Swap drives to get out XP mud?

  • Thread starter Thread starter BIllyL
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BIllyL

In answer to problems copying files from XP installation
CD during install, many of you have suggested swapping
out a possibly faulty CD drive. To this, I have these
questions:
1) Presume this means that I have to choose to quit the
current installation process. But it is pretty far
along, the disk has been wiped and the original partition
is gone. This means the computer no longer has an
operable OS. Do I just re-start the installation of XP
from scratch? There's no way to hot-swap the drive is
there and just pick up where I left off, right?
2) Will the computer even recognize the new CD drive?
After all, no drivers for it will have been loaded and
there's no longer a working OS on the computer. Will I
have to reload WIndows 98, then install the new CD drive
and drivers, then install XP? Seems like throwing the
computer out the window and selling Windows XP is a more
tenable option.

BillyL
 
BIllyL said:
In answer to problems copying files from XP installation
CD during install, many of you have suggested swapping
out a possibly faulty CD drive. To this, I have these
questions:
1) Presume this means that I have to choose to quit the
current installation process. But it is pretty far
along, the disk has been wiped and the original partition
is gone. This means the computer no longer has an
operable OS. Do I just re-start the installation of XP
from scratch? There's no way to hot-swap the drive is
there and just pick up where I left off, right?
2) Will the computer even recognize the new CD drive?
After all, no drivers for it will have been loaded and
there's no longer a working OS on the computer. Will I
have to reload WIndows 98, then install the new CD drive
and drivers, then install XP? Seems like throwing the
computer out the window and selling Windows XP is a more
tenable option.
Click to expand...
Hi - Since you didn't quote any of your original post, I'm kind of
coming in blind here, but failures to install MS operating systems are
usually because of faulty hardware. If the installation is just
stopping and you *know* it's the cd-rom drive (not my first choice for
culprit) then the installation is hosed. Shut down, replace the bad
cd-rom drive, format, reinstall. No, you don't need to have Win98
installed first; for an upgrade all you need is the Win98 disk to use
as qualifying media.

That said, usually the prime suspects in hardware failures are RAM and
hard drive, in that order. You can run a RAM test now, without an
operating system installed on a hard drive (and without a hard drive
for that matter) by booting with Memtest86. Get it at www.memtest86.com
and because you think you may be having trouble with your cd drive,
download the precompiled Windows version to make a bootable floppy.
Boot with it and let the test run for quite a while, like overnight,
unless you see errors right away. As for the hard drive, download a
diagnostic utility from the mftr.'s website. You will also make a
bootable floppy with that one. If you find all this hardware testing
difficult, then take the machine to a good local repair shop (not a
Best Buy or CompUSA type of store). No matter what piece of hardware is
actually bad, you are going to have to do a format and clean install.
The current partial installation is hosed.

Post back if you need more help, and good luck.

Malke
 
Thank you Elephantboycomputers for that great reply.
Restores my faith in the usefulness of this site - which
had been eroding. Anyway, the background on this is as
follows:
During a routine clean install to a former Windows 98
machine, after the hard disk reformatting process
completed, and the computer had copied about 80% of the
new files correctly, it began to have trouble copying a
few of the files. Several of the balky files did
successfully copy after pressing 'retry' (enter)
repeatedly. However, one of them finally just wouldn't
go. I got the message: "Setup cannot copy the file:
ndisuio.sys. To retry, press Enter (which was
unsuccessful even after repeated tries). My only other
choices were to skip or to quit. I thouroghly cleaned
the cd and that didn't help. So, I took the disk to
another computer where I was able copy the troubled files
from the disk, proving that the CD itself was fine.

Several people replied suggesting it was a bad CD-ROM
drive. One helpful reply said that he gets this problem
all the time at work and solves it by replacing the
drive. So, it seemed reasonable - however, I do
not "know" this is the problem - and in fact, I rather
suspect it is not (because that drive has been just fine
until right this moment).

Anyway, it's interesting that you said this might be
related to RAM. One problem I was having with this
computer anyway prior to XP install was that when two
256MB RAM modules were installed, a Norton systems RAM
diagnostic test would indicate there was a RAM problem.
But with only one 256MB module installed, there was no
problem. I never figured this out - but right now, both
of those modules are in there. Would you recommend,
before going through all the other trouble, that I just
pull that second RAM module and retry the installation?

