XP install problem

[Chuck Jurgens]

I replaced the HDD in my Dell Inspiron 8000 laptop and have been trying to
install Win XP - without much success. I have followed the instructions
that Dell provides concerning Win XP installation on the 8000, i.e.,
partition the HDD, format for NTSF, install XP.

When I boot the 8000 (after the installation), the PC hangs at the blue
"welcome" screen or sometimes it gets to the Desktop and then hangs. I have
to power off and re-boot MANY times before it will boot up properly and
work.

I can boot into SAFE mode and things work fine. I can shut down and
SOMETIMES re-boot normally and things work OK - but most of the time it
doesn't.

If I boot into SAFE mode and select the "VGA mode", the system will hang
just like it does during a normal boot. I figured that I had a video driver
problem so I loaded the latest video driver for my system. I still have the
same problem.

I have the latest BIOS.

Is there a way to select which drivers are allowed to install during startup
like we used to be able to do in Win 98, i.e., accept or reject the driver
to see which one was causing the problem?

I am pulling out my hair. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks.

Chuck

 

[Brian]

You have a few options. You can enable boot logging from the advanced
startup screen. Then check the Ntbtlog.txt file in the sysroot directory.

Since this is a new install you can also check the setuperr.log file in the
sysroot directory. These two log files could possibly shed some light on
whats causing your startup problem.

You can edit the boot.ini file using the /SOS switch. This will show you
each driver as it is loaded during startup. If its a driver problem when it
hangs you will know which one is causing your problem.

A quick check of the event viewer may also help you determine what the
problem is.

A trip into the recovery console to run a chkdsk /r and/or disabling
services might also help.
GL,
Brian Pugh
A+, Network +, MCP

 

[Chuck Jurgens]

Brian,

I ran the /SOS earlier but the driver list flew by so fast that I couldn't
read any of it. Is there a way to slow it down OR a way to be able to allow
or not allow a driver to be loaded?

Chuck

 

[Brian]

Your best bet on that would be a trip to safe mode. Go to Device Manager and
disable things like your audio, modem, net card, USB controllers, etc. Then
do a series of restarts while re-enabling one device at a time until you
find the problem device. Before you do this you can also
go to the Advanced tab of System Properties and create a system environment
varible named "Devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices" and give it a value of 1. Now
when you click on "show hidden devices" in Device Mgr, it will not only show
hidden devices but also devices not attached to the system. You never know
Windows may have picked up something on install that is not actually in your
system.

I would also still check the ntbtlog.txt file and even disabling certian
services from startup. This can be done from msconfig. While your in there,
disable any programs set to run at startup if you haven't already.

Brian Pugh
A+, Network +, MCP