Help loading windows XP,driving me mad!

[AMDPower]

guys i really need help, i am about to go crazy and throw the whole computer in the bin.

A friend gave me their pc so that i can restart the operating system(it had windows xp first installed). well the simple truth is that i cannot. When i try to load windows xp, it allows me to format the hd, and it loads windows(the first part - not fully installed at this stage) and then it reboots, after the first reboot it freezes on the windows splash screen with the little download bar.

i don't normally use windows xp, i use 2000. I tried windows 2000 and it works perfectly but not xp??? i tried 5 different copies of windows xp and non worked. the same bloody thing keep happening, it just freezes.

can anyone help please, have tried everything i can think off, even tried to use non usb keyboard and mouse, new hd, disable acpi and so on.

thanks

 

[AMDPower]

hi there

thank for the suggestions,

ok let me explain,

windows auto boots of cd
then windows say press f6 for drivers and f2 for auto recovery,
the it loads drivers and then it says starting windows.
it gives me options as to where i should load Windows
i format the hd,
make new partition
load windows into the partition, and use ntfs file system
then it copied files needed for installation over.
it finishes this and says windows will reboot in 15 seconds or press enter to reboot manually
i press enter, and it reboots
a windows splash screen comes up for the first time ( you know the one with the little blue download bar or whatever it is)
and after a few seconds the download indicator just freezes and it just stays like this for some time.

i have removed the usb mouse and used normal ps/2 stuff, removed all modems, removed the extra cd writer, and all extra usb ports.

its strange as it has windows xp on it to start with, think i might just have to buy a new motherboard.

i hate windows, i swear i am gong to move to linux any day now, have wanted to do so for a long time and this whole episode is just giving me the push i need.

 

[AMDPower]

probably just duff hardware

try removing all non essential items, and check the ram with memtest

removed everything not needed, all there is in there is gfx card, 1 hd, 1dvd drive, and 1 stick of ram.

but i don't understand how it can be duff hardware as it seem to load windows 2000 just fine. i have put windows 2000 5 times on it now and each time it was good to go. but window xp is no go.

the reason i need windows xp on there is because, someone hacked his computer and used it to send out spams and his ISP have blocked his internet. they said reset it, after i reset it with windows 2000 they said sorry it has to be windows xp only ans sp2.

such a bum situation.

i don't get it?

 

[AMDPower]

Sounds like the RAM is fryed to me.

Windows XP is very specific about how it addresses the ram but win2k isnt. I have noticed this over the last few years (installed and reinstalled 1000's of pc's) i would suggest running memtest over night to fully check out the ram.

Also check all cables connecting everything to the motherboard. If its an IDE hard drive try changing the ribbon cable making sure the jumpers are set correctly on the drive.

99% of the time crashes on boot like this are RAM related.

its not crashing on boot, its just freezing during installing windows, i don't even get a change to boot.

finding this hard to swallow, as the machine was working fine before i took it, it had windows xp on it, surely if it was the ram then it would have got blue screen of death every now and then??

but having said that i will try to get new ram for the machine and lets see what happens.

will let you know if i resolve the situation.

thanks