XP install freezes just before completion

[JohnF]

Installing Windows XP Professional, the process goes smoothly, with the
installation window displaying the message "Setup will complete in
approximately: x minutes".

Initally, "x" is 39 minutes. There is a dialogue window contaning the
license agreement. I check "I accept this agreement" and then click on
"Next".

A progress bar is displayed. Messages identify the ongoing activity, such as
"Installing devices"

With two minutes remaining, with activity "Saving settings", the system
freezes.

Upon re-boot, the 39-minute installation process starts over.

I tried this about 8 times without ever completing the process. One time,
the countdown reached one minute, with the activity "Removing any temporary
files used".

Here are some details;

Computer is a Gateway laptop model 600YGR, vintage 2002.

Reinstallation using Gateway's red driver CD and blue Windows XP CD.

The red CD also contains Gateway hardware tests. All passed before
reinstallation
was attempted.

HD was wiped clean before commencing.

Any ideas?

I do have other non-OEM Windows XP CDs on hand, but I can't figure out how
to reformat the drive to start over.


John

 

[Malke]

JohnF wrote:

(snip)

You posted this on January 3rd and I replied twice in that thread. Here is a
link to your original post via Google Groups:

http://tinyurl.com/yxuhfl

Did you do any further testing with non-Gateway utilities? Test the RAM?
Swap out the optical drive? Contact Gateway?

Malke

 

[JohnF]

You posted this on January 3rd and I replied twice in that thread. Here is
a
link to your original post via Google Groups:

http://tinyurl.com/yxuhfl

Did you do any further testing with non-Gateway utilities? Test the RAM?
Swap out the optical drive? Contact Gateway?

Thanks, Malke, for trying again.

In your haste to respond, I suspect you missed a number of items in my
several posts.

I did test the hardware. Extensively, for many hours, using the
manufacturers diagnostics program on the CD delivered with the troublesome
computer. The diagnostics CD was inserted for all of those hours in the
"optical drive".

The diagnostics include extensive RAM tests. However, I will try to swap
RAM and repeat the install.

I'll admit, I'm a bit puzzled why the RAM might fail repeatedly at the same
point when we're nearly complete with the installation.

Sorry if I didn't satisfy your need to have me follow your suggestions
explicitly. If you have time to re-read my post and you then have a new
thought, I'll be quite interested.


John

 

[Malke]

Thanks, Malke, for trying again.

In your haste to respond, I suspect you missed a number of items in my
several posts.

I did test the hardware. Extensively, for many hours, using the
manufacturers diagnostics program on the CD delivered with the troublesome
computer. The diagnostics CD was inserted for all of those hours in the
"optical drive".

No, I read your post. However, I interpreted your hardware testing as that
you tested with Gateway-provided diagnostics. What I wanted to know was
whether you had tried any other diagnostic utilities such as Memtest86+ for
the RAM and possibly a hard drive test utility downloaded from the drive
mftr. The reason I asked this was because I've had plenty of machines where
Dell diagnostics showed nothing wrong and other diagnostics immediately
showed bad RAM (for instance).

Since you say you used the optical drive with the diagnostic utilities with
no problem, it's probably fine. That only leaves other hardware components
or the Gateway cd's.

You can determine if the Gateway cd's are at fault by either getting
replacements from Gateway or installing from one of the other generic XP
OEM's (presumably matching your version of XP; i.e., Home/Pro/MCE) you said
you have. What do you mean you can't figure out how to use them? Note that
if the OEM disks you have are *not* generic but are from other computer
mftrs. like Dell, they won't work on your Gateway.

Boot with the OEM cd and let the install start. Delete the current
partitions, create a new one, install the operating system. Have the
drivers from Gateway on hand for later. If the generic OEM install works,
you'll need to activate over the phone.

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Reinstalling_Windows - What
you will need on-hand

Malke