Blank screen during installation after inspecting hardware configuration

[tommaso.beniero]

Hi,
my name is Tommaso. I've an Asus laptop with three partitions:
1 FAT32 (empty)
2 FAT32 (backup files with no operating system)
3 Logical Volume with Linux

I want to install my copy of Windows XP Professional (obtained from my
university with the MSDN AA (Microsoft Software Development Network
Academic Alliance)) in the first partition. So i put the cd in the
cd-rom before to turn on the computer and wait. A message appears
asking me if i want to boot from cd and i answer yes, then appears a
message saying that the hardware configuration will be inspected but a
blank screen appears and the computer doesn't do anything.
How can i install Win XP? I don't want to use Asus restore cd because
i'll lost all the data on the backup partition.
Is it possible to copy some Windows file from the Windows cd, passing
through Linux, on the first partition? What file i have to copy?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Bye

Tommaso

 

[Malke]

Hi,
my name is Tommaso. I've an Asus laptop with three partitions:
1 FAT32 (empty)
2 FAT32 (backup files with no operating system)
3 Logical Volume with Linux

I want to install my copy of Windows XP Professional (obtained from my
university with the MSDN AA (Microsoft Software Development Network
Academic Alliance)) in the first partition. So i put the cd in the
cd-rom before to turn on the computer and wait. A message appears
asking me if i want to boot from cd and i answer yes, then appears a
message saying that the hardware configuration will be inspected but a
blank screen appears and the computer doesn't do anything.
How can i install Win XP? I don't want to use Asus restore cd because
i'll lost all the data on the backup partition.
Is it possible to copy some Windows file from the Windows cd, passing
through Linux, on the first partition? What file i have to copy?

How large is the FAT32 partition on which you want to install Windows?
There is no file to copy - your installation is failing silently and we
don't as yet know why.

Malke

 

[tommaso.beniero]

How large is the FAT32 partition on which you want to install Windows?
There is no file to copy - your installation is failing silently and we
don't as yet know why.

The FAT32 partition starts at 32.3kB and ends at 53.5GB, so it's
approximately 53.5GB.
I forgive to say that if i insert a Linux Install CD at boot it's well
recognized and the Linux install procedure starts with no problem.

Thanks

Tommaso

 

[Malke]

The FAT32 partition starts at 32.3kB and ends at 53.5GB, so it's
approximately 53.5GB.
I forgive to say that if i insert a Linux Install CD at boot it's well
recognized and the Linux install procedure starts with no problem.

Well, the partition certainly is big enough and you know the hard drive
is good. I wonder if there is a hidden partition that is making the
install fail, or if you made the partitions in Linux perhaps XP
completely doesn't get it.

Don't neglect to check your XP install disk in a different machine just
to make sure the problem isn't something as simple as a bad cd.

You might post in a newsgroup for your distro because they might have
ideas there. Since this is a MS newsgroup, I'm not going to go through
the whole Linux troubleshooting procedure here.

BTW, if you haven't burned your data to dvd this would be a good time to
do it.

Malke

 

[Malke]

One other thought - you didn't say what type of XP install cd you're
using. If it is a generic OEM or a retail copy, under normal
circumstances that should work. However, if you're trying to install
with a branded OEM install disk such as the one that came with a Dell
or HP it won't work. The install disk would be looking for a matching
Dell/HP BIOS (which of course it won't find) and would fail.

Malke

 

[tommaso.beniero]

Well, the partition certainly is big enough and you know the hard drive

is good. I wonder if there is a hidden partition that is making the
install fail, or if you made the partitions in Linux perhaps XP
completely doesn't get it.

ok, analyzing my partition table under Linux i don't see any hidden
partition but it's true that the Windows partition was made under
Linux. I made a standard FAT32 partition, active, with LBA so i think
that this is not the problem.

Don't neglect to check your XP install disk in a different machine just
to make sure the problem isn't something as simple as a bad cd.

