Damaged/missing XP install files on CD

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Basically, I think my Windows XP Pro (genuine) CD is scratched.
I am trying to install the OS on a computer but it seems that the installation fails to copy some files as it can't find them, there are some minor scratches on the CD, which I believe to be the problem.

Is there anything I can do to get a new cd or another way to get a full genuine version of windows?

I have the original CD key and everything, it's just the actual disk that is giving me the problem.

Thanks to anyone that can help.
 
Jeuk said:
I have one, and used it.
Didn't fix anything, but thanks for the advice.

Just a thought, I've had this problem with an older computer and it wasn't the disk but memory that was bad. Could be the cd drive too. Try to boot a Knoppix live cd and see if it will boot, if you have one or know someone with one. That will test your memory and cd drive.
 
russ said:
Just a thought, I've had this problem with an older computer and it wasn't the disk but memory that was bad. Could be the cd drive too. Try to boot a Knoppix live cd and see if it will boot, if you have one or know someone with one. That will test your memory and cd drive.

Hey Russ, thanks for the advice.
Unfortunately, Iv'e tried this, and it's where the problem gets really wierd.
It's actually a friends computer, so I just got it and everytime i booted it gave a message that went somewhat like this:

Failed to boot windows
C:/windows/hal.dll is missing

Something like that.
So, I tried to boot from CD, but the BIOS on this is SO wierd.
Sometimes it boots from CD and sometimes it doesn't.

It seems that it only boots from CD when it's a windows CD (iv'e tried home and professional), however, both those installations failed because files were "missing". So now I know it's not the CD.
I thought it was the CD Drive, also, so I tested two different CD drives, though both were pretty old so it seems they might be faulty. But I don't think it would be so bad that they would both miss those files.

I tried booting with knoppix, as well as with Windows Vista Beta 2, with no luck.
It gives me the NTLDR is missing error, probably because the windows xp installation failed in the middle of the whole thing.

It does boot from CD when a windows CD is in, which is ironicly pointless because I can't seem to install windows XP.

So, so far the boot errors have been:

-Hal.dll is missing restart computer
-Boot device cannot be found. Put boot media in (even when I do this error keeps appearing) or restart computer to boot with media.
-NTLDR is missing, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to restart
-Missing file: Keymgr.dll (during windows installation), if I skip, it seems that most of the following files are missing also.


I suppose I could try another source of ram.
But other things I thought of are:

Installation of new BIOS (if possible?).
Boot Rescure Floppy (hopefully someone can direct me to one.)


Thanks for all the help guys.
 
If you want to test a scratched cd then try to copy the contents of the cd to a folder in a working pc. If you can copy the windows to a folder on another pc then the cd is likely ok. If not, then you do need another copy.
And if you can copy it to a folder on another pc, then try burning a new copy from that same folder and try your install using that one.
Another possibility would be a damaged boot sector on your hard drive. This is common. The way to fix this and to make sure your hard drive is in perfect order is to go to the hard drive mfgrs website and download their diagnostics program. Once you are inside that program you will find a "write zeroes to hard drive" command. Use that to write zeroes to your hard drive. When finished your hard drive will be in the same condition as when it left the factory, minus any wear and tear, and your boot sector will be fine as well, minus any virus it could have picked up along the way as well! Often a bad boot sector is the cause of problems when installing win xp. I use the zero write program before all installs that i do.
To use the hard drive diagnostics you download it and it gets put on a floppy disk. To access dos you will have to have or make a win98 boot disk. Use the boot disk to get to dos and then insert the floppy with the diagnostics software, start the diagnostics software and find the "zero write" command and use that.
 
you can use any windows CD to load the OS. Be sure to type the KEY from YOUR OWN CD when asked.
 
On second thought knoppix will not boot on a non-DVD cdrom. Kanotix would be a better choice
 
I just tried it with a THIRD (3rd) optical drive.
The same file happens to be missing from thr windows XP pro CD.

Odd thing is: yesterday the installation was missing the same file, but I left the screen like that and went out for a few hours. When I came back and pressed enter to retry the file, it actually worked?
It went through with the whole installation, and I thought by some kind of wierd miracle, it would work.

The blow came when during the actual installation (with the windows XP screen and the bullet points) with the gui of XP failed to find a file and had to shut down.

This is by far the wierdest PC problem Iv'e ever encountered. It just doesn't add up.

It's not the CDs
It's not the CD ROM drive.
It's not the Hard-drive.

What can it be?
THe only thing I can see as a conflict now is either the RAM or the BIOS of the actual PC.

Any ideas again guys?

Thanks a lot for everyone's input, I will try to download that see if I can run that CD based linux on a nondvd cd.
 
I've had a computer to load win95 but not win98. It had win98 on it originally. The problem was memory. It had 2 memory cards in it, both 32mb giving 64 total. I took out one and that was the problem. IT loaded win98 perfectly with only 32mb ram.
Some XP installation cd's are actually DVD's. This is why they don't work sometimes with older cdrom's.
 
Jeuk, i have exactly the same problem as you. It's now happened on 2 different computers. Both of which happen to run on Athlon Processors, so i don't know if that's why or not. I have no idea how to fix it. It's so annoying. I've tried boot disks an everything, absolutely no joy. I've gone as far as resetting the bios, but again, no joy.

What processor does your PC run?

regards
--marty
 
Jeuk, you say your problem is with your cd. I suggested that you copy it to a folder on your main hard drive. Have you done that?
 
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