Wiping Out HDD (To FDISK or Not to FDISK)??

[rickd59]

OK, I recently built an AMD system with an A7V8X-X mobo. It was working for a while, but got crushed by worms....LOTS OF THEM. It would work for 5 minutes at a time and then blue screen me. With no luck after trying to clean them up, I did a new clean install of Windows (XP Home SP1). It got better, but the system was very unstable, especially on the initial startups of the day (when it was cold, it would often take 3-4 attempts before it would work well). On those initial attempts, it would often reboot, and then lose the video signal (ASUS 9200 Radeon with an old AOC monitor). I had checked all the BIOS and reset them (some multiplier and CPU settings were off, but I reset them). Anyway, it seemed to steadily go downhill and become more and more unstable as time went by. I switched out the video card and monitor with those from my system but her system still failed, and mine worked fine. Anyway, I just RMA'd the ASUS board and got a NF7. After setting it up, I was going to do another clean install of XP Home. When Windows Setup starts, it goes through the initial search for drivers and then says "Setup is Starting Windows". The light on the keyboard then goes off and the yellow light on the case (which I think is the HDD LED) goes out. I have let it sit for nearly 15 minutes and nothing happens. It successfully recognizes the HDD and the CD-ROM (and I did reset the boot sequence to the CD-ROM). OK, this is where I get LOST! That screen will probably hang forever. So, I whip out a handy-dandy copy of XP Pro, and that installs WITH NO PROBLEMS. WHY?!?! I figured I would wipe out the partition and then reinstall XP PRO to get past this hurdle. Then I would go back and do a clean reinstall of XP Home. XP Pro is working great! I know what you're thinking...why not leave it and forget XP Home?! Well, the lady purchased a legit copy, so I want it to be a squeaky clean system for her. I tried to reinstall XP Home and it simply does the same thing! I know this copy of XP Home works since I have installed it twice on her system already. I also got some type of message that XP Pro didn't like to be overwritten by XP Home, but I didn't write it down, and I only got it once (I can't remember what the exact message was). Anyway, I need help. Anyone, anyone? Beuhler?
As always, thanks in advance!

-Rick

 

[SephirothPD]

You using the same CD/DVD drive to install hame as you used the other times you did it?

 

[rickd59]

Yep, same DVD-RE drive. It does boot from it with no problems, but it just doesn't like something during the early part of the install.

-Rick

 

[rickd59]

OK, I have tried everything.
1.) Replaced Mobo on system that had WinXP Home on it. Trying to do a new, clean install of same OS (same disk) and install would hang. I have prevously installed this OS using this disk twice on this PC (different mobo).
2.) I was able to install XP Pro no problems.
3.) Still unable to install XP Home...still goes into setup after Hardware Inspection and just hanges saying "Setup is Starting Windows".
4.) For the heck of it I did a clean install of 2K Pro to try to dispel "rumor" that MS doesn't allow downgrades to OS. It worked, no problems.
5.) Now, it is a true upgrade (should be considered one...not my personal opinion) to go from 2K Pro to XP Home.
6.) Still can't install XP Home for same reason!
7.) F-DISKed the drive and left no partitions.
8.) Still fails!
9.) Created a 2GB Primary FAT16 partiion.
10.) Still fails!
11.) For whatever reason, I have tried using different CD drives,a nd nothing works. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!!

I thought F-DISK would wipe everything out, but I really think something persists on that darned drive that removes the ability to install XP Home. How can you TOTALLY wipe out a HDD to make it look like it did when it came from the factory? Thanks, as always.

-Rick

 

[Coyote]

Go to the HD maker's site. They have free utilities to use on their HDs. Find the proggy that does a low-level format (writes zero's to the drive). It'll clean it up good as new.

Barton 2500+
Abit NF7-S v 2.0
Maxtor 60GB ATA 133 7200RPM
512MB Corsair Twinx 3200LL
9600 Pro
Enermax Noisetaker 420 watts
Win98SE

 

[rickd59]

Thanks Coyote, great suggestion. I thought for sure that this would work....it took FOREVER! However, XP Home STILL will not load. I also did an "FDISK /MBR" using FDISK from WIN ME and WIN98...NOTHING. I reinstalled XP Pro again with no problems. The XP Home disk must be damaged (although I doubt it), but there isn't a scratch on it, and I have used it twice before. Any one ever heard of something like this?

-Rick

 

[pat]

you can go at a computer shop, asking them a new XP disk to try and using the same serial number as her's and try to install. If it works, then you simply have a bad disk. Just make her a copy of the working disk that you are going to give her back. Serisl number are not tied to disk, but rather to the software. She will have a perfectly legal system, with her serial and her registration.

-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

 

[rickd59]

Thanks Pat, great idea....I know someone that has another disk!


-Rick