Desperately need your help!

[Brad]

I have never experienced this problem before and I'm baffled...

Biostar M7VKQ motherboard.
Brand new Maxtor 40GB hard drive.
OEM Sony 24x8x32 CDRW drive
256 MB Crucial PC133 SDRAM
Windows XP Professional

I boot to the Windows XP disk and begin the install process. Single
NTFS partition and format drive. When it starts copying files onto the
hard drive it stops at PROGMAN.EXE and will not continue.

I figure it's a bad CDRW drive since it's not new. So I put in a brand
new Lite-on-52x12x52 CDRW drive. Exact same problem, stops copying when
it hits PROGMAN.EXE.

I can't see any scratches, but okay, it's a bad CD. So I exchange it
for a new CD at Office Depot (where I bough it). Get back, stick in the
new CD and start it back up. Same problem, stops copying when it hits
PROGMAN.EXE.

I reboot, delete the partition, reformat and start again. Same problem.
Okay, it's gotta be the hard drive, right? Bad sector that got missed
by format.

Fine, swap out the hard drive for another brand new one and start again.
Same problem.

Now I'm desperate... I head over to my local computer store and buy a
brand new set of 80-pin IDE cables. Same problem.

Bad RAM?!? So, I swap out the RAM for a new set of PC133 chips. Same
problem.

Just for kicks, I try a 32x CD drive (not a CDRW) and a DVD drive. Same
problem.

Again, for the heck of it, I try a new 60GB Maxtor Drive and a new 80GB
IBM drive. Same problem.

I had the CD drive on the secondary IDe channel and the hard drive on
the primary channel, so I put them both on the primary channel. Same
problem. I put them both on the secondary channel, same problem. I put
the CD on the primary and the hard drive on the secondary, same problem.

I stick in a Windows 2000 Professional disk and it completely installs
without any problems. So it's 60 miles south to a different Office
Depot where I exchange XP again (in case my local store got a bad
batch). Same Problem!!!!!

I download a new BIOS update for the motherboard and install it. Now it
gets past PROGMAN.EXE but it stops at USER32.DLL now. Aha! A bad
motherboard perhaps.

So I drive 150 miles to exchange the motherboard where I bought it.
Same original problem, stops when trying to install PROGMAN.EXE. Update
the BIOS and now it stops at USER32.DLL.

I've had it, so I drive my to a local computer store and pick up a
Gigabyte motherboard. SAME DAMN PROBLEM!!! It stops when copying
PROGMAN.EXE.

What the %$#@#%^ is going on?!?!

I've built over 200 computers in my lifetime and I have NEVER
encountered a problem like this before. I'm stumped. I never tried
putting the boards in different cases since I've had grounding problems
in the past that caused wierd problems, but the problem remains
consistant. The only thing I haven't changed is the Athlon XP 1800+
chip. Everything else has been changed.

HEELLPP!!

 

[Bob Day]

Try running memtest86 for a few cycles. It's available
at: http://www.memtest86.com

-- Bob Day

 

[Mr. Slow]

I have never experienced this problem before and I'm baffled...

Biostar M7VKQ motherboard.
Brand new Maxtor 40GB hard drive.
OEM Sony 24x8x32 CDRW drive
256 MB Crucial PC133 SDRAM
Windows XP Professional

I boot to the Windows XP disk and begin the install process. Single
NTFS partition and format drive. When it starts copying files onto the
hard drive it stops at PROGMAN.EXE and will not continue.

I figure it's a bad CDRW drive since it's not new. So I put in a brand
new Lite-on-52x12x52 CDRW drive. Exact same problem, stops copying when
it hits PROGMAN.EXE.

I can't see any scratches, but okay, it's a bad CD. So I exchange it
for a new CD at Office Depot (where I bough it). Get back, stick in the
new CD and start it back up. Same problem, stops copying when it hits
PROGMAN.EXE.

