won't install XP Pro

[Jim]

I'm trying to install w/xp pro on a dell/inspiron 7000
pentium 2 (300MHz)with 320mb ram. The laptop stops when
it get down to about 34 minutes left of installing
windows section. the screen just goes black as if someone
has turned off the computer. there is no activity even
after I have let it sit for over a 1/2 hour. Any help
would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Jim

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Have you made sure that your PC's hardware components are capable
of supporting WinXP? This information will be found at the PC's
manufacturer's web site, and on Microsoft's Hardware Compatibility
List: (http://www.microsoft.com/hcl/default.asp) Additionally, run
Microsoft WinXP Upgrade Advisor to see if you have any incompatible
hardware components or applications.

You should, before proceeding, take a few minutes to ensure that
there are WinXP device drivers available for all of the machine's
components. There may not be, if the PC was specifically designed for
Win98. Also bear in mind that PCs designed for, sold and run fine
with Win9x/Me very often do not meet WinXP's much more stringent
hardware quality requirements. This is particularly true of many
models in Compaq's consumer-class Presario product line or HP's
consumer-class Pavilion product line. WinXP, like WinNT and Win2K
before it, is quite sensitive to borderline defective hardware
(particularly motherboards, RAM and hard drives) that will still
support Win9x.


Bruce Chambers

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[JR K Yoshikawa]

did you check dell support site info
http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=sw_winxp&message.id=87620

and here
http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6270_11-5035047.html

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Reinstall your previous operating system, then place the XP CD in the drive,
when the setup screen appears, select "Check system compatibility," this
utility may discover the source of the error. If this was an upgrade
install, be sure to install any applications you plan to use in XP to see if
they might be causing the issue as the compatibility check will pick them up
as well. Even if it's a clean install, be sure to install any applications
you plan to install in XP as you'll need to know about those potential
issues also.