XP Woes

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

Ok...here's the deal...

Computer came to me with ME on it. Wasn't working (kernel32.dll errors etc). I thrashed the disk, the loaded the WinXP cd (the person purchased it...yeah...that's the story). Wouldn't work. I change CD-ROMS, won't work. Gets to Setup is analyzing your hardware and stops there.

So, I decided to put the HD in another machine and see if it would install there. Worked fine.

Put the HD back in the old machine, no dice. Got the CD ROM from the other machine and installed it in this machine. No dice. Changed the RAM from second machine to first, no dice.

I got the bright idea to attempt to install 2K on this machine, just to see if it would work. It does the same thing. On a whim, I tried installing Win98, that works FINE! WTH?!

Does ANYONE have any idea whats going on with this POC machine?! (other than it not working correctly...I know this...)

[LA_MERC_Cowboy_From_Hell]

Youre trying to load XP on a 133mhz P1....LMAO!!!

Scott

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

hahaha...NO! This is a 800mhz something or other (one of the profs here brought her computer so I could "fix" it). Right now, I just want to kick it.

[-=C.O.P.S=-KOrruptED]

format c: :p:
So basically it can run anything prior to WinME?
Did you try a clean install? Maybe the partitions are screwed up.

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

Yeah, I thrashed the drive (completely fdisk and format). Will try that again.

[-=C.O.P.S=-KOrruptED]

wait, but it works on other computer, hmmm, something screwy there.

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

exactly. why will it work in a different box? I am leaning to MB or CPU...but how to test this? I mean, it's not RAM (new ram was tested), could be IDE controllers (won't recognize CD ROM sometimes...)...

[LA_MERC_MadMAX]

My first thing would be to try the RAM - bad RAM can do screwey stuff...

[LA_MERC_Mercy]

yeah that is my opinion...not like i know much but that is my opinion and im sticking to it

[SnAkEbItE]

ok here is how you have to aproach this Tech.

1. You have moved hd to different machine works fine.
2. You have changed out memory hopefully with verrified working mem.
3. You say it has problems sometimes seeing CD rom.
4. BINGO. It very will could be the ide controler not letting system come up all the way specialy when it starts to do the system check could be holding down whole system.
5. Could also be the system board it's self.
6. Lastly I'm not up to spec's on what is min config for xp other than you have to have more than 32 megs of memory to run.

7. Good Luck

[Lt.Dan]

Bad ram is a remote possibility. You said u formatted it, did u use NTFS for your partition. Also have u tried an upgrade from 98 to XP from your desktop, you know from a stable OS? I would install 98 then use the XP diag tools on the cd to look for compatibility issues. The pre install wizard is pretty good about looking at your system and reporting back problems before u install XP.

[zeatoR]

if it has a 56k modem in it, remove it.

I remember when I tried to install win2k on my old computer that had a 56k modem in it, it would freeze up on detecting hardware. As soon as I took the modem out, it worked.

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

The ram I tested it with was working fine in another machine. I am not dumb enough to think that this means the RAM is fine, but...considering everything else I have tried, I am willing to count out the RAM.
Zeator, I removed both the modem and the PCI NIC, just for good measure. I have also tried disabling the USB, sound , serial and parallel connectors. None of these changes had any effect.
Lt. Dan, the first time I formatted, I used FAT32 (it had ME in a FAT32 partition to begin with). I fdisked and made another FAT32 partition...no help. I then attempted to make a NTFS partition, also no help. (I did the NTFS on the other machine...the one that works!)
Snake, at this point, I am going to tell her that her MoBo is bad...I was just trying to bounce everything off everyone else to make sure that my diagnosis is close.

Thanks for all your help guys!

LaTech

[LA_MERC_i||ega|-op]

Tech, update the bios on the motherboard then after its properly updated, clear out the cmos (jump jp 2 and 3 but also remove the battery from the board and power cables). After this is done, set the bios to defaults and try reinstalling the OS. If you can't find an updated bios for that board then just clear the cmos like I mentioned above and see what happens.