I reboot, delete the partition, reformat and start again. Same problem.
Okay, it's gotta be the hard drive, right? Bad sector that got missed
by format.

Fine, swap out the hard drive for another brand new one and start again.
Same problem.

Now I'm desperate... I head over to my local computer store and buy a
brand new set of 80-pin IDE cables. Same problem.

Bad RAM?!? So, I swap out the RAM for a new set of PC133 chips. Same
problem.

Just for kicks, I try a 32x CD drive (not a CDRW) and a DVD drive. Same
problem.

Again, for the heck of it, I try a new 60GB Maxtor Drive and a new 80GB
IBM drive. Same problem.

I had the CD drive on the secondary IDe channel and the hard drive on
the primary channel, so I put them both on the primary channel. Same
problem. I put them both on the secondary channel, same problem. I put
the CD on the primary and the hard drive on the secondary, same problem.

I stick in a Windows 2000 Professional disk and it completely installs
without any problems. So it's 60 miles south to a different Office
Depot where I exchange XP again (in case my local store got a bad
batch). Same Problem!!!!!

I download a new BIOS update for the motherboard and install it. Now it
gets past PROGMAN.EXE but it stops at USER32.DLL now. Aha! A bad
motherboard perhaps.

So I drive 150 miles to exchange the motherboard where I bought it.
Same original problem, stops when trying to install PROGMAN.EXE. Update
the BIOS and now it stops at USER32.DLL.

I've had it, so I drive my to a local computer store and pick up a
Gigabyte motherboard. SAME DAMN PROBLEM!!! It stops when copying
PROGMAN.EXE.

What the %$#@#%^ is going on?!?!

I've built over 200 computers in my lifetime and I have NEVER
encountered a problem like this before. I'm stumped. I never tried
putting the boards in different cases since I've had grounding problems
in the past that caused wierd problems, but the problem remains
consistant. The only thing I haven't changed is the Athlon XP 1800+
chip. Everything else has been changed.

HEELLPP!!

Wow! Have you tried hard to get this working, or what? Does your machine
actually freeze when the installation fails? If so, I just wonder whether
your power supply is up to the job?

 

[Brad]

Wow! Have you tried hard to get this working, or what? Does your machine
actually freeze when the installation fails? If so, I just wonder whether
your power supply is up to the job?

500 Watt ATX Power Supply (I replaced the 350 that came with the case).

It doesn't "freeze", it just fails to copy PROGMAN.EXE and gives me the
option to retry. I hit retry over 100 times and it still won't copy
properly.

 

[Mr. Slow]

500 Watt ATX Power Supply (I replaced the 350 that came with the case).

It doesn't "freeze", it just fails to copy PROGMAN.EXE and gives me the
option to retry. I hit retry over 100 times and it still won't copy
properly.

Unlikely to be the PSU then! Try copying the XP CD to the HDD and see if it
will install from there.

 

[Glenn Pechacek]

Very strange situation indeed

500 Watt ATX Power Supply (I replaced the 350 that came with the case).

It doesn't "freeze", it just fails to copy PROGMAN.EXE and gives me the
option to retry. I hit retry over 100 times and it still won't copy
properly.

 

[Mini Me]

Unlikely to be the PSU then! Try copying the XP CD to the HDD and see if it
will install from there.

I don't belive it... But I got it to work!!!

I used Alcohol 120% to copy the XP CD to a CDR and used that for the
install instead of the original CD. It works! I don't get it.

If the original CD was bad, Alcohol should have had the same problem
reading the disc.

--Dave

 

[Shep©]

I don't belive it... But I got it to work!!!

I used Alcohol 120% to copy the XP CD to a CDR and used that for the
install instead of the original CD. It works! I don't get it.

If the original CD was bad, Alcohol should have had the same problem
reading the disc.

--Dave

Alcohol/Clone CD can amplify weak sectors from a Cd before copying.It
may have got you out of the poo by doing the copy as the original may
be dirty/damaged
PS
Make another back up :O)



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