphics and helpers that a Mac OS would have. I don't understand the rest of the first question.

Actually Windows XP is based off NT. Windows 2000 is also based off NT, but not in the same respect that XP is. If you rip windows XP, NT, and 2K apart you'd be suprised how much XP differes from 2K and how very similar it is to NT. The only thing that 2K and XP share strongly is the NT-improved kernel, but Win XP's is much more effiecent then 2K's.

Yes, it is very pretty :P