Cannot reinstall XP Home

[Uncle Scotty]

Hi,

I tried reinstalling the original OS from the CDROM on a Dell desktop
that wouldn't boot up. The first time I tried installing it right over
the existing install, but I kept getting all these errors that the
Setup couldn't copy files to the computer. When it tried to boot up
without the files it couldn't copy, I'd get this error that an error
occurred and Setup couldn't continue. The data is invalid.

So, I dropped that effort and deleted the original partition and
formatted a new partition and tried another install. This time I
didn't get as many complaints, except that mfc42.dll and mmc.exe
couldn't be copied. And, again, allowing Windows to try to reboot
itself ended up with the same fatal error that the data is invalid.

What do you do when the software malfunctions like that? I cannot get
those files and install them myself, can I? Could that indicate a
hardware problem, since two attempts at reinstall failed? What else
could be causing Setup to not be able to copy files?

What to do? Scott

 

[Uncle Scotty]

Sorry, I indicated the wrong two files that didn't copy over, it was
rpcrt4.dll and wmp.dll.

 

[Daave]

I tried reinstalling the original OS from the CDROM on a Dell desktop
that wouldn't boot up. The first time I tried installing it right over
the existing install, but I kept getting all these errors that the
Setup couldn't copy files to the computer. When it tried to boot up
without the files it couldn't copy, I'd get this error that an error
occurred and Setup couldn't continue. The data is invalid.

So, I dropped that effort and deleted the original partition and
formatted a new partition and tried another install. This time I
didn't get as many complaints, except that mfc42.dll and mmc.exe
couldn't be copied. And, again, allowing Windows to try to reboot
itself ended up with the same fatal error that the data is invalid.

What do you do when the software malfunctions like that? I cannot get
those files and install them myself, can I? Could that indicate a
hardware problem, since two attempts at reinstall failed? What else
could be causing Setup to not be able to copy files?

What to do? Scott

Are you booting off the CD?

Here are instructions for a clean install:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

 

[Uncle Scotty]

Yes, that is pretty much what I did, but as I said the CD couldn't
copy all the files during Setup and when it tried to reboot would get
the fatal error I indicated. What does that imply? A hardware problem?
How to fix?

 

[Uncle Scotty]

BTW, I am using the OEM CD that came with the Dell desktop

 

[Daave]

"Pretty much" may not be adequate.

Follow the directions to the letter. If there's a problem, post back the
exact step where it occurs.