Windows Xp Fails Install

westylakey · 4 Nov 2007 at 15:26

Hi, im trying to install windows xp onto this system:

AB9 Pro
Core 2 Duo
2GB Geil ULL DDR2-800
160 Samsung Sata HDD
All Components are new.

boots from cd and formats hdd, doesnt scan disk once formats it just shows a 0% then goes to next screen, once copied files it has to do the first reboot to start install but shows error of missing folder, sometimes this error will not show and begins install but same again after the next reboot, i have been trying it since 11am.

checked connections etc, luckily my other pc has onboard vga.

So can anybody help? is the hdd bust? i bought it oem new and sealed yesterday from a shop.

BENdage · 4 Nov 2007 at 16:05

Try using some newer sata drivers

mame · 4 Nov 2007 at 16:08

Looked at someones PC once that did a similar thing. At various stages of installing, it would say can't find file from the XP CD. Tried 3 windows CD's and it was still the same. Turned out to be a bad stick of memory.

westylakey · 4 Nov 2007 at 16:09

would that cause fatal errors? how would i do that? i only have raid drivers.

westylakey · 4 Nov 2007 at 16:10

bad memory? please let it not be :'(

paradigm · 4 Nov 2007 at 16:11

Is the optical drive IDE?

I've known this be due to dodgy IDE cables before.

mame · 4 Nov 2007 at 16:13

The progress bar would keep stopping at random points. Sometimes would get further than others. Would just stick on a certain % and keep saying file not found retry or abort, installation failed etc. This was with 2 sticks of RAM. Found out after trying different things that, with just 1 of the sticks in, it would do nothing, Not even POST. With just the other stick in, worked fine. I tried everything else though. Changed IDE cables and even 3 different cd-roms.

westylakey · 4 Nov 2007 at 16:14

currently trying older xp disk, and usb mouse with ps2 adapter, if fails then i will try ram :S

paradigm · 4 Nov 2007 at 16:14

Yeah, it may well be worth booting memtest86 to see if you have any memory errors.

westylakey · 4 Nov 2007 at 16:35

it would be a lot easier if xp install was faster. and formatting was quicker, also how long is quick format supposed to take? jumps to 20% then after a few secs jumps to 100%

westylakey · 4 Nov 2007 at 17:06

memtest is running and its passed 21% no errors, if they were dodgy would there have been errors already?

BENdage · 4 Nov 2007 at 17:17

Your quick format is normal, it normally jumos to 20 and then 100. Need to keep memtest running until at least 100%, it hasnt tested everything until it gets there. Even then to be sure you should prob run it for longer. A system I built once had some dodgy memory that didnt show up until the 5th time I ran memtest.

westylakey · 4 Nov 2007 at 18:09

ok, memtest came up with errors, 3 errors total all on count chan 1. what now?

mame · 4 Nov 2007 at 18:15

try installing windows with just the other stick of RAM. It will work in single channel mode. If all goes well then you can sort out getting other memory in there after

Reality|Bites · 4 Nov 2007 at 18:17

Make sure your memory is set to 2.2v and your running 2T not 1T.

westylakey · 4 Nov 2007 at 18:20

memory is 2.1v & all other is on auto/spd
what do i need to set the cas things as?
they all have diff names? should be 4-4-4-12 but i dont know if they are in order.

westylakey · 4 Nov 2007 at 20:25

ok, ran them both single and no errors. dual channel created errors? what to do?

paradigm · 4 Nov 2007 at 20:44

I take it you have tried all possible slot combinations?

mame · 4 Nov 2007 at 20:55

i think if it was me, at this point i would use 1 stick of RAM and see if you can install windows using that. If you can manage to get that far then you can try different things with the memory after that. Maybe not the best solution but thats what i would do.

When i upgraded a single-core a64 to a dual-core my motherboard insisted on using silly-tight memory timings in auto and i had to set them all manually. I know thats not quite the same as the a64 has the memory controller on the cpu but still, without intervention the thing wouldn't work!

westylakey · 4 Nov 2007 at 22:03

ive installed an ide hdd and installed xp, i mucked it up and got ntldr missing so now trying to fix that. since i installed xp onto the ide hdd does that mean the sata is bust?