Errors on trying to install Win XP

[mountingmuppet]

Errors galore upon trying to install XP home.

System: DFI nf4 lanparty, a64 3000, 1gig crucial ram, 6600gt, Seagate SATA 120gb, Seagate PATA 60gb, Plextor dvd px-716a (i think, I'm not looking at the comp now so doing this off top of my head).

Previous install of windows was on the SATA hd, the other hd wasnt in the machine at the time.

Attempted to format, but it kept hanging at 'Setup is inspecting your computer's hardware configuration'.

Attempted to get round this by fiddling with the cache settings in the bios, but whatever I did just made the comp hang on second post screen. So I cleared the CMOS, and this allowed me to get into the windows set up. So I set about installing windows, and left it to do its thing. Came back to see:

"File PCI.sys is corrupted please restart you got pnwed."

Long story short, everytime i reboot the comp gets to a random part of the install process and crashes, with a variety of error messages:

"Setupreg.HIV could not be loaded, error code 32768"
"NTLDR is missing" - this only happens sometimes, when it fails to boot from the cd.

"File i386/NTKRNLMP.EXE could not be loaded, error code 4"


It's all gone horribly wrong.

Any suggestions? I cant pin-point whats wrong... My suspicions point to the DVD drive for some reason.

Thankyou to whoever can shed some light on this.

 

[masterk]

I would try changing the cable on the DVD drive first and then the DVD drive if possible, then try running memtest to make sure its not the memory causing the problems (has happened to me in the past).

 

[The B.A.]

I did have similar, though not exactly the same, issues a few months ago. It turned out to be a duff memory chip.

 

[csmager]

I did have similar, though not exactly the same, issues a few months ago. It turned out to be a duff memory chip.

Agreed. The sheer randomness of the errors would indicate memory problems. The DVD drive/cable problem is also plausible.

 

[BruceLee]

I tried installing XP with 2gb (4x512mb) and it threw up loads of errors on trying to install. Took out 1gb and it ran through fine. Try it with single stick or something.

 

[BigBoy]

Also is the system overclocked or over volted in any way? have you connected all the power leads to the motherboard and such like, it can be one of the simplest things causing these problems.

 

[mountingmuppet]

Thanks for these suggestions, I'm unfortunately now only able to conduct my dad thru this nightmare over the phone, but I'll get him to give it a go, especially the memory thing, and report back.