I try the cd on a different machine and there isn't any problem. I
re-download the ISO from our MSDN-AA server, I've checked the md5 sum
and all was ok. So I've re-mastered the ISO but the problem is still
the same.

You might post in a newsgroup for your distro because they might have
ideas there. Since this is a MS newsgroup, I'm not going to go through
the whole Linux troubleshooting procedure here.

Unfortunately I've already done this step but all says that is a
Windows problem because the Linux cd are recognized well.

BTW, if you haven't burned your data to DVD this would be a good time to
do it.

I know, have made a backup of all the important data.

One other thought - you didn't say what type of XP install cd you're
using. If it is a generic OEM or a retail copy, under normal
circumstances that should work. However, if you're trying to install
with a branded OEM install disk such as the one that came with a Dell
or HP it won't work. The install disk would be looking for a matching
Dell/HP BIOS (which of course it won't find) and would fail.

It's not the copy sold with the laptop but it's a retail copy download
from the MSDN-AA server of my university.

Thanks again.

Tommaso

 

[Malke]

ok, analyzing my partition table under Linux i don't see any hidden
partition but it's true that the Windows partition was made under
Linux. I made a standard FAT32 partition, active, with LBA so i think
that this is not the problem.


I try the cd on a different machine and there isn't any problem. I
re-download the ISO from our MSDN-AA server, I've checked the md5 sum
and all was ok. So I've re-mastered the ISO but the problem is still
the same.


Unfortunately I've already done this step but all says that is a
Windows problem because the Linux cd are recognized well.


I know, have made a backup of all the important data.


It's not the copy sold with the laptop but it's a retail copy download
from the MSDN-AA server of my university.

Yes, you did say what install disk you were using. I was thinking about
the problem whilst getting ready for work and I should have taken the
time to read through your first post again. My apologies.

I honestly don't know the answer. Unless there is some limitation on the
MSDN install cd - and since I don't have a subscription I don't know -
then the only thing I can think of is that there is some proprietary
hardware on the laptop that completely freaks XP out. It seems unlikely
since Linux installs just fine, but you never know.

I think your next step is to check with MSDN tech support or perhaps
your university IT people will have some idea. Otherwise, perhaps using
VMWare would be a good solution if the machine has enough RAM. You
could put the virtual machine on the empty FAT32 partition. Aside from
that, I can't see what else you can do except restore from Asus restore
media and start over if you don't have a second computer.

I'm very sorry I was unable to help you. Good luck,

Malke

 

[tommaso.beniero]

Yes, you did say what install disk you were using. I was thinking about
the problem whilst getting ready for work and I should have taken the
time to read through your first post again. My apologies.

I honestly don't know the answer. Unless there is some limitation on the
MSDN install cd - and since I don't have a subscription I don't know -
then the only thing I can think of is that there is some proprietary
hardware on the laptop that completely freaks XP out. It seems unlikely
since Linux installs just fine, but you never know.

I think your next step is to check with MSDN tech support or perhaps
your university IT people will have some idea. Otherwise, perhaps using
VMWare would be a good solution if the machine has enough RAM. You
could put the virtual machine on the empty FAT32 partition. Aside from
that, I can't see what else you can do except restore from Asus restore
media and start over if you don't have a second computer.

I'm very sorry I was unable to help you. Good luck,

I've already install this Windows XP version on this machine with no
problem, so i don't think it's related to proprietary hardware on the
laptop. I'm trying to use a bootable pen-drive with a Dos version 7.1
installed for launching a flat installation directly from the c:/
windows xp partition. I hope to do it well!

Thanks anyway for your help!

Bye

Tommaso

 

[Bob]

Tommaso,

You might try installing your OEM recovery disk to the empty partition.
There may laptop specific drivers on the ASUS recovery disk that are needed
for your laptop that are not contained on the MSDN disk. I don't think that
the OEM (ASUS) disk will format the other partitions during the installation
so your backups and Linux partitions should be untouched.

Get more opinions before trying that, as I have done this on an HP desktop,
but I'm no way an expert on your particular subject.

Good Luck,
bobnspkn