Problem reinstalling windows

[fta_nightwizard]

Hi, the problem im having is while trying to reinstall windows xp it is
having trouble copying some of the files. So if i hit retry sometimes it will
go and stop towards the end so then i skip the last few and then it will
finish and get to the windows xp screen and then crash saying it cant read
whatever. So i then tried it on the other hd and still same thing. Now this
is the same windows that i installed on this computer a few months ago (as i
do a reinstall every few months) So i then came downstairs and did a fresh
install on my dell laptop using the same disk as i have the original dell
disk to put back on here and as we can see I'm writing here so its working.
I'm not sure what to look at next . Could both of my hd taken a fall for the
worst? Any help would be great as I'm lost now. I even went to the point of
borrowing a xp disk from a friend and it actually loaded all the files but
then crashed.

 

[John John (MVP)]

You reinstall Windows every few months??? What on earth are you doing
that requires you to reinstall Windows so frequently?

When you do the install are you doing a full format on the drive? Get a
drive diagnostic utility form the manufacturer and run it on the drive
to see if it is in good condition.

John

 

[fta_nightwizard]

I do alot of testing, More like every 6 months to a year but all the same. I
do testing of programs and antivirus reports as installing different virus's
on my computer to see how the antivirus held up so this is why every 6 months
to a year i start over. I do a full format of both the drives, I will try the
drive diagnostic utility next and report back to my findings. Thanks for the
fast reply..... Gabe

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hi, the problem im having is while trying to reinstall windows xp it is
having trouble copying some of the files. So if i hit retry sometimes it will
go and stop towards the end so then i skip the last few and then it will
finish and get to the windows xp screen and then crash saying it cant read
whatever. So i then tried it on the other hd and still same thing. Now this
is the same windows that i installed on this computer a few months ago (as i
do a reinstall every few months) So i then came downstairs and did a fresh
install on my dell laptop using the same disk as i have the original dell
disk to put back on here and as we can see I'm writing here so its working.
I'm not sure what to look at next . Could both of my hd taken a fall for the
worst? Any help would be great as I'm lost now. I even went to the point of
borrowing a xp disk from a friend and it actually loaded all the files but
then crashed.

Problems copying files or corrupted files during installation (even
a Repair installation) are most often caused by defective, incompatible,
or sub-standard hardware; in order of likelihood, either RAM, the hard
drive, or the motherboard. On very rare occasions the CD drive or
installation CD is the problem.

Start with testing the RAM. You might try MemTest86:
http://www.memtest86.com/ It's free. Then you can download and use the
hard drive manufacturer's diagnostic utility to test the hard drive. If
both RAM and hard drive test out clean, check with the motherboard
manufacturer for any diagnostic utilities.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

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safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[thecreator]

Hi Gabe,

If you do a lot of testing, then why not get a program like Acronis True
Image Home and create partition / drive images, then restore the image when
you want to start over. That's what I do. Does not make sense to constantly
reinstall, when you can just restore the original XP installation, right
after the activation of Windows XP.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

The problem im having is while trying to reinstall windows xp
it is having trouble copying some of the files. So if i hit retry
sometimes it will go and stop towards the end so then i skip the
last few and then it will finish and get to the windows xp screen
and then crash saying it cant read whatever. So i then tried it on
the other hd and still same thing. Now this is the same windows
that i installed on this computer a few months ago (as i do a
reinstall every few months) So i then came downstairs and did a
fresh install on my dell laptop using the same disk as i have the
original dell disk to put back on here and as we can see I'm
writing here so its working. I'm not sure what to look at next .
Could both of my hd taken a fall for the worst? Any help would be
great as I'm lost now. I even went to the point of borrowing a xp
disk from a friend and it actually loaded all the files but then
crashed.

You reinstall Windows every few months??? What on earth are you
doing that requires you to reinstall Windows so frequently?

When you do the install are you doing a full format on the drive?
Get a drive diagnostic utility form the manufacturer and run it on
the drive to see if it is in good condition.

I do alot of testing, More like every 6 months to a year but all
the same. I do testing of programs and antivirus reports as
installing different virus's on my computer to see how the
antivirus held up so this is why every 6 months to a year i start
over. I do a full format of both the drives, I will try the drive
diagnostic utility next and report back to my findings.

First - possibly bad hardware/slightly off CD/DVD drive, bad memory and/or
bad hard disk drive. Use a diffren CD drive first, then test the hard disk
drive and memory of the system in question if it still fails.

Second - testing on your production machine, without a better way to restore
it to a clean state than a clean install - not wise. Use an imaging program
at least - better yet, create virtual machines for your testing of things -
then you do not have to ruin a perfectly good working installation.

 

[Big_Al]

I do alot of testing, More like every 6 months to a year but all the same. I
do testing of programs and antivirus reports as installing different virus's
on my computer to see how the antivirus held up so this is why every 6 months
to a year i start over. I do a full format of both the drives, I will try the
drive diagnostic utility next and report back to my findings. Thanks for the
fast reply..... Gabe

You might download CDCheck at the link below and check the CD. I wonder
if your "cannot read" is a cd error, not HD error?
http://www.kvipu.com/CDCheck/download.php