syntax error in .sif file

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mark
  • Start date Start date
M

Mark

I have been going through several attempts to set up XP
Professional on my system. I did have it running
yesterday with the same system configuration but something
got messed up in the software and I thought it would be
easier to just reinstall. I started out getting
multiple "could not copy file x" during the initial
install. The confusing thing is, each time I tried to
install it, the list of files that could not be copied was
different. That's been my first problem. The problem I
am encountering now is that I keep getting "syntax error"
messages for various .SIF files used by Setup. Does
anybody have any ideas for how to get around these
problems and get a successful installation again? Since
my CD is an upgrade CD, I even reinstalled 98 and tried to
upgrade it; that met with a bit better luck but still ran
into the "could not copy" problems.
 
Probably an error on your source or destination media:
1. Test the CD by copying to a disc, and / or
2. Perform a full format to your hardrive or use disk diagnostics from the manufacturer...
 
After many frustrating failures, I stuck a jumper on my
hard drive to limit its size to 32GB (normally 80GB). I
was then able to install XP. I made the remaining
partition a seperate drive and checked both drives for
errors and bad sectors. Unfortunately the results were
not given to me or were given too fast for me to read but
I suspect that there were bad sectors on the drive and
that was what was causing the installation to fail.
Whatever it was seems to be fixed now; I repartitioned
into a single 80GB drive and installed without a hitch.
The only thing that frustrates me know is not knowing the
exact cause of the problem.
-----Original Message-----
Probably an error on your source or destination media:
1. Test the CD by copying to a disc, and / or
2. Perform a full format to your hardrive or use disk
Click to expand...
diagnostics from the manufacturer...
 
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