Clean install of XP - 1. XP setup program hangs 2. XP fails to bo

[Guest]

Hi,
Apologies for the long post but this needs the detail.....

CPU: Athlon XP 1.8Ghz
RAM: 512MB
Old mobo: Leadtek K7N415-DA
New mobo: gigabyte 7VM400AM-RZ

Hi,
I've got a problem that's driving me insane! I'm a fairly experienced PC
builder with a logical and methodical approach to problem solving.....

I'm trying to install a fresh copy of XP pro from bootable CD onto a new HD.
The system I'm rebuilding has been stable for the last year with XP pro
(sp2).

I remove the current HD's (maxtor 160GB IDE and IBM 80GB IDE) and plug in
the new HD (seagate 160GB IDE ATA100). This is set to Primary Master. The
only other IDE device is a Lite-on CDR set to Secondary Master.

I boot the machine, check the BIOS. The new HD is recognised correctly. I
then exit BIOS setup and boot from the bootable XP install CD. XP starts
loading its basic drivers required for the install. It gets to the end of
this process, I get the message "Starting Windows"... the machine hangs at
this point. This means I'm not even getting to the point where you can
partition the drive and start to install windows.

I've performed full Seagate diagnostic on this HD via their seatools
program. It passes.

I've tried the following (one at a time) to try and eliminate the problem:
-Flashed the BIOS
-Reset the BIOS
-Tried all different BIOS settings for the HD
-Used a different XP install CD
-Used a different CD ROM drive
-Used new IDE cables
-Used different RAM
-Unplugged all other cards/devices
-Tried HD as Primary Slave, secondary slave etc.
-Used XP boot floppies
-REPLACED MOBO(!).. with new gigabyte mobo

I have now either replaced or swapped every component except the CPU, the
case and the power supply!

I'm still getting the same problem!

The strangest thing is if I plug my OLD HD's back into this PC then then
machine works perfectly as it always did!


At this point I had an idea.....
I have a second PC (also Athlon XP) running XP pro SP2, currently working
perfectly.
I think: "I'll try installing XP on the new HD via this PC"

I unplugged it's HD's and plug in the new seagate drive (Primary Master). I
use the same XP install CD... boot the machine from CD... Windows installer
starts PERFECTLY on this PC (no hanging). I partition the new HD (NTFS, full
format, 25GB). I leave the rest unpartitioned. I'll fix that up later.
Windows performs a full install perfectly on the HD. I can use XP; the
machine boots from this HD etc etc. All is good. I don't install any
additional apps or drivers. That can wait.

I remove the seagate HD (with the newly installed XP) from the second PC and
place it back in the first PC (set to Primary Master)....
I switch on the machine, perfect POST, BIOS is all good. Windows XP starts
to boot.......then the machine reboots!!!!!
I get the windows XP message: "your machine did not start properly etc......
start normally, use 'safe mode' etc." I select 'Safe mode'.
Windows XP starts to load it's drivers. The last driver it loads is
"mup.sys". It then reboots. This happens everytime the machine attempts to
boot.
Personally I don't think that 'mup.sys' is to blame. I'm no expert but I'd
say the machine is rebooting when it tries to perform the next step after
'mup.sys', whatever that might be?

I've been given the advice to disable 'mup.sys' via the Recovery
Console....but I can't get to the recovery console because my machine hangs
when I boot from the XP install CD!!


To summerise/reiterate:
-My XP install CD works perfectly in my second PC
-My new install of XP on the new HD works perfectly in my second PC
-My XP install CD hangs on install in my first PC
-New install of XP on the new HD fails to boot when used in first PC
-Every component in first PC has been replaced except CPU, CASE, PSU
-Installing old HD's in first PC leads to a perfectly bootable and useable
system


What is driving me mad is that I've tried EVERYTHING except swapping the
CPU. If the CPU was to blame how can it work perfectly with the old HD's
plugged in?!?!?


If anybody can figure out what is going on here then you are brilliant!
After 25+hrs working on it I'm out of ideas! I'm about ready to throw the
lot in the trash and buy a Dell.

Thanks,
R.

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

It's the file loading AFTER mup.sys that is causing the problem, usually
AGP440.sys.

What happens if:

You install XP correctly on the second PC and then uninstall the hard drive,
install it in your new PC and try a Repair Installation on the O/S?

Is this copy of XP an RTM, an SP1 or an SP2 release?

 

[Guest]

Hi Cari,

It's an XP SP2 bootable CD.

What happens if:

You install XP correctly on the second PC and then uninstall the hard drive,
install it in your new PC and try a Repair Installation on the O/S?

I can't get to the 'repair installation' option as the XP install CD hangs
the PC!...unless there is another way to get to that option??

I had another thought since my first posting. My first PC (non working PC)
has a logitech wireless keyboard and mouse. My second PC (the working one)
has a standard wired keyboard and mouse. Could this problem possibly be
related to XP install not seeing these and therefore hanging/rebooting? I'm
taking wild guesses here because I'm out of rational ideas!

thanks!

 

[Guest]

OK, I googled 'AGP440.sys' and I can see where you are coming from. Thanks
for the pointer. I'll have a play and let you know how it goes.

thanks

 

[Guest]

Hi,
I moved the HD back to the new (working PC) and ran the recovery console....
I followed a link on this website about disabling AGP440.sys however using
the recovery console I learn that AGP440.sys service is not installed. The
problem cannot be related to APG440.sys.

While I was in the recovery console I disabled mup.sys.
I then switched the HD back to the old PC. The PC starts to boot and then
hangs at the service before mup.sys.

I'm back to square one I'm afraid!

-R.

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Try 'writing zeros' to the drive, then start over..

 

[Guest]

Carried out a full diagnostic and Zero fill of the drive..... still have the
same problems:

-XP install hangs when booting from CD at the 'Starting Windows' message
AND/OR
-After installing XP on the same drive via another PC and re-installing the
HD back into the old PC and booting XP the PC hangs at whatever point comes
after loading the last driver 'mup.sys'.

Ideas?

 

[Guest]

I solved it. Unbelieveable as it may seem I tracked the problem down to a
faulty CPU.
After swapping the CPU all is fine.