Help with a strange installation problem?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Harold
  • Start date Start date
H

Harold

I'm trying to reinstall XP Pro and am stuck at the same place in my
third attempt. I've booted from the CD and have completely reformatted C
drive each time.

At the first restart during my installation attempts, the monitor comes
back on with a message that it is in the 'power saving' mode. The
message invites me to either move the mouse or strike any key. When I do
either one, the message disappears, the screen turns gray for a moment,
then it reappears. Sometimes, between these screen changes, the next
installation prompts flash on and off.

How do I clear this roadblock and get back to the prompts?
 
You need to tell us the type of monitor, digital or analog connection, video
card type.
 
The monitor is a 20.2" Dell LCD on an analog hookup. The video card is a
128 mg ATI 3000e (I think that's the right model).
 
Changing the power management setting had no effect. Before the next
attempt, I put everything in the bios back to the original settings.

I'm afraid my problem is more than a hibernation glitch. Windows
couldn't find the hard drive on the last try.
 
No effect. I'm afraid my problem is worse than I thought. On the last
try, Windows couldn't find the hard drive.
 
Harold said:
No effect. I'm afraid my problem is worse than I thought. On the last
try, Windows couldn't find the hard drive.
Click to expand...

Yes, if the hard drive isn't being found, then either it and/or your
motherboard has failed.

Malke
 
If I've understand the situation you were able to format the hard drive
multiple times, then Windows failed part way though the installs, and now
doesn't find the hard drive at all. It sounds like a hardware failure which
started intermittently and is now severe.

Is the hard drive still shown in the BIOS? If no longer detected there is
probably a failure in the drive electronics. If detected, check it out if
possible with the manufacturers test utility. If the hard drive isn't the
problem I would look toward RAM and the video board next, though there are
other possibilities as well.
--
 
I wrote that 'missing hard drive' post before I thought about it and
realized that I had caused the problem. :)

Windows didn't find the drive during that try because I had changed the
bios setting from RAID Auto/ATA to RAID Auto/AHCI. The bios instructions
said AHCI was the default, so I thought I might have stumbled onto
something. Today I changed the setting back to ATA and Windows sees the
drive again.

I'm back to the hibernating monitor problem. I've reformatted again,
started the installation and am stopped again at the first reboot. When
I restart the computer, XP says the installation will resume, but then
the prompts are immediately hidden.
 
I wrote that 'missing hard drive' post before I thought about it and
realized that I had caused the problem. :)

Windows didn't find the drive during that try because I had changed the
bios setting from RAID Auto/ATA to RAID Auto/AHCI. The bios instructions
said AHCI was the default, so I thought I might have stumbled onto
something. Today I changed the setting back to ATA and Windows sees the
drive again.

I'm back to the hibernating monitor problem. I've reformatted again,
started the installation and am stopped again at the first reboot. When
I restart the computer, XP says the installation will resume, but then
the prompts are immediately hidden.
 
The hard drive has failed and will be replaced.

I learned that there is a drive test that operates from within the bios.
In about 20 seconds, I was told that mine had failed.

Hope this helps another poor soul..
 
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