Format Drive and Clean Install Windows xp

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paddy_mac

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Hi
Decided I've got so much rubbish on my computer that I would do a clean install of xp.

I booted the computer and altered the the boot sequence to boot from CD. I got the request to hit any key to boot from CD which I did.

I then got a blank black background saying it was checking the computers hardward config.

The screen then changed to the BSOD with the words 'windows setup' in the top left hand corner. And so it remained. Nothing else just a blue screen with windows set up on it. I tried several times including pressing enter when the BSOD appeared but it refuses to go any further. Any ideas?

Fortunately all is not lost. I switched off and the computer boots into windows normally, hey ho

Regards

Mac
 
The blue screen with windows setup on it is normal..It just sitting there doing nothing isn't. Does the CD have any serious scratches on it?

Instead of formatting you could try http://www.ccleaner.com/ It is a free pc/registry scanner that will fix errors.

Most of the time when a pc slows down it is because the registry/HD is all mucked up from installing, uninstalling, downloading, deleting stuff from your pc. Spyware, adware, malware, and all the other types of the bad "wares" as well as viruses and trojans are other causes.

Also you will want to do a disk cleanup by..click start -> all programs -> accessories -> System tools-> Disk cleanup.

Also try deleting your internet browser stuff..Click tools on the internet explorer window -> Internet options -> Under the browsing history section click delete and this brings up the delete browsing history window. Clear temporary internet files at least or click delete all.

You could also defrag your HD..click start -> all programs -> accessories -> System tools -> Disk Defragmenter.

If you aren't using any kind of spyware software go here http://lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php download and install it..run it and update the definitions file then do a full system scan and fix any objects it finds.
 
Many thanks nobardin. The disk is fine with no serious defects, I think the problem is something to do with a corrupted registry problem I had a month or so back. CCleaner didn't work but I did manage EVENTUALLY to get the computer into safe mode and go back to a restore point. Since then I seem to have lots of entries in the registry which are duplicated. The duplicate entries have the suffix .1

Perhaps the only way to go now that I can't use the windows cd is to try to do something in DOS? I think there is a way of getting the prompt before windows boots up. I have a floppy DOS startup disk but it dosn't seem to have CD ROM support on it. Presumably if I can get into Dos I can Fdisk and Format C

Hopefully that would cure the prob and let me reinstall windows?

Anyway thanks once again

Paddy_Mac
 
If you're booting off the CD your registry on disk shouldn't make a difference.

Couple questions:
- What type of hard drive do you have? Is it SATA or ? Not all disk drivers are on the CD and you might need to manually add a driver for the install
- How much memory do you have? Have you recently changed it? or physically done anything with it?
 
Instead of formatting did you try to run the repair feature of the windows xp cd? Maybe it will fix what is wrong.

I don't believe the registry would be an issue if you are doing a format/install by booting from the CD. Because, all of the files needed to install windows are on the CD so it doesn't have to access anything on your hard drive until after the format/partition when it loads files then starts the setup.

By then your hard drive has been erased like it never had anything on it, and a new registry is written. That is why I asked about the CD being defective.

It could be a hard drive issue. There are programs for testing your hard drive just like there are for your memory.

Is this a Windows XP SP2 cd that was meant to be installed on pc's without an operating system?
 
Hi No it's not sata hard drive. I'm not au fait with the terminology I know the brand of drive is maxtor. The memory is 1024gb and it hasn't been changed or physically altered in any way.

The CD Rom works okay as other CDs will auto run
 
Hi again,
When i originally had the corrupt registry I couldn't load windows. I used the disk to try and repair but that didn't work. Kept trying with the disk and eventually managed to get into safe mode and went to a previous restore point

It just seems that where as before I was using approx 20gb on my hard drive I am now using 40gb which would indicate that somewhere along the line I've managed to either copy or ghost the c drive.

The windows cd is the one I got from HP. It is headed HP Workstations Operating System CD it was originally used with a restore Cd but now I have a different system. I have used this CD in the past to reinstall on this computer when I replaced the hard drive a couple of years ago
 
I'd like to put any question about the hard drive to rest. If you could do the following:
  • Open Device Manager (Control Panel -> System -> Hardware, click Device Manger)
  • Expand the entry under Disk Drives
  • You'll see a line item for your hard disk drive. Right click on it, select Properties
  • Click Driver tab.

Now if you could indicate the type of drive device manager tells you and the Driver Provider, Date and Version you see on Driver tab
 
ok. shouldn't be an issue for disk driver missing on CD

recommend you also visit www.hp.com, click support, find your make/model computer and verify you have the latest BIOS version installed.

btw.. what is your model HP computer?

and i forget if you explicitly said it or not, is this an XP Pro SP2 install CD? Or ?
 
hi Again,
Have changed the puter since. Now have a Packard bell I media. When my HP went kaput I kept the CD that was supplied. Its an HP Workstations and it has Operating system Cd microsoft windows xp pro on the label. It was supplied orig as a backup with the restore CD.

When the hard drive went on the Packard Bell I used this disk to re install the OS with no trouble. I have used a Service Pack2 CD to up date and auto updates are selected on the computer so I expect there have been a lot of changes to the orginal installation.

The computer seems to be running okay, Its just the increase in disk space usage that concerns me. If all else fails I'll resort to buying a new hard drive. Many thanks for the help though.

Goodnite
 
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