Windows XP Setup hangs "installing devices"

[Mal]

I tried to install Windows XP SP2 on my P4 3.0
workstation, however I ran into problems which eventually
led to the Windows XP SP2 "online support professional"
telling me to try and "upgrade" my installation of
Windows Xp by selecting repair when I have booted from
the CDRom and selected install.

I do this and it goes through and shows me the setup GUI
as if it is going to reinstall windows (hopefully without
wiping out all my previous settings). However, it gets
stuck on "installing devices". It gets to 36 minutes
remaining and then just stops. There are no error
messages or clues as to what it is having problems with,
but I have left for hours on end but it just won't move.
This is over the top of a previous Windows XP
installation which worked fine about 3 months ago and it
still has the same hardware in place so I don't
understand why it is failing this time!

Does anyone have any ideas how I can get past this, or if
there is a log file that is generated when windows setup
runs that may give me a clue as to what setup is trying
to install when it is hanging?

Thanks for you help

Mal

 

[Bob]

Windows cant detects one of the devices. Disconnect extra stuff like
PCI cards and all USB devices. Try install win xp again, if didnt work
get recovery Cds for your system and try again.

 

[Guest]

I tried all of that. The PC only had the hardware that was there when the
original Windows XP was installed.

I have moved on now though. I decided to just to do a new installation of
Windows XP in a different folder and start again. I just need to go back and
remove the old non-working version now.