After my old hard drive broke I recently installed a new hard drive and I can't get XP to install correctly on it. During the installation process certain files won't install (tosdvd.sys, tsbvcap.sys .... there are more). The windows CD is new so that isn't the problem. Any suggestions?

Is this a SATA or EIDE hard drive? If EIDE, does it share a controller with another device? If so, did you set the jumper to match the old HDD?

It is a SATA drive. The jumpers are set so that it is the master drive and all the cables seem to be installed correctly. I had no problems setting up partitions either through the windows cd or the hard drive cd. Could it be a problem with the DVD drive? Sometimes I get an error message saying, "an attempt was made to write to read only memory," and the windows installation fails.

Thanks for the feedback.

sounds like the files need the original install to copy or load
ignor for now and rerun the dvd software that came with the installed dvd or go to TOSHIBA website and get the stream drivers

Looks like bad RAM.. Test your RAM, change the hard drive cables, test the hard drive.

if you can boot to windows after this install
put install disc back in machine
go to start /run
in window type
scan /scannow
do search on windows protected files
if you have a video capture card in machine this may be causing a conflict.
you don't say what version of xp and service pack ?
the machine may now have hardware that needs spk2 ?
the only time I ever had files not copied was a cdrom device failure.so can't find anything related to memory failure
do you have the memory over clocked in bios ?

My hardware:

MSI 865G Neo2 mobo
2.8 ghz pentium 4
ati radeon 9800 pro 128mb
2gb pc 3200 ddr400 RAM
creative 5.1 sound card
seagate 7200 rpm hard drive 160 gb
dvd ROM drive
pioneer dvd burner


I tried installing windows on both dvd drives and the same files won't install. It seems unlikely that the drives are both broken and not installing the same files. The hard drive is brand new so that seems like an unlikely culprit. The windows cd is also brand new so that isn't it. My bios settings are default. As far as RAM testing goes, I can't use memtest cuz I don't even have an OS. Is the only other way to test RAM by plugging the chips into a different computer?

Memtest doesn't need an OS. It would be a useless utility if it did. You write a floppy or a CD and boot memtest directly from that.

Also, the brand newness of your hard drive does not mean it cannot be defective.

Try cleaning your Windows CD. Sometimes a smudge, piece of dirt, fingerprint, scratch, etc. will prevent files from installing. Especially since two different optical drives have the same problem with the same files which would be on the same place on the disc.

Cleaned disk. Same problem. I'll give memtest a try. Are there any similar utilities for hard drives?

Your hard drive manufacturer has a diagnostic utility available on their website and there are some that work on any brand.

Just try a LiveCD or a live DVD (for example, from Knoppix) and see if it manages to boot up. Try to install another operating system first, see if it works. Try Windows 2000.
Check out in BIOS if there are some devices conflicting. Check out the cables, if they're OK try to clean the CD Rom unit with a special cleaning disk.
Try to replace your optical drive with another, see what happens then !

if the mem test does not show anything
all I found out was generic memory failures with xp reinstalls
don't ask me?? but thats what I have found
try underclocking your memory if test does not show anything
ps I tried to load a copy on to an old 500 mhz with 2 sticks of memory 1 was a kingston liftime the other a gen brand X
sure enough
nodsu got it, the memory got fried on first boot
machine locked up reboot failed reinstall would not work ,but removed the cheap stick and it booted right up
go figure

Sorry for the delay. Turns out it was a bad memory module. Good call Nodsu. Checked all modules individually with memtest86+. One was found with errors and when I removed that one, I was able to set up windows just fine. For all who haven't checked it out radified.com has good articles on setting up windows and hard drive partitioning. My computer is running very nicely right now.

Thanks all for your posts.

Had the same problem couple days ago (Windows would not install because it could not copy some files). The files were different every time i tried to install. I read this thread yesterday, downloaded memtest86 and ran the program from a boot disk. Two of my three sticks of RAM showed errors (lots of them). I removed them and bingo, everything is working as it should be. Windows is installed and my kids are off my back to fix the computer.......

Thanks for all those who replied to rbbibble, specially NODSU.

that command is actually SFC /scannow for system file checker it will make sure that all major system file are in the correct spot and original condition..lol

Hi guys. I'm trying to reinstall windows xp pro using an unoriginal xp disk. Windows does boot from the cd. However when windows goes to start an error message pops up saying windows has to shut down. I have tried all the message suggests such as updating my bios and changing the video card settings. Yet the same error messages appears


*** STOP: 0x0000007e ( 0x0000005, 0xf76120bf, 0xf7a5e208, 0xf7a50f08)

*** pci.sys - ADDRESS F7612013F base at F760b000 Datestamp 3b7d855c)

Really hope someone can help.

How about the good suggestions: testing the RAM and testing the hard drive?!

Also, since pci.sys is crashing, maybe it's a bad PCI card in your system?