I used to have xp pro sp1 on my pc but then had a load of spyware issues so I thought I would do a clean install and at the same time replace my burnt out HDD. The one that I am installing the OS to is the original HDD for the pc, the new one replaces my D: drive. I have all the bridges right for master and slave and have tried unplugging all external devices and the D: drive. Nothing seems to work!

My install freezes at 34 seconds. I have also copied the xp oem (hollogram) disc data to a new cd-rom to see if the disc is damaged.

As I say, I have had xp pro running on the pc before and the only change is the new HDD (western electronics). So I just can't work out why it won't work now!

My pc is:

Asus k7 motherboard
AMI Bios (not sure what version)
AMD Athlon 600mghz
256 ram
Creative nVida 3D gforce graphics card
Creative Soundblaster platinum sound card

Regards
Marconi

Welcome to Techspot!

It would be more helpful if you post what exactly is happening when the install stops.( I can't remember 34 minutes/seconds in)

If you Bios is recognizing the drives then try copying the Wind CD to a partition on the HDD not being used for the O/S install usiing a boot disk to format and copy the files . Then try your install from there.

if you have an optical drive then it should be D: drive not a hard drive. 34 minutes is the point at which windows begins installing.

Hi,

No I don't have an optical drive, just a normal ide hdd. The freeze is halfway through setup installing the files. The status bar freezes and the 5 little squares at the bottom right stop moving, so I guess it has frozen?

Have tried taking out everything that is not required, doing f5 and selecting standard pc. Also I have searched the internet and everything. I have had a couple of friends look at it who know a lot about computers (they run IT departments) and they can't get it working!

It's strange because it all worked before I changed the hard-drive, is there any chance it could be a problem with the boot sector and is this re-written when you format the drive?

Cheers,
Marconi

not sure how to do the copying to hdd, is the CD something I need to create on another PC or can I just copy from the oem cd?

Dude, a Cd rom or DVD rom IS AN OPTICAL drive. if you have a CD Rom it should be the D: drive. your Hard drive should be C: By default widows loads on C: if your hard drive is D: that is probably why windows is not loading.

Ah, okay. I thought an optical drive was something entirely different, it was when I was at college, all those years ago! I have two physical hdds one a C: and the other should be the D: and then I have a CD-rom which I imagine is the E:.

However when you go through the selecting partiition part of the setup proceedure it tells me the D: drive is there, but no drive letter there? and the cd-rom is called the D: drive? Alsthough it does call the recognise the C:.

I've now tried the new hard-drive on its own and the install on that one freezes too. I wonder if I am going to have to bite the bullet and take it to a shop.