Problem Installing WinXP?

  • Thread starter Thread starter BobK
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BobK

Hello,

I am trying to clean install WinXP Pro on an older 1.1 gig, 512 MB, 2 Hard
drives. Windows formatted the drive fine and started to run the setup
program. However, when it gets ready to start the actual install it goes to
a dos screen and says that

NTLDR is missing. Press any key to start your CD. When I press a key it
reboots again. So I never get into the install part of the cdrom.

One person thought that the hard drive might be bad or old. It was running
Win98 fine.

Does anyone know what might be the problem or what I might try?

Thanks,

Bob
 
A 1.1 Gig CPU will be plenty! You have 2 gard drives but you failed to
mention their size. Have you ran the Windows XP Compatability Test (from the
XP CD) before you tried to install it? Try that 1st. Make sure you have hard
drive partitions large enough to handle XP, (preferably 10 Gig or larger).
Rick
 
Greetings --

Have you made sure that your PC's hardware components are capable
of supporting WinXP? This information will be found at the PC's
manufacturer's web site, and on Microsoft's Windows Catalog:
(http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hcl/default.mspx) Additionally, run
Microsoft WinXP Upgrade Advisor to see if you have any incompatible
hardware components or applications.

You should, before proceeding, take a few minutes to ensure that
there are WinXP device drivers available for all of the machine's
components. There may not be, if the PC was specifically designed for
Win98/Me. Also bear in mind that PCs designed for, sold and run fine
with Win9x/Me very often do not meet WinXP's much more stringent
hardware quality requirements. This is particularly true of many
models in Compaq's consumer-class Presario product line or HP's
consumer-class Pavilion product line. WinXP, like WinNT and Win2K
before it, is quite sensitive to borderline defective or substandard
hardware (particularly motherboards, RAM and hard drives) that will
still support Win9x.

HOW TO Prepare to Upgrade Win98 or WinMe
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q316639

Upgrading to Windows XP
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpupgrad.htm

HOW TO Troubleshoot Windows XP Problems During Installation When You
Upgrade from Windows 98 or Windows Me
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q310064


Bruce Chambers

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having both at once. -- RAH
 
Hello Lawrence,

Thanks for the information. I have two 20MB hard drives in the machine. The
Win98 operating system was an image taken of the second drive. Both drives
were FAT 32. I did run the WinXP compatability test and all was well.

The odd thing is that I reformated the C drive (20MB) for NTFS and tried to
install WinXP clean. There may be something in the boot sector though. I had
a boot manager (BootitNG) that permitted cloning HD0 to HD1 and back again
when I had a problem. So the last Win98 was an image and I know it messed
with my boot sector.

Now I can't get into the drive at all because it was formatted. Is the idea
to get into drive with a boot disk from Win98? Bit of a mess I think.

Thanks,

Bob
 
Bob;
The CD Drive is reading your XP CD, so it really should be able to install
XP. Maybe try disconnecting the 2nd Hard drive untill the installation is
complete. Also remove any other items such as printers, scanners, usb
devices,etc. That might help.
 
Hello Lawrence,

I have no external devices on the machine. A second hard drive and an
internal zip drive are there though.

I just had another bad thought. The cdrom drive was actually attached to a
SCSI card when last working and a repair guy removed the SCSI card and
suggested using the cdrom drive as an EIDE for "greater stability." I did
not realize that cdrom drives came in two flavors: SCSI and EIDE. I think I
have to get a new cdrom drive that is EIDE.

Does that make sense and why would WinXP start to run on the dive in the
first place?

Thanks,

Bob
 
Nope, doesn't make sense to me. An SCSI wouldn't read the XP CD if the card
was missing. I don't believe you can hook an SCSI drive to an EIDE
connector...............
Surely it is an IDE CD-Drive or it wouldn't read the setup file.
 
I went and got a new cdrom drive. But after getting into the box I think
there bust have been a SCSI to EIDE cable or something because the old drive
had the same cable connector as the new one. But, I am just trying to
eliminate a possible error.

Having eliminated the cdrom issue, I still have the same problem that you
referred me to before:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314057&Product=winxpMy boot sector has to be messed up along with my bios. I just don't know
enough to fix the whole thing. I tried to boot from the Win98 boot floppy
but it does not to want to take my commands at the command line. I also
notice that now my hard drives are not showing up. Probably after my messing
with the BIOS.

A lot of work for a second machine :)

Bob
 
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