Original CD won't 'restore' system ??

[Paul]

AFter running scandisk and leaving the info in the drives, it went
further and listed the ONLY install WinXP Professional etc, then hung
after I selected it. didn't go any more.

Ok, frustration, put in Win98 boot disk and reformatted the C: drive,
did scandisk /surface on BOTH C: and E: came up perfect. install
WinXP, and it hung at the F8, I accept the agreement... screen.!!

Ok boot up, reformat C: run scandiskc -perfect and this time got past
install WinXP, accept agreemtn where to install, leave memory intact,
and THEN it hung. Ok go back and install Win98, works great. using
the same CD Drive.

I can't believe the WinXP CD has gone bad. just keps hanging at or
near the start.

Is there any possiblity that the RAM is intermittent, or bad in some
critical location?

Test memory with memtest86+. Downloads are half-way down the web page.
Once you've prepared the tool on some media, the computer boots
from that media, and the test will run continuously until you
hit <esc>. And then the computer will reboot, and you can do
something else.

http://memtest.org/

Using something like Imgburn, perhaps you can copy the WinXP CD and
make (burn) a new one ? Give that a try, on another machine with
a known-good CD/DVD burner on it.

Depending on the brand of hard drive, you can get disk diagnostic
tools. An example would be Seatools for DOS from seagate.com , useful
for Seagate branded drives. Western Digital has a tool for a
similar purpose, if your drive is WD brand.

Paul

 

[Robert Macy]

Test memory with memtest86+. Downloads are half-way down the web page.
Once you've prepared the tool on some media, the computer boots
from that media, and the test will run continuously until you
hit <esc>. And then the computer will reboot, and you can do
something else.

http://memtest.org/

Using something like Imgburn, perhaps you can copy the WinXP CD and
make (burn) a new one ? Give that a try, on another machine with
a known-good CD/DVD burner on it.

Depending on the brand of hard drive, you can get disk diagnostic
tools. An example would be Seatools for DOS from seagate.com , useful
for Seagate branded drives. Western Digital has a tool for a
similar purpose, if your drive is WD brand.

    Paul

Thank you for that URL!

I downloaded both the precompiled floppy DOS version and will see what
happens. 4.10 and 4.20

During boot upt, the HD comes up as EIDE Drive 10239

I'll have to take the cahssis apart again, or maybe install Win98 and
add Everest Home Edition to do a system list. But, will get back.

Somehow installing Win98, then reformatting C: completely changed the
CD's install procedure - which makes NO SENSE to me, since both cases
the HD is empty and FAT32, but it did change the screen shots and
sequences dramatically. Yet the failure on boot up is still the same,
something about damaged/corrupted .../SYSTEM file.

But will check HD.

 

[Robert Macy]

Thank you for that URL!

I downloaded both the precompiled floppy DOS version and will see what
happens. 4.10 and 4.20

During boot upt, the HD comes up as EIDE Drive  10239

I'll have to take the cahssis apart again, or maybe install Win98 and
add Everest Home Edition to do a system list. But, will get back.

Somehow installing Win98, then reformatting C: completely changed the
CD's install procedure - which makes NO SENSE to me, since both cases
the HD is empty and FAT32, but it did change the screen shots and
sequences dramatically. Yet the failure on boot up is still the same,
something about damaged/corrupted .../SYSTEM file.

But will check HD.

Just ran Memory Test [great program, thank you] for only aobut 40
minutes -recommended is overnight. But absolutely no glitches during
the test.

So went back to install WinXP, got passed F8, accept license, passed
reading HD, all the way up to 'save current file structure' now THAT
is where the system hangs!!!

Yet, scandisk c: and e: /surface comes up perfect.

Plus, have no trouble installing Win98 ??

Perhaps, something about WinXP not liking the HD. Is there some way to
repartition the drive to make it happier? without removing drive and
connecting to another system.