Hi,
This will be a long post. I have installed windows on countless machines I've built myself but for this one it's not to be- this machine had been running for a while and then a HD failed (motor failure, got RMAed). Once the HD was replaced I set about re-installing windows (the failed HD contained the primary partition).
I have yet to successfully install windows, I have tried three different XP installation disks (pro, pro SP2 slipstreamed and home SP2). The whole system is healthy hardware-wise as I have tried processor and RAM (nothing wrong with PSU or GPU) in another system. After many failed attempts I managed to install windows XP pro SP2 on the hard disk in question while it was connected to another pc. I subsequently tried swapping this HD to the PC being repaired but the bootup didn't get past the XP splash screen. On two installation attempts after this (each time loading in the correct S-ATA drivers using a floppy and F6 during installation) either of these two things happened:
1. The two filed to be loaded off the floppy were initially loaded to help recognise the HD but after the partitioning/formating stage had read errors.
2. Installation went absolutely fine until the very end where you boot off your new XP installation for the first time. Here it would crash (reboot) and then upon reboot sugest safe mode, which also didn't work.
The S-ATA is a Promise chip and I' completely certain I have the right drivers.
Do you think there is something wrong with the mainboard (i.e. it was damaged when the HD failed) ? I couldn't image this though because it went through the whole installation without crashing.
I would REALLY appreciate some constructive comments as I'm about to despair on this repair job.
Thanks in advance.
This will be a long post. I have installed windows on countless machines I've built myself but for this one it's not to be- this machine had been running for a while and then a HD failed (motor failure, got RMAed). Once the HD was replaced I set about re-installing windows (the failed HD contained the primary partition).
I have yet to successfully install windows, I have tried three different XP installation disks (pro, pro SP2 slipstreamed and home SP2). The whole system is healthy hardware-wise as I have tried processor and RAM (nothing wrong with PSU or GPU) in another system. After many failed attempts I managed to install windows XP pro SP2 on the hard disk in question while it was connected to another pc. I subsequently tried swapping this HD to the PC being repaired but the bootup didn't get past the XP splash screen. On two installation attempts after this (each time loading in the correct S-ATA drivers using a floppy and F6 during installation) either of these two things happened:
1. The two filed to be loaded off the floppy were initially loaded to help recognise the HD but after the partitioning/formating stage had read errors.
2. Installation went absolutely fine until the very end where you boot off your new XP installation for the first time. Here it would crash (reboot) and then upon reboot sugest safe mode, which also didn't work.
The S-ATA is a Promise chip and I' completely certain I have the right drivers.
Do you think there is something wrong with the mainboard (i.e. it was damaged when the HD failed) ? I couldn't image this though because it went through the whole installation without crashing.
I would REALLY appreciate some constructive comments as I'm about to despair on this repair job.
Thanks in advance.