XP Home unable to install DELL

[Ram0135]

Hello,

a friend of mine brought in their Dell computer to me because they wanted it wiped to a factory installation. I tried to use a retail version that they purchased of windows xp pro and it did not work; it froze on the initial copying of files. I requested an OS CD for windows xp home from Dell and i ran it. This time it did complete the initial "blue installation" and it rebooted. Upon rebooting it did show the first GUI installation screen however it freezes up and nothing else happens (the thing says 39 min remaining, and the green indicators on the bottom of the screen (the moving squares) done move). Please help!

Ram0135

 

[Sival]

Your problem was not the retail version of XP, as it would have installed if all of the hardware in the machine was functioning properly. I'd run a diagnostic on the hard drive and write zeros to it if it checks out OK. Use the manufacturer of the hard drive's website for this program. I'd also run memtest to make sure the memory is OK, as it sounds to me like the culprit is either bad hard drive or memory.

 

[Ram0135]

Hey Sival,

Thanks for the insight. I did do a Zero Fill FULL on the hard drive, and I ran a memtest overnight and it didnt show any problems. I did take out one 256mb and left one in and tried to run the xp setup and it froze on the "press enter ..." and i switched it once more and it froze on the "copying files". I am about to start ripping my hair out on this. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Ram0135

 

[micker377]

Have you checked the hard drive (with a Win 98 boot disk), Fdisk? See if you have any "protected", or "hidden" partitions that the Zero Fill missed.

 

[Ram0135]

Yep just checked, there is only one partition and it was "zero filled". Thanks for the help though.

 

[Ram0135]

Allrite. I am still ripping my hair out on this. I cloned the dell's HD with a clean copy of windows xp from my laptop (xp pro sp2). It did the initial windows logo with status thing fine but then once it was SUPPOSED to show the welcome screen, it simply showed the background of the welcome screen and the windows logo like with a weird distorted pattern behind it. I have tried everything. Please anyone, help!!

~Ram0135

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
Sounds like incompatible hardware, especially the video card..Have you checked that all are XP compatible?
(It is unlikely, however, that the 'cloned' copy from your laptop would have the correct drivers for the other PC's video system and/or other possibly non-plug-and-play hardware)

Have you tried to install W2K ( or even Win98) on the same PC? They were a little more hardware tolerant...







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