Windows XP installation problems

[Guest]

This is my current setup:

Athlon XP 1800+
MSI KT3 Ultra-ARU Motherboard
2x 256 MB DDR 333 Memory
Maxtor 40 gig 7200 RPM HD
13 gig HD (from 3yr old Dell computer)
Windows XP Home Edition (full install, not an upgrade)

Whenever I try to install Windows XP to my 40 gig HD, it stops at random places during the installation. The farthest I've gotten is 52%, with the least being 2%. I believe it is when the CD-Rom drive is copying to the HD. I also got my CD-Rom drive from a three year old Dell I had bought. I would think that this is what is causing the problem, but I successfully installed Windows 98 from the CD as well. However, 98 will freeze at random times when I am using it (and usually as soon as I start doing stuff). Since both are similar problems with freezing, this leads me to believe that it is the hard drive that is causing the problem. Anyone else have any ideas about what could be causing this?

 

[Zlash]

Is this during the copying of files before the first reboot?

<font color=red>:</font color=red> <font color=white>:</font color=white> <font color=blue>:</font color=blue>

 

[btvillarin]

What kind of power supply do you have in there (brand/wattage)?

Plus, is there any way you can get a known-good CD drive? Perhaps you can also remove the HD that you got from the old Dell as well. If that doesn't work, you can try a low-level format on your HD, if it has bad sectors.

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[BruceMyers48]

I had the same problem, loading 98 worked fine but xp would always find corrupt files while installing. I have read that win 98 is more toleable to memory problem than XP. I put new memory in and XP installed fine. This may not always be the problem but is a big cause. You can also have a power problem. I was not running enopugh power with a K6-3/400 and got program errors all the time.I put a 300 watt power suppy in and the problems went away. I am running a 465 wat supply with my 1800 I built. I have alot of drives installed and wanted the extra power. The brand of power matters too. You want the proper voltage supplied and some cheaper supplies don'y do it. Bruce

 

[HonestJhon]

try disabling DMA in the bios, and install, then when everything is working, re-enable it.
it might work...
but i am going on experience here, because my friend had to do this to get it to work on his moms computer, and i had to do this on my old old computer to get it to work.
i dont know why it does that, even on new hardware, but just try it. couldnt hurt anything.

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-

 

[RaPTuRe]

try underclocking ur athlon in the worst case. I was trying to install XP on my T-bird at 1.53GHz, only when i clocked it down to 1.3GHz did it install correctly...

"The answer to life's problems aren't at the bottom of a beer bottle, they're on TV."

 

[HonestJhon]

was it at stock at 1.53? because usually overclocking can cause problems...and if it is overclocked, then that is the first thing to return to stock.

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-

 

[btvillarin]

He dead. One week later...nothin...

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[HonestJhon]

ahyuk! prolly....maybe he bashed his head into the wall trying to get it to install. LOL...who knows.

-DAvid

-Live, Learn, then build your own computer!-