XP Pro install -How long does it take?

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I am installing XP Pro on a brand new HDD and it has taken over 4 hours so
far and is still going (it is currently registering components). Is this
normal?
 
TheBigCat said:
I am installing XP Pro on a brand new HDD and it has taken over 4 hours so
far and is still going (it is currently registering components). Is this
normal?
Click to expand...
I don't remember specifics but I remember it took a long time
on my machine. I would think the time would depend somewhat on
your processor speed.

gls858
 
That's a very long time but not knowing anything about your system or what
is connected to it or any other components or even the kind of install,
upgrade or clean install, we don't have much to go on.
 
Ensure that the only devices connected are monitor, keyboard and mouse..
 
TheBigCat said:
I am installing XP Pro on a brand new HDD and it has taken over 4 hours so
far and is still going (it is currently registering components). Is this
normal?
Click to expand...


That is an abnormally long time, but without know the specifications of
the computer in question, it's impossible to say whether or not it's a
lost cause.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
The OP indicated installation was "on a brand new hard disk" - that would
answer your question about the "type of installation", i.e. clean install.
 
TheBigCat said:
I am installing XP Pro on a brand new HDD and it has taken over 4
hours so far and is still going (it is currently registering
components). Is this normal?
Click to expand...

This is certainly not normal. Unless your computer is from the stone age
(i.e. _way_ below minimum specs) my guess is that you are having flaky
hardware, or maybe hardware that's not very compatible with XP. I second
Mikes suggestion about disconnecting everything not needed for installation,
including PCI cards. Check if it helps. If it does, start adding hardware
one piece at a time until you notice something funny going on.

You might want to download http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ which includes a
whole bunch of tools for diagnosing your hardware, including memory and hard
drives. Yes, I know it's a brand new drive, but even new hardware can be
defective. Also, faulty hardware can cause sluggish behaviour even if you do
not get any obvious errors. I once had a problem with a computer that took
forever to install an OS, and when it was finished it was very sluggish. The
problem turned out to be a faulty HDD. I replaced it, and everything was
fine.
 
If this is a 250GB hdd and you include the time to format then the time may
not be so out of line.
 
I just installed XP Pro SP2 on a new Maxtor 120 GB SATA 150 drive in a 3.6
GHz machine with 1.5 GB of memory. With a Quick Format of the drive (NTFS),
it took 15 minutes to do a clean install. Either you need a new machine or
something is seriously wrong with your current one. Is it a Microsoft CD or a
burned copy?
 
As you said, quick format. A full format of a 120GB SATA takes a half to
three quarters of an hour longer.
 
So it should only take 45 minutes to an hour total then at most.

Colin Barnhorst said:
As you said, quick format. A full format of a 120GB SATA takes a half to
three quarters of an hour longer.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
[email protected] said:
I just installed XP Pro SP2 on a new Maxtor 120 GB SATA 150 drive in a 3.6
GHz machine with 1.5 GB of memory. With a Quick Format of the drive
(NTFS),
it took 15 minutes to do a clean install. Either you need a new machine or
something is seriously wrong with your current one. Is it a Microsoft CD
or a
burned copy?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
With a 120 it took about an hour. But with a 250 it takes a lot longer.
And machines vary widely. With just a monitor, keyboard, and mouse attached
and an 80g drive it can take as little as an hour but I have seen installs
that take a LOT longer without anything apparent causing it.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
[email protected] said:
So it should only take 45 minutes to an hour total then at most.

Colin Barnhorst said:
As you said, quick format. A full format of a 120GB SATA takes a half to
three quarters of an hour longer.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)
in
message news:[email protected]...
I just installed XP Pro SP2 on a new Maxtor 120 GB SATA 150 drive in a
3.6
GHz machine with 1.5 GB of memory. With a Quick Format of the drive
(NTFS),
it took 15 minutes to do a clean install. Either you need a new machine
or
something is seriously wrong with your current one. Is it a Microsoft
CD
or a
burned copy?

:

I am installing XP Pro on a brand new HDD and it has taken over 4
hours
so
far and is still going (it is currently registering components). Is
this
normal?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Not completely.

If the CD being used was an OEM CD provided by the manufacturer of the
system, it might be tied to the previous hardware in which case, it could
cause problems with installation and ultimately cause it to halt altogether.
Clean install was simply one of the variables I mentioned.
 
I am installing XP Pro on a brand new HDD and it has taken over 4 hours so
far and is still going (it is currently registering components). Is this
normal?
Click to expand...

If you booted with a dos floppy disk and started winnt.exe without loading
smartdrv, it could take longer than 4 hours.
 
Good catch, Sharon. Indeed, it could run for many hours under that
scenario.
 
TheBigCat said:
I am installing XP Pro on a brand new HDD and it has taken over 4 hours so
far and is still going (it is currently registering components). Is this
normal?
Click to expand...

No that is not normal.
 
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