xp install reboots and starts over

[stewart]

I am trying to install windows xp. When I boot the computer it
prompts me to format the drive and perform a clean install. I do so
it reformats the drive and starts the Windows XP "preinstallation
environment" It shows the setup screen and begins the cycle of
messages to the right while the timer starts at 52 minutes
remaining. Once it finishes "preparing installation" it reboots and i
am presented with the same reformat options. I checked the drive and
some files have been installed. Why can't i get through the entire
install process. I will provide you with whatever info you need.

 

[Unknown]

Disconnect all devices except mouse and monitor and try installing.

 

[Daave]

Disconnect all devices except mouse and monitor and try installing.

When the PC reboots, does it boot off the hard drive or off the CD?

 

[stewart]

It boots from the disc. I tried removing the disc but it says no
operating system installed. I have nothing else attached to the
computer. Just monitor keyboard and mouse.

 

[Guest]

do u have an win xp upgrade disk or a full version disk

 

[stewart]

do u have an win xp upgrade disk or a full version disk

full version disk

 

[Guest]

do a repair install of win xp.

follow steps given in this article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341/en-us

 

[stewart]

do a repair install of win xp.

follow steps given in this article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341/en-us

unfortunately that article did not help. it automatically boots to
the screen that ells me to format then goes into setup. no other
options are available

 

[Daave]

It should only boot off the disc the *first* time around! At the step
you described, you need to press the Esc key so that it when the PC
*re*boots, it boots off the hard drive. See:

"Clean Install Windows XP"
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Pay special attention to Step 15.

If you don't hit Esc soon enough and it wants to boot off the CD, you
need to remove the CD (like you said you did), and then reboot again. It
should boot off the hard drive. If not, check the boot sequence in your
BIOS.

 

[Guest]

Once you go through the first step of install and at the first reboot. Go
into MB bios,mine is pushing "F2" when the the first ,black, screen shows.
It says "Press "F2" to enter setup" Yours could be the "Delete" key.
Once there,in MB bios, set the first boot sequence to Hard Drive and second
to CDRom. Then "Save and Exit".
Leave the XP CD in the disk drive during all this.
Note: If you are useing a "Raid" HD you will need to load the "Raid"
drivers when asked in the first setup. This will be done with a floppy made
from the MB driver CD.
Good Luck!
Hope this helps?

 

[stewart]

Once you go through the first step of install and at the first reboot. Go
into MB bios,mine is pushing "F2" when the the first ,black, screen shows.
It says "Press "F2" to enter setup" Yours could be the "Delete" key.
Once there,in MB bios, set the first boot sequence to Hard Drive and second
to CDRom. Then "Save and Exit".
Leave the XP CD in the disk drive during all this.
Note: If you are useing a "Raid" HD you will need to load the "Raid"
drivers when asked in the first setup. This will be done with a floppy made
from the MB driver CD.
Good Luck!
Hope this helps?

Here is what I see:
1. Computer starts and boots to cdrom.
2. text = setup is inspecting your computers hardware configuration
3. starting windows xp preinstallation environment... (with progress
bar)
4. WinXP Pro splash screen
5. cmd.exe/kstartnet.cmd - startnet cmd text= YOu are about to format
and re-install Windows on your system. This method will completly
remove any user applications and data, in other words, all existing
data will be lost. COntinue only if you wish start with a clean
windows installation. Do you wish to continue? Y/N
I select Yes
7. Are you sure...Yes
8 Reformats drive starts winxp installation.
9. Displays winxp features on right while timer on left display 52
minutes( and counting)just above the progress bar the step preparing
installatioon is highlighted. Once the progress bar fills the
computer restarts and i get the same thing all over again. If i
remove the disk I get a message that no OS is detected. If i change
the boot order to hard drive first it skips over the drive when it
does not detect an os and moves back to the install cd and repeats the
above process. I am not presented with an option to repair or
reinstall. Nor am I presented with the EULA. Some files are copied
to the harddrive but i have no clue what they represent.

$win_nt$.~bt
$win_nt$.~ls
ntdetect.com
ntldr
txtsetup.sif

 

[Guest]

Once you get to #9 in your post (below)
<quote> - Once the progress bar fills the
computer restarts and i get the same thing all over again.<end quote>

This happens if you "Press a key to boot from CD....". You're NOT doing
that, I suppose? [You Shouldn't press a key after the restart.]
Otherwise -
Have any tools to check the HDD? Download one from the manufacturer's
website and run it.

 

[Guest]

This will happen to me if I do not load the Sata/Raid drivers when the XP
install starts.
If you have a SATA MB and RAID HD then the directions to do this is in the
MB "User's Guide"
And you have to set in the MBbios to "RAID" Enhanced.
If the MB is set to "IDE"/standard you will get the message you have no OS.
And then it will boot to the secondary boot device which is your CD Rom.

 

[Daave]

It should only boot off the disc the *first* time around! At the step
you described, you need to press the Esc key so that it when the PC
*re*boots, it boots off the hard drive. See:

"Clean Install Windows XP"
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Pay special attention to Step 15.

If you don't hit Esc soon enough and it wants to boot off the CD, you
need to remove the CD (like you said you did), and then reboot again.
It should boot off the hard drive. If not, check the boot sequence in
your BIOS.

Oops! Senior moment! (For some reason, I had Esc on the brain...)

Like Script said, don't press any key at all!

 

[stewart]

Oops! Senior moment! (For some reason, I had Esc on the brain...)

Like Script said, don't press any key at all!

script. to respond to your post I am not pressing any key, as a
matter of fact i do not even get the prompt to boot from cd it just
does it automatically. the part that frustrates me is that i've done
this several times before (even with this particular computer) and
have never seen this happen. I may need to run some checks on the
Hard Drive. I may just have to go back and use Win98 on it. Oh well
thanks for the help.

 

[Daave]

script. to respond to your post I am not pressing any key, as a
matter of fact i do not even get the prompt to boot from cd it just
does it automatically. the part that frustrates me is that i've done
this several times before (even with this particular computer) and
have never seen this happen. I may need to run some checks on the
Hard Drive. I may just have to go back and use Win98 on it. Oh well
thanks for the help.

What is the boot sequence in your BIOS? If it's CD-ROM first, followed
by hard drive, then if you remove the CD, it should reboot off the hard
drive. If you're concerned it will want to reboot off the CD before you
get a chance to remove it, then if you repeatedly tap the F8 key right
after the PC turns on again, you will get a menu of options to choose
from. Remove the disc at this point, then select normal boot (from hard
drive).

But I do find it odd that it behaves *as if* you are pressing any key.