BillyL
 
BillyL said:
Thank you Elephantboycomputers for that great reply.
Restores my faith in the usefulness of this site - which
had been eroding. Anyway, the background on this is as
follows:
During a routine clean install to a former Windows 98
machine, after the hard disk reformatting process
completed, and the computer had copied about 80% of the
new files correctly, it began to have trouble copying a
few of the files. Several of the balky files did
successfully copy after pressing 'retry' (enter)
repeatedly. However, one of them finally just wouldn't
go. I got the message: "Setup cannot copy the file:
ndisuio.sys. To retry, press Enter (which was
unsuccessful even after repeated tries). My only other
choices were to skip or to quit. I thouroghly cleaned
the cd and that didn't help. So, I took the disk to
another computer where I was able copy the troubled files
from the disk, proving that the CD itself was fine.

Several people replied suggesting it was a bad CD-ROM
drive. One helpful reply said that he gets this problem
all the time at work and solves it by replacing the
drive. So, it seemed reasonable - however, I do
not "know" this is the problem - and in fact, I rather
suspect it is not (because that drive has been just fine
until right this moment).

Anyway, it's interesting that you said this might be
related to RAM. One problem I was having with this
computer anyway prior to XP install was that when two
256MB RAM modules were installed, a Norton systems RAM
diagnostic test would indicate there was a RAM problem.
But with only one 256MB module installed, there was no
problem. I never figured this out - but right now, both
of those modules are in there. Would you recommend,
before going through all the other trouble, that I just
pull that second RAM module and retry the installation?

BillyL
Click to expand...
Hi, Billy. Thanks for explaining the whole situation. I certainly don't
think it is your cd-rom drive, then. I would first run the RAM tester,
Memtest86 (here's the url again, www.memtest86.com). It's very easy -
you will download the Windows precompiled binary (obviously this is on
a different machine!). Then you'll put a floppy in the drive,
double-click on the Memtest86 file and it will make a bootable floppy.
Then put the bootable floppy in the sick machine. I'm assuming you know
how to set your BIOS to boot from the floppy, so if you need help with
that let me know. Anyway, Memtest will automatically start. Just let it
run. The default settings are just fine. If one of the RAM sticks is
bad, then you can either replace it or install with only 256MB of RAM.
I wouldn't run XP with less than that.

If the RAM is OK (and I'm going to guess that it will not be, from what
you've already said), then test the hard drive with a bootable floppy
from the drive mftr.'s site.

Good luck, and post back if you need more help.

Malke
 
I don't know if you'll ever read this since it's now
getting buried so far back here - but let me just tell
you how much I appreciate your help. Your advice was
exactly right on target. There is some kind of RAM
problem and the memtest86 program found it. I am still
unsure what causes it, but as suspected, removing one of
the two 256MB memory sticks (either one), seemed to
resolve it. I then proceeded to load XP without a
hitch! Thank you again - and to anyone who lives in the
Fresno area and needs computer work - these guys know
what they're doin!

BillyL
 
BIllyL said:
I don't know if you'll ever read this since it's now
getting buried so far back here - but let me just tell
you how much I appreciate your help. Your advice was
exactly right on target. There is some kind of RAM
problem and the memtest86 program found it. I am still
unsure what causes it, but as suspected, removing one of
the two 256MB memory sticks (either one), seemed to
resolve it. I then proceeded to load XP without a
hitch! Thank you again - and to anyone who lives in the
Fresno area and needs computer work - these guys know
what they're doin!
Click to expand...
Sure, I don't have any problems seeing posts because I use a real
newsreader, not the web interface, which is very lame. Just for your
own info, here are some links about using Outlook Express as a
newsreader:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=/support/news/howto
default.asp (be sure to enter this url into your browser addressbar on
one line - it wraps in my newsreader, as it should)

http://aumha.org/nntp.htm - list of MS newsgroups

Well, I'm really pleased I was able to help you. Enjoy XP!

Malke
 
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