Windows XP setup diagnostics/debug available?

[lewist57]

I recently built a new custom computer that would not install XP 32, x64 or
Server 2003. All setup routines either rebooted or hung at the text window
"Setup is starting Windows". I had never encountered this problem before,
but found hundreds of web pages with people who have had problems with XP
setup, as well as a few informative KB articles, but no one set of "this is
the answer!" results. My question is: is there any built in or add on
diagnostic or debug routines that would allow an advanced user to determine
why the setup routine is not completing? In my case, it was the motherboard,
but it would have saved me a good week of spare time in trying "every trick
in the [internet] book" trying to get XP to setup properly.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

The setup logs are written to the root of the boot drive.

 

[lewist57]

But if XP setup stops/hangs/reboots at the text window "Setup is starting
Windows", the setup routine has not yet gotten to the point it is identifying
the hard drives, so no logs are available for review.

The setup logs are written to the root of the boot drive.

I recently built a new custom computer that would not install XP 32, x64 or
Server 2003. All setup routines either rebooted or hung at the text window
"Setup is starting Windows". I had never encountered this problem before,
but found hundreds of web pages with people who have had problems with XP
setup, as well as a few informative KB articles, but no one set of "this
is
the answer!" results. My question is: is there any built in or add on
diagnostic or debug routines that would allow an advanced user to
determine
why the setup routine is not completing? In my case, it was the
motherboard,
but it would have saved me a good week of spare time in trying "every
trick
in the [internet] book" trying to get XP to setup properly.