Need XP CD to prompt for install/upgrade - goes right to boot from

[Guest]

Hi -

I just installed a brand new drive in my PC (removing others). Looking to
load XP, but the CD goes right to boot from CD, loads drivers and then hangs
at "starting windows Setup".

Is there some command to get it to the CD Menu where i can choose between
Install, Repair, Upgrade??

Note: I have used this CD to load XP onto a prior drive (which had a hw
failure).
Note 2. I am trying to pull data off of another drive that failed and had
a HAL.dll file error. (not sure this is relevant). any help would be
greatly
appreciated!

 

[Curt Christianson]

I believe you need to leave the CD in longer than you are. You should be
presented the options you describe.

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
http://aumha.org/

 

[Guest]

Sorry... the message is "Setup is starting windows", the computer hangs there
for 18hrs or so. (Max time I have left it before turning off power). This
is after the CD loada drivers, etc. What is strange is that it did this the
very first time I connected a new (freshly unwrapped) drive, and I would have
expected the CD to detect no OS present, and then give me the option of
installing/upgrading.

BTW - the BIOS recognizes the drive.

any thoughts?

 

[Curt Christianson]

Hi Bugs,

That's a new one on me, and I will check it out. Hopefully someone else
already has the answer for you.

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
http://aumha.org/

 

[mikeyhsd]

did you prep the drive before trying to load xp.
partition and format.
you can use the Recover console from the cd to do this.



(e-mail address removed)



Hi -

I just installed a brand new drive in my PC (removing others). Looking to
load XP, but the CD goes right to boot from CD, loads drivers and then hangs
at "starting windows Setup".

Is there some command to get it to the CD Menu where i can choose between
Install, Repair, Upgrade??

Note: I have used this CD to load XP onto a prior drive (which had a hw
failure).
Note 2. I am trying to pull data off of another drive that failed and had
a HAL.dll file error. (not sure this is relevant). any help would be
greatly
appreciated!

 

[Guest]

No I did not. I did not have the option which seems to describe the issue.
The XP Pro (not sure I said Pro, its the Office XP Pro package) disk goes
right to boot from cd instead of noting the absence of OS on the drive, and
then asking if I want to partition and install...

 

[Richard in AZ]

I hope you do not really mean that you are trying to install "Windows XP" using an "Office XP" disk!
Maybe you could clarify what you are doing.

 

[Guest]

I am trying to install Windows XP professional using the XP disk. The disk
was part of a shrink wrapped package called Microsoft Office XP Professional.
I expect that means it includes XP, and the office suite. I just looked at
the disk and it does indeed say XP. (version 2002). Product Key and
everything.

Since i have successfully installed XP from this disk before (once when I
upgraded from win 98, and once when I loaded it onto another drive to recover
data - that drive had hw issues and so that solution path was not
successful), I know that the disk can offer the install/repair/upgrade menu,
it just won't. So now I have a brand new HDD, and when I power on the disk
goes directly to boot from CD. So, my Qs:

Are there any commands that will make the CD offer the menu
(install/upgrade, etc.) vs. going directly to boot from cd?

Does the new HDD need to be formatted prior to the XP Disk recognizing it as
a candidate for install/upgrade/repair, etc? (not sure how I will do this,
but it explains the situation)

If I download the boot files from microsoft.com, will they just begin the
boot from CD process and ultimately lead me to the same hung state? (Windows
setup screen, drivers have loaded, and the status is "Setup is starting
Windows"). Only windows does not start. Not after waiting over night...

I would appreciate any thoughts on this...

thanks,
Rob

 

[Richard in AZ]

I would be very surprised if the shrink wrapped package call Microsoft Office XP Professional had
"Windows XP Pro" included. They are two entirely different products and have two totally different
Product Keys.

You would need the Windows XP Pro disk to do the repair you seek, and it will give you the options
you want. The Office XP disk will not.

I know you tell us you used this disk to do the installation before, but I believe you had another
disk to do that. A disk for Office will not perform a Windows installation.

 

[Guest]

You are right. It appears that they did not come as one set. I have the CDs
for both, and the keys for both. I keep it all in the OfficeXP Pro box for
organization purposes...

Nevertheless, I am using the Windows XP professional disks, and hangs as
described below: Any insights to the questions below now that we know I am
using the XP disks?

Rob

 

[mikeyhsd]

you have to partition and format the drive before the install will succeed.



(e-mail address removed)



No I did not. I did not have the option which seems to describe the issue.
The XP Pro (not sure I said Pro, its the Office XP Pro package) disk goes
right to boot from cd instead of noting the absence of OS on the drive, and
then asking if I want to partition and install...

 

[Richard in AZ]

Okay. You have the Windows XP disk.

If the computer is set to read the CD before the Hard Drive, it will Boot from the CD.
When it is a brand new drive, it just goes into the Windows Installation by booting off the CD and
gives you the option of setting the partitions. It autoformats the partitions. When the disk
already has an OS, the normal process when reading a non-proprietary CD is to give you a menu that
asks if you want to install Windows or do a Repair (at this time it is a repair console option).
If you choose install, then it asks if you want to do a Repair Install or a clean install. There
would be no need for any boot disks other than the Windows CD. (the clean install will ask if you
want to repartition and or format.)

As to why it is hanging when it starts the installation, I suspect that you have a hardware problem,
or a damaged CD. Start by disconnecting all external hardware except the monitor, keyboard and
mouse. If that does not work, you may have to unplug all the internal card except the video card.
Of course having another CD (of the same gender - Upgrade CD, or MS CD or OEM CD) to try would help
eliminate a bad CD. If you have a friend with the same gender disk, you can use that disk and your
Product Key. But remember, an OEM key will not work with a MS disk or an upgrade disk.

 

[Guest]

You were right about the hardware problem. Curiously enough, the problem
went away once I REMOVED the two original oem supplied 128MB DIMMs, and put a
single 512MB dimm in one of the slots (it mattered which slot btw). THANK
YOU.

Problem now is that I either have finicky DIMM sites and/or finicky DIMMs,
and/or a power supply issue.

Regrettably, I removed both my internal drives and took them to work to have
them reformatted. i mistakenly thought that the XP disk's only seeing a
portion of one of the drive was a drive issue, when it appears to be a
capability of SP2 which is not on my disk (but I can upgrade to once I
install xp). Anyhoo, I hook the HDD's back up (never touched the memory,
btw), and the system does not boot, and power supply went into protected
mode.

Its not worth spending much to replace components on this system as it is
about 7-8 years old. But if anyone has insights that might prevent my having
to buy a new system, I would appreciate it.
Rob