Issues with PC can't get windows to install

[PC_Rookie]

I have this gateway AMD athlon 64 PC it started to act funny and got a virus infected.

I try to clean it and get it to work but I couldn't so I decided to buy a new Hard drive

After I installed the new HD (which was SATA old HD was IDE) the new drive is the same size as old drive which is 250GB.

No I'm trying to install windows XP prof on it and during the install the PC would just lock up and be non-responsive.

I thought it may be a mother board or over heating issue so I have left it running (idle) and seems to not being locked up.

ONly lockes up when reading from the install CD. I have tried different CD and have tried swithing to the 2nd cd rom drive as well.

I have taken out half of the memory and also switch the memory around. Ihave 4 sticks of memory.

Nothing has worked ofr me. What can be wrong with the PC? Mother board, CPU or power supply?.....


I even had the old drive formated (during the XP install) and try to install new windows XP copy on do the old drive but same results PC locks up and becomes non-responsive.

So then I thought the the new drive was bad so I went to the retail store and exchange it for another new drive and I got new SATA (power and data) cables. JUst in case it was the other new cables I got from the first new drive. Still same behavior with the PC.

Like I mentioned above the new HD is SATA old was IDE plus I had to get the 4 pin moles converted to the SATA power cable adapter. NO sure if that is causing the issue.


But I just can not get WIndows XP to install on it and it locks up during the intall I have tried several times and most of the time it gets to the part where the install reboots and you get into the install program with the GUI (where ask you timezone and network setup...etc)....

 

[o1die]

I doubt you have a hardrive problem. Could be a heat issue with the cpu or power supply. For cleaning the hardrive, I recommend microsoft's malware anti virus software, which was free last time I checked. It has regular updates available for download off microsoft's website. To prep your drive for windows xp, I would use the hardrive software; if connecting more than one drive, set one to boot and the other as secondary. This software will also permit you to do a drive to drive copy, which can save alot of time.

 

[PC_Rookie]

thanks for the reply

1. I don't mind getting the PC to run on the new hard drive and just taking the old drive out of the mix. I can even trash the old drive.

2. If its an heat issue with the CPU or power supply? Both fans (CPU and power supply) work and are blowing air to cool the CPU and power supply. Also if it was heating issue do u think I would get the same behavior if I would let it run idle at the cmd prompt and having the PC running the install where the cd rom would be spinning, memory would be getting accessed, etc...

This PC is older and its used primarly by wife for surfing, so don't want to spend 100-200 on parts when I can just get new laptop for 4-500..