Windows 2000 Reinstall Setup Freezes

[jpusey]

While trying to fix a problem with Outlook, I was told by tech help to reinstall Windows 2000 professional. After attempting to do so, it now hangs about 1/4 through the setup where it is configuring the com+ files. I have seen this problem addressed elsewhere, but have yet to find a fix. Windows 2000 professional was already installed on the computer and worked fine. Only in the reinstallation is it not working. No matter how I boot up, off of the cd, off of boot up floppies, or with nothing, it starts to load, and then a black screen appears and it is says setup is resuming.. setup then starts again, and continues through the configuration of com+ files where it freezes. I have left it alone for 24 hours and it doens't finish. I have gone through recovery console and ran chkdsk c: /r on it and it had no problems. I have run the emergency repair and it says it fixes it, but then still locks up at the same place. Is there anything else to do besides a format? what could be causing the setup to fail to complete?
Thanks so much for any help you may have to offer.

 

[wolluf]

So you're trying to reinstall into existing partition with 2k already on there? (there is enough disk space?)

How have you run emergency repair when you're quarter way through a reinstall? (when you say failed at com+ files, is this just in the first phase when it loads drivers & copies files to hard disk - ie, before the real install starts?)

btw, does the existing 2k installation still boot?

Unless there's a good reason why not, I'd wipe the drive (after backing it up, by slaving it elsewhere) & try a clean install. If that has same problem, I'd be looking at hardware (remove all unnecesary - particularly, use one memory stick if more), and try install again.

 

[jpusey]

Thanks so much for responding so quickly. I am sorry that I wasn't clear about the 1/4 way through the install process. I am not certain how far through the total install it gets. The process bar along on the bottom completes on the first section of the install, it is on the second screen, where it says that it is configuring, that the blue bar gets about 1/4 of the way complete and it hangs at the configuring com+ files.
During the initial re-installation phase, i marked that I only wanted to do an upgrade, not a clean installation. It is on the same partition.
No, the initial windows 2k does not boot. When going into recovery console, there is only 1 windows to attempt to recover.
No matter what I do, the computer, when rebooted, attempts to finish setup. Now, in the emergemncy repair off of the boot disks, i see that windows setup is an option. If i choose that option, will that wipe the drive clean? It is imperative that I get the documents off of the drive before that happens.
How would I go about backing up the drive by slaving it elsewhere? There is only 1 harddrive installed in the computer. If I am able to back up the drive, at least the documents and e-mail, elsewhere, it is no problem to do a clean install.
Thank you again for your time and efforts. It is so appreciated.
Jennifer

 

[jpusey]

While researching this problem last night, I came across this page,

http://www.vmware.com/support/gsx2/ts/gsx2ts_guestos2.html

The important part says- In most cases, the virtual machine reboots on the Installing Components screen during the installation of the Distributed Transaction Coordinator (DTC). After the virtual machine reboots, the installation restarts at the Regional Settings screen.

In some other cases, the virtual machine may reboot right after you enter the serial number for the guest operating system or may come as late in the installation process as the final Windows components screen checklist (the screen with the Finish button).

In all cases, after the reboot occurs, if you see a DOS window with the words "Setup is being restarted -," then the installation did not complete.

To install the guest operating system again, first modify the virtual machine's configuration file (the file has a .cfg extension). Open the configuration file in a text editor and add the following option on its own line anywhere inside the file:

hard-disk.minVirtualTime = 100

Then install the guest operating system again from the beginning.

After you install the guest operating system, reboot the virtual machine and log in to the guest operating system to make sure it works correctly. Then shut the virtual machine down and remove the hard-disk.minVirtualTime = 100 option from your configuration file. Running the virtual machine with this option may affect the virtual machine's performance.


Is this an option worth considering? And if so, how do I get into the configuration files to modify them with the tag? Can I do that from recovery console?

Thanks again.

 

[Scotsdude]

I had this the other day on a win 2k machine, and here's what i was told by a Tech Support guy from NEC...

"get yourself a Windows 98 SE boot floppy, and use that to boot the machine.
Using FDISK, delete and then recreate the primary partition.
Turn the machine off for at least 30 seconds.
Turn the machine back on, and boot from the floppy again.
Format the primary partition using FORMAT C:
Restart the machine with the Windows CD and do a straight install, leaving the file system intact."

This actually worked, so give it a bash... Scotsdude
Help us help you - let us know when our insane scribblings help!!

 

[jpusey]

Scotsdude,
thanks for the tips. I only have one partition on this drive, so, that will clean the whole drive won't it? i have to get the documents off of the hard drive first. i'll try it though if nothing else works.
Thanks!
Jennifer

 

[Siilver]

Scotsdude and Jpusey,

thats what i always do! create partition and format with 98 boot disk. Jennifer this will clear the drive so make sure to do a backup before. Something i've seen too is with bad memory. If you have bad memory it could hang in the middle of the installation

Siilver

 

[jpusey]

Siilver,
Thanks so much for writing. I will attempt to locate a windows 98 boot disk. I have a windows 98 upgrade disk- can i make a floppy boot disk off of that?
My question for you is how do i backup the drive? When entering through safe mode, it restarts setup again.. it is like a neverending loop. Recovery console seems to be the anything that I can get into. Should i install a second hardrive? Install windows 2000 to that- copy the first hardrive over? Can I do that from the second harddrive?
Thanks so much for all of your help! It is so appreciated!

Jennifer

 

[beerhunter2]

Jennifer,
A Win2k setup will not wipe out your HDD. It will create a new Windows system directory (ie. WINNT.000). It will also create a new profile. None of your applications will be accessable unless you reinstall. All of your files will still be accessable for backup.

Once you have all of your critical files backed up, I would recommend you do a clean setup by removing the partition, recreating and formatting the partition, and reinstalling Win2k.

Had a similar issue to yours while doing a Win2k upgrade. It was caused by Quickbooks in my case.

 

[jpusey]

Thanks so much to everyone helping with this issue. So far, i have taken the hard drive out of the computer and installed it on another computer as a seond drive. this has allowed me to copy the most pertinent information, being documents, proposals, budgets, etc... over to that computers first drive...
now, that i have that accomplished, i don't mind a whole lot if the whole drive has to be reformatted..
keeping my fingers crossed.
Jennifer