Error during install, system stuck in loop

  • Thread starter Thread starter Shanda
  • Start date Start date
S

Shanda

I have a friend's laptop (hp omnibook 5700ct) which I'm
trying to fix. She tried to upgrade from Win98 to XP but
it get's an error during the 'installing windows' phase,
something to do with 'an invalid character was found in
text content'. When you click close after the system log
window it reboots and goes through the same thing like
it's stuck in a loop. It doesn't seem to read the cd or
floppy drives, or at least I can't get it to. I wanted to
just wipe the slate clean and reformat the hard drive but
I can't get to a DOS prompt to do it. If I can get past
this problem, I will actually need to install an older
version of Windows in order to run my older DOS based
salon program. It doesn't do so well with the newer
windows/DOS versions. Can you help?

Shanda
 
I really just want to reformat this computer but I can't
get to a DOS prompt to do it. How do I get out of the
installation loop and into a DOS prompt?

Shanda
 
The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools necessary
to partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow
Windows XP to partition and format your drive:

1. It would be best to physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware
devices, except for you mouse and keyboard, before installing XP.

2. Open your BIOS and set your CD Drive as the first bootable device.

===> Accessing Motherboard BIOS
===> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

3. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer.
4. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.
5. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to install Windows XP.

6. Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]

7. After Windows XP is installed, visit the Windows Update website
and download the available "Critical Updates".

8. After installing the critical updates, be sure and visit the support website
of the manufacturer of the computer to download and install any
available Windows XP compatible drivers, such as video adapter
and audio drivers.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


| I have a friend's laptop (hp omnibook 5700ct) which I'm
| trying to fix. She tried to upgrade from Win98 to XP but
| it get's an error during the 'installing windows' phase,
| something to do with 'an invalid character was found in
| text content'. When you click close after the system log
| window it reboots and goes through the same thing like
| it's stuck in a loop. It doesn't seem to read the cd or
| floppy drives, or at least I can't get it to. I wanted to
| just wipe the slate clean and reformat the hard drive but
| I can't get to a DOS prompt to do it. If I can get past
| this problem, I will actually need to install an older
| version of Windows in order to run my older DOS based
| salon program. It doesn't do so well with the newer
| windows/DOS versions. Can you help?
|
| Shanda
 
Can't seem to get the machine to boot from the floppy. I
have the BIOS set to boot from the floppy but it still
just goes straight into the XP setup. Aaarg!
 
Can't seem to get the machine to boot from the floppy. I
have the BIOS set to boot from the floppy but it still
just goes straight into the XP setup. Aaarg!



another DOS
Click to expand...
Are you trying to cancel an XP Setup?

If you have inserted a bootable floppy and setup the BIOS to boot from
floppy before CD-ROM and HD, it should boot!

Oh and BTW you can also reformat by other means, e.g. the Windows XP CD-ROM.


Andre.
 
Yes, I do want to cancel the XP setup. Something must be
seriously wrong with this machine. In the BIOS the only
options for boot device settings are: FDD or HDD. I've
selected FDD. That should make it check the floppy drive
at boot up, shouldn't it? It has a CDROM drive and an
external 1.44" floppy, but I don't see either one of these
being accessed when I boot the machine. If I don't hit
F2, which let's me access the BIOS settings, it just
returns to the same XP setup routine whether there is a CD
or a floppy Disk present in either drive or not.

Is this a lost cause???
 
I used the F10 key to try starting up in safe mode with
command prompt and then it tells me WIN XP setup cannot
run in safe mode. Aaaack! I don't want to setup Windows
XP!!! I want to reformat this @#$%& machine! I feel like
I'm the main character in "Groundhog Day" every time I try
something new and I just end up back at the same old XP
setup screen with the Manifest Parse Error.
 
Been online with HP's pros, too, and haven't gotten
anywhere either.
Click to expand...

So you've been online too busy to work on your own problem?

After fifteen+ years on the 'net, I am still amazed watching people
who post messages extolling the degree of urgency assigned to a
problem, only to find a followup indicating an increase in the
urgency. Further information indicates they are getting closer to a
deadline and they seem to have made no effort or diverted their
efforts elsewhere.

Back in the "good ole days", when we had to walk through a foot of
snow and up both sides of a hill, we didn't have search engines. But
using them now - and throwing DejaGoogle (groups.google) into the mix,
the ability to find the answers on one's own usually comes down to
knowing just enough about a problem to use the proper keywords.

The answer to your problem was found in DejaGoogle in a single pass
without "cheating"; using only the words found in your original
question - no previous, extra knowledge about the topic was fed into
the mix.

What I'm telling you is it took longer to type this than it should
take you to find your solution. (providing you aren't typing on a
keyboard devoted to a different subject) :)
 
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