[SnAkEbItE]

Yeah Toby is right could be the system bios, all though I have never heard of it causeing a op not to load but, anything is possible.

[-=C.O.P.S=-KOrruptED]

have you tried putting a working HD into the machine?

[LA_MERC_i||ega|-op]

KOrruptED .. He already tried that HD in another PC and it worked fine.

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

Ok, I flashed the bios (or attempted to) and nothing changed. I told her it was a bad MoBo. Tired of working on this POS! ;)

Thanks for all your help guys!

[LA_MERC_i||ega|-op]

But did you clear out the cmos, that was the most important part.. When I've had that issue, I've always removed all pci and isa (if any) cards from the boardboard. Changed IDE cables and then reinstalled and it usually works. I get tired of doing one thing at a time. Usually, that works for me then I add one component back at a time.

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

I tried even taking out the BIOS chip and grounding it to the power supply to clear it (as well as removing the battery and shorting out the jumper...).

[LA_MERC_i||ega|-op]

Bah, only other thing I could think of would be the ide cable..

Things that I've seen cause that issue
pci cards
bad ide cable
corrupted cmos
ram

Sounds like you tried just about everything.

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

Yeah...I had tried new cables when I move the CD ROM to the other machine. I think something is SERIOUSLY wrong with the BIOS...but why it won't work after the flash, I don't know. Anyway, she's going to get a new PC...hopefully I can convince her to let me build one instead of getting a Dell...

[Disorder]

i had the exact same thing happen to my roomates old computer. couldnt get it to load on his but when i put his harddrive on my system it would load fine then wouldnt boot when we put it back on his. it ended up being a conflict between the processor and the harddrive after xp was put on. i cant explain it. we just smashed it and he bought a new one.

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

lol

[-=C.O.P.S=-KOrruptED]

Originally posted by LA_MERC_i||ega|-op
KOrruptED .. He already tried that HD in another PC and it worked fine.

I know he tried that hd in another machine, but has he tried anothe hd in this machine?

[LA_MERC_LaTech]

Yeah, actually I tried that...but I didn't want to try and install XP on the other hd (it's from a working PC). It booted (win98) fine.

As an addendum...the lady decided to get a Dell (even though it would almost be cheaper for me to build one for her). She told me to take the other PC home and to part it out. Now...what to do with a machine that doesn't really work?!
I'm going to tinker with it and see if a PIC IDE controller will make it work.

[LA_MERC_MadMAX]

Originally posted by LA_MERC_LaTech
Yeah...I had tried new cables when I move the CD ROM to the other machine. I think something is SERIOUSLY wrong with the BIOS...but why it won't work after the flash, I don't know. Anyway, she's going to get a new PC...hopefully I can convince her to let me build one instead of getting a Dell...

I usually reccomend Dell's to friends/coworkers. White box machines are great for techies...we know what goes in, and what comes out - something breaks, np, we can fix it.

I'm a PC tech responsible for about 300 workstations...there is so much crap amongst those 300 boxes that my predicessors (sp?) purchased and/or built, it's not even funny! I have standardized on Dell Optiplex machines, and of the 10 I have in service, I haven't had a help desk request about one of them...

For the home user, Dell gives [nearly] a complete customization option, or you can just pick a "pre-built, pre-configured" model. Either way, I think it's better for the average home user, b/c they aren't "techies", they can't (usually) fix it if it breaks, and they get a good warrenty. As far as components, in my experiance, Dell uses pretty decent hardware, and out high end Optiplexes are some really REALLY fast boxes!

IMHO.

J.

[-FA- Th|3f]

i have a question about XP, ever since i installed it on me comp i can't open links. I click them and they don't load, anyone know how to fix it

[Twist3d]

What I would have done is taken that damned cdrom and made it a slave on the primary channel instead of having it as master on the secondary, because that seconday IDE channel sounds like she no bueno. Flash the bios, unplug the power cord and shut the cmos jumper for 10 seconds because if you have the machine plugged in it won't clear. Then I would have fdisked the harddrive, and not created a partition, chunked the XP cd in, fired it up and took her to town like a drunk school girl on a saturday night.:blue: