ARGGGHHH!!!!!!

HonestJhon · Apr 20, 2002

OKAY...
well, i am trying to help out a friend of mine, by fixing his computer. he has a laptop, and IBM thinkpad A21e, version 2655. it meets, and exceeds the min requirements for xp, but when i try and install it, it gives me a fatal error when it is "Installing WIndows". an error that prevents windows being installed. i click "OK" to see the log file. here is what it says. i am type/copying this from the laptop that is sittin next to me.
"Error:
installation failed: D:\1386\asms. Error Message : Incorrect Function.

***

Fatal Error:
One of the components that windows needs to continue setup could not be installed.

Incorrect Function.

***

Error:
Installation Failed: D:\I386\asms. Error Message : Incorrect function.

***

Fatal Error:
One of the components that windows needs to continue setup could not be installed.

Incorrect Function.

***

Error:
Installation Failed: D\I386\asms. Error Message : Incorrect function.

***

Fatal Error:
One of the components that Windows needs to continue setup could not be installed.

Incorrect Function.

***

Error:
Installation Failed: D:\I386\asms. Error Message : Incorrect Function.

***

Fatal Error:
One of the components that Windows needs to continue setup could not be installed.

Incorrect Function.

*** "

I have no idea what it is trying to tell me. i went to IBM's site, and they say that there are drivers that it needs to be able to run right, but i assumed that you could do that after it installed. because it didnt say otherwise. and i wouldnt know how to make windows see the files it needs when the os is installing. also, i have updated the bios on it to the latest version available from IBM, which is supposed to have support for XP. this is quite irritating, and i am tired, and have been working on this for a while...
i have tried disabling the cpu clock slowing, and have disabled the pointer "nub", and plugged in a USB mouse. still nothing.
i have tried installing when running on the battery, and when plugged in to the adapter.
if ANYONE has ANY idea on what i should do, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!
i am going to take a break from this i think, and come back and try again...hopefully, there is some ideas being tossed around in here, even thought it is like 1:27am here, and later on the east coast...but i know that some people stay up late like me, and some people dont live in the us...so there is a chance.
otherwise i will have to wait until tomorrow...which i would rather not do.

thanks in advance.
oh, this is winxp pro, full version BTW, if that makes a difference.

-DAvid

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

ejsmith2 · Apr 20, 2002

I got something like that last time I reloaded my laptop. It's squirrely.

I have a HP usb burner hooked up, but my 'ide' matshui (whatever) cdrom drive inside the bay is the one I have always used for boot-loading. Right in the middle of the install/copy, gives me a fatal error and says 'files can't be found'.

WTF?!?!

So, I pop it out of the cdrom, and into the burner. It continues at 6x USB to read and install. And to top it off, it pops another error, which I put the disk back in the cdrom drive and it keeps chugging along.

I think your problem is Mickey Mouse (read: msft). Either it's looking in the A: for the i386 folder, or you have a bad disk (insert evil grin here).

BrainStorm · Apr 20, 2002

Did you tried to copy the I386 folder locally on your harddrive and install from there? It might help!

It's better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick!

Zlash · Apr 20, 2002

You burned your copy of XP didn't you? =).

: : :

HonestJhon · Apr 21, 2002

no, i didnt try copying the i386 folder to the hard drive...and yes, this copy of xp is burned...
but i used it to insall xp on another computer...so it SHOULD work...
i just think it is the lame laptop...LOL...
but according to IBM, it is supposed to be fine.
eh...
i will try copying the i386 folder to the hard drive, and then doing that, but if that fails, i will just put 98se on it...assuming that my copy of 98se still works. ugh.
oh, and do i just copy the i386 folder to the hard drive, and then what....type in the place where i put the folder?

-DAvid

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

HonestJhon · Apr 21, 2002

its almost done copying the i386 folder now...

-DAvid

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

flamethrower205 · Apr 21, 2002

wow, what a slow laptop

Sig of the week.

HonestJhon · Apr 21, 2002

650mhz celeron, with 64 megs of pc100...yeah, it is slow.
i think a 24x cdrom? i dunno
but this is the lamest laptop i have ever encountered...even lamer than the old, i think 386 laptop that my neighbor had...at least that one wouldnt give me errors like this when i did stuff to it....this one is just LAME....lol...i even get errors installing win98! pretty sad...lol.
but yeah, i screwed up, and had to start from scratch, so i am recopying right now...i should charge this guy 50/hr and an extra 100 just to look at it...heh.

but seriously..i cant figure out this whole thing...errors galore, even when plugged into the wall...and this thing is pretty new...and was working until the guy who owns it insisted on upgrading to windows xp from windows 2000 professional...dont ask me why he tried it, but now i have to deal with the mess...UGH!

-DAvid

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

Zlash · Apr 21, 2002

You get that asms error when you burn the CD, that file is at the end of the CD so you need like a 2:00 postgap so there are no errors.

: : :

HonestJhon · Apr 21, 2002

but this same cd was used on other systems...
eh...
what if i copy an original cd to the hd...if i can do that..nver tried it...or if i copied this cd...is it just the fact that the copy is messed up? like some protection that ms puts in there?
like i copied the i386 folder, and named the folder i386 temp on the c drive, but how do i make the install recognize that instead of the cd? i let it boot without the cd, and when it asked for the files, i typed in "c:\i386temp" and hit enter, but it just flashed and put back...like the file wasnt in there...but that is the folder that the file is in according to the install...
eh...my mind is running in circles!

-DAvid

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

HonestJhon · Apr 21, 2002

what is a 2:00 postgap....sorry if i am sounding dumb...but i dont copy oses much...pm me, or email me if you dont want to post here.preferably here, because i am having email problems right now.

-DAvid

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

flamethrower205 · Apr 21, 2002

Oh yeah, I ran Winxp on my 200Mhz w/ 32MB EDO! hah!

Sig of the week.

HonestJhon · Apr 21, 2002

turned everything off i bet too...all the vis....
and it was slow eh?
of, and this thing still has yet to run winxp....hasnt finished installing...so you are way ahead of me with this laptop...
was yours a copy? and how the heck did you get it to work? or did it just work?

-DAvid

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

HonestJhon · Apr 21, 2002

alright...i am going to try again to put 98se on this thing...and if it gives me errors..i will post back...
keep the ideas coming!! i am willing to try everything! lol...everything but trash it...

-DAvid

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

OldBear · Apr 21, 2002

I thought I heard someone holler in here!

I see it is not going well David.