halt on "Setup is starting windows xp"

[Christopher Shoff]

I have a brand new AOPEN motherboard operating on:
40 GB Seagate Barracuda
1x 256 mb DDR266 from Micron
4x agp Geforce2 MX400
Lite On CD-RW
Athlon xp 2600+ 333mhz 512k L2

When attempting to install Windows XP (home or pro) or
Windows 2000 I get through the text based installation to
the very last point where it displays "Setup is Starting
Windows (XP or 2000)" and the system freezes (hangs). I
have found the recommended solution from the Windows
knowledge base (incompatible HDD drivers) but even
switching hard drives fails on my computer. I hang at the
same spot. Is there anything else to try??!?!? I've
replaced everything on the board. Aopen ASSURES ME that
since the mobo passed the POST that it is not a hardware
problem from the motherboard. thanks

Christopher Shoff

 

[Joseph Conway [MSFT]]

Its a hardware problem of some sort. Remove all unneccessary hardware from
the machine and try it with just HDD, video and CD and see what happens. If
it still doesnt work, check cables and jumpers.

 

[Guest]

It's not my jumper settings, trust me... the only setting
I have for jumpers are USB wake up from suspend and CMOS
Clear. There's truly is NOTHING attached to this
computer. I have a processor, ram stick, CD-ROM which I
cant do without, and a hard drive.

 

[Joseph Conway [MSFT]]

Then you have a hardware issue. A clean installation of Windows on minimal
hardware that does not complete is always hardware related to a degree.
While you might not have actual bad hardware, there could be a setting in
the BIOS that is causing this.

 

[Tote]

I've got exactly the same problem with a MSI-6315
motherboard.
I struggled a week to get W2K installed on it (installed
it in an another machine and then moved the harddrive),
since I finally got it working it has workes just fine.
The problem is that I want to install XP on it now and
it's the same problem. I have turned off everything I
don't need, USB, Sound, LAN....

In my case I think it's some problem with the IDE
controller. Will give it a new try in the weekend.

/Tote

 

[Steve S.]

Tote, did you ever find a resolution to your problem? After scouring
Google, it seems that many people are having this problem, but I have
yet to see a successful posted solution. MS has their own proposed
solutions, but none of them have worked for me. I have a an OEM ASUS
P4-GLA board which was made for an HP computer. I've tried the
following so far without success:

-multiple burns (not copies) of Windows XP Pro CDs
-two CDROM drives, USB & PS/2 keyboards
-BIOS updates
-setup from the hard drive rather than from the CDROM drive

This is what I'm going to try next:

-placing CDROM drive on same IDE channel as HD as a slave
-PCI IDE controller card so that I can try to install a 3rd party IDE
driver
-new IDE cables
-different hard drive
-different, but same version motherboard (got a deal on the two)

I'm near my wit's end, but I still have some more testing to do. Any
info from you or anyone else would be helpful in either resolving my
issue or easing my pain. :-/

Thanks,
Steve