Cannot install Windows XP Pro

[Mtimerding]

I seem to have developed an inability to install/repair install my
Windows XP Pro ....when I try doing a repair install, it goes thru
the "Setup' phase, then 'Starting Windows' (and the subsequent
rebooting) ...... it then goes to the windows for selecting which
partition to install it to ....and that's where I cannot go any further.

When I try to select the partition Windows is on (for repair) ... it
comes back with something like: "Cannot find any Windows XP
compatible partitions... return to partition selection window .."

The Partition selection window shows ALL of the correct Drives
and their associated Drive Letters. (C, D, E, F, G)
Just to see what is going on, I tried a FRESH install of XP on
each of the partitions (one at a time of course) and I get the same
Error message "No compatible Windows XP Partitions" no matter
which one I select.

I have an Asus Sli-Deluxe motherboard, with a AMD 64 3800 dual
core cpu ...the motherboard uses the Nvidia chipset ..I have FIVE
internal hard drives, 4 SATA, and one IDE ..One Sata drive is in two
partitions the others are not partitioned. (just use them as large storage
drives)
The Hard drives are 1. 73gb WDC Raptor (sata) .. 2. 300gb Maxtor (sata)
3. 250 gb Maxtor (IDE) .... 4. Hitachi 500 gb (sata) and 5. Hitachi 500 gb
(sata.)

I have no idea what is going on. I would think maybe I have too many hard
drives,
but I remember I installed Windows XP with no problem when I first set this
up.
I am just trying to do a repair install, cause I am getting random, and
infrequent
errors and other strange behavior on certain programs. (and my event viewer
is
frequently full of WARNINGS about a error detected on harddisk 0) Some days
at the end of the day, my event viewer will have ZERO error reports for the
hard
drives, on other days it may have anywhere from 2 to 25.

Other than that, Windows is booting, and running (apparently) fine.
I also have a disk image (Using Acronis True Image) and it has no problems
finding/restoring a partition. Any and all disk accessing, by any programs,
seems to be fine (running, saving, loading progs, etc.)

So, the only thing I am left to think is I have a bad 'recovery' (windows)
cd.
(if so, good luck getting Alienware to send me another one)

Any idea?

 

[Malke]

I seem to have developed an inability to install/repair install my
Windows XP Pro ....when I try doing a repair install, it goes thru
the "Setup' phase, then 'Starting Windows' (and the subsequent
rebooting) ...... it then goes to the windows for selecting which
partition to install it to ....and that's where I cannot go any
further.

When I try to select the partition Windows is on (for repair) ... it
comes back with something like: "Cannot find any Windows XP
compatible partitions... return to partition selection window .."

The Partition selection window shows ALL of the correct Drives
and their associated Drive Letters. (C, D, E, F, G)
Just to see what is going on, I tried a FRESH install of XP on
each of the partitions (one at a time of course) and I get the same
Error message "No compatible Windows XP Partitions" no matter
which one I select.

I have an Asus Sli-Deluxe motherboard, with a AMD 64 3800 dual
core cpu ...the motherboard uses the Nvidia chipset ..I have FIVE
internal hard drives, 4 SATA, and one IDE ..One Sata drive is in two
partitions the others are not partitioned. (just use them as large
storage drives)
The Hard drives are 1. 73gb WDC Raptor (sata) .. 2. 300gb Maxtor
(sata) 3. 250 gb Maxtor (IDE) .... 4. Hitachi 500 gb (sata) and 5.
Hitachi 500 gb (sata.)

(snip)

When the installation first starts, you must press F6. The installation
will continue for a bit then ask you to press "S" to add drivers. Have
the SATA drivers on a floppy and put the floppy in the drive when
prompted. If your machine doesn't have a floppy drive, buy or borrow a
usb floppy drive. Make sure Legacy USB and booting from usb options are
enabled in your BIOS.

Malke

 

[Mtimerding]

When the installation first starts, you must press F6. The installation
will continue for a bit then ask you to press "S" to add drivers. Have
the SATA drivers on a floppy and put the floppy in the drive when
prompted. If your machine doesn't have a floppy drive, buy or borrow a
usb floppy drive. Make sure Legacy USB and booting from usb options are
enabled in your BIOS.

Malke

Thanks for the reply, I am just confused because of all the times I have
installed XP (6 computers in my house) I have never run into this issue
before.

This computer does not have a floppy, although adding one would be simple
enough I suppose ... as they are cheap enuf, there is enough physical room
in this tower, and I am sure the 650 watt power supply has enough juice left
to allow another device.

The Nvidia Sata drivers are incorporated into the windows cd that came with
this pc from Alienware. And, I can see them loading as the various files are
displayed at the bottom of the screen during setup. Besides, if it was an
issue
of no SATA drivers, wouldnt the sata discs/partions simply NOT show up at
all in
my list of available partions? Wouldn't you think that at least the one IDE
drive I have installed would have allowed an install? (because, on choosing
that drive as well, gets me the "no windows xp compatible partition found
....."
error as well). This all added to the fact that I have formatted/reinstalled
windows
xp once before on this computer so I know Alienwares restoration cd worked
at
least once before.

I am baffled.

 

[Malke]

Thanks for the reply, I am just confused because of all the times
I have
installed XP (6 computers in my house) I have never run into this
issue before.

This computer does not have a floppy, although adding one would be
simple enough I suppose ... as they are cheap enuf, there is enough
physical room in this tower, and I am sure the 650 watt power supply
has enough juice left to allow another device.

The Nvidia Sata drivers are incorporated into the windows cd that came
with this pc from Alienware. And, I can see them loading as the
various files are displayed at the bottom of the screen during setup.
Besides, if it was an issue
of no SATA drivers, wouldnt the sata discs/partions simply NOT show up
at all in
my list of available partions? Wouldn't you think that at least the
one IDE drive I have installed would have allowed an install?
(because, on choosing that drive as well, gets me the "no windows xp
compatible partition found ...."
error as well). This all added to the fact that I have
formatted/reinstalled windows
xp once before on this computer so I know Alienwares restoration cd
worked at
least once before.

I am baffled.

And I am annoyed that you didn't include all this very important
information in your *first* post. Contact Alienware tech support and
ask them.

Malke