Problem with Windows XP Pro installation. Please Help!

[adamspbear]

I have recently reformated my hard drive to install Windows XP Pro. The computer boots from the cd successfully and begins to load files needed to complete the windows setup. After finishing, it says that it has to shut down to complete the installation. So it reboots itself and loads from the cd again except that it repeats all the steps it had all ready take'in, and reboots again, repeats, and again, and again.

I have never seen this problem before and was wondering if anyone here could help me troubleshoot this problem. All components in the computer work properly and the hard disk is fine. I haven't tried other XP discs because I haven't been able to get a hold of one. As soon as I do I will see how that pans out.

 

[frozenlead]

first thing is, once you press a key when the machine boots from the disc the first time, where it says something like press any key to launch setup or something, never press it again. once you go through the blue not cool looking vga graphics screens where it formats and copies files, you never need to go there again, so don't press the key when it says to after the first time.

if it continues, consider turning boot from cd off or take out the cd to force a hard disk boot. if windows xp doesn't start, or it starts the setup again and asks for the disk, then you definitly have a hardware problem or your windows xp disc is damaged and allowed itself to copy a corrypt file.

 

[maxxum]

Are you hitting “Any key” to make it boot from the CD? If not, then just take the CD out until windows asks for it. Otherwise, if you get an NT loader error you may have a bad HD.

 

[Banusflakes]

After you power up the computer press "delete" to enter the bios configuration interface. Change the boot device priority so that your hard drive has priority over the the CD-ROM drive. That should allow Windows to load properly, if not, reformat and start over again, but make sure your system is configured to boot from the HDD once Setup is complete and Windows reboots the system. I just built a PC for someone last night and went through the very same process.

 

[scoyle]

Try setting your primary hard drive as the first boot device. The Windows XP setup disk will always automatically boot and run setup if it is instructed to do so.

Try that, and let us know how it turns out.

 

[maxxum]

Try setting your primary hard drive as the first boot device. The Windows XP setup disk will always automatically boot and run setup if it is instructed to do so.

Actually, you have to hit 'any key' for it to boot from the WinXP cd, otherwise, it just skips the CD and goes to the next device which is usually the HD. If it doesn't then there is a hardware problem.

 

[adamspbear]

The Problem has been solved. Thanks for all the help.