Sorry for the long time between posts. Any success with installing XP?
I really can't remember where the error text was; it was 6 to 7 months ago
that I built this thing and installed XP. I thought the text was mid- to
bottom-page, but I could be wrong. I remember it was quite cryptic and
don't really know how I hit upon my XP install problems being caused by my
RAM voltage setting.
I don't believe you should need to load any drivers for either your PATA or
SATA drives. My box started with 2 PATA drives with the second HDD
eventually being replaced with a SATA (about 2-3 months ago). The SATA
installation was very easy because there are no switches to set.
I DO have a feeling tho' that there's a good chance your problem lies in
your BIOS settings. Modern BIOS's have like a zillion settings, and it only
takes one or two of them to be incorrect to make you end up with a big,
expensive paperweight. I strongly recommend you check your mobo manual for
something you may have missed, and check your BIOS settings.
You DID partition and format the HDD's, correct? A bad install will
sometimes dump many GIGs of garbage on your HDD and not allow enough room
for a good install. You may want to reformat...
The next time you try installing XP, write down EVERYTHING displayed when
the error occurs.
Don't be discouraged. You'll get it up and running.
Hoppy
~~
psychostretch wrote on Sat, 15 Oct 2005 23:53:01 -0700:
i tried the install thing today to see what the error message said. By
"bottom of the screen" do you mean after the specific error is listed?
i get some rather standard looking text (above the error message number, but
below the top "Session3 Initialization failed error) saying check if
hardware
and software is properly installed, and then the "if problems continue" line
above the error message, but it really is not specific enough to tell me
anything. Is that the error message i should be looking for, or did you
have
some more sitiuation specific indication of what is causing the problem. i
wish MSFT would have made the OS a little easier to install (though i
probably fall firmly within the small group that has installation problems).
i guess it could be a problem when most of the components are 1-2 years
newer
than the OS. It is so frustrating to know you have to get the OS installed,
but are unable to do it. i kind of would like to know what the problem was
though. Could it be that the OS didn't like the formatting and partition
that the setup programs (DiscWizard) for the hard drives did? Does the OS
not readily recognize dual core?
i have never had both hard drives in at the same time. i originally had the
SATA drive, but once i learned it needed a driver to load (and after about
failure attempt 5 or 6) i picked up the regular IDE/ATA hard drive. i was
going to use the ATA drive to install the OS and then use the motherboard
utility disk to install the motherboard drivers after the OS was finally
installed (partially because the motherboard drivers are on a CD and seem to
be intended to be used after an OS is already installed). i shouldn't need
to install a driver for a regulat ATA drive should i ?
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p> "Hoppy" wrote:
??>> psychostretch wrote on Fri, 14 Oct 2005 13:43:06 -0700:
??>>
p>>> i am a newbie on two fronts here, first computer build and first time
p>>> installing an OS. The problem i have is installing XP Pro full
p>>> version (and it has been more than a little frustrating - i am
p>>> surprised i haven't tried to throw the computer through a wall or
p>>> window yet). i set up my hard drive like the manufacturer said and
p>>> then put in the OS disk. BIOS detects everything. However the
p>>> installation (attempt) goes as far as the step where the Windows light
p>>> blue setup screen (the one where there is text on the bottom and with
p>>> the press F6 to install RAID drivers, et al) loads and load some
p>>> drivers. It then gets to the point where it says loading Windows (or
p>>> something like that). Unfortunately that is when the screen goes
p>>> black for about a second and then the blue screen of death comes up.
p>>> The error messag is a stop error 0X0000006F (0X0000020). To
p>>> complicate things a little, i do not have an "A" floppy drive (and
p>>> none of the two other computers i have access to do either). Any help
p>>> would be greatly appreciated.
??>>
p>>> The hardware i have is:
p>>> * AMD 64 4400+ (2.2 MHz, dual core)
p>>> * 1 GB RAM (2 X 512, OCZ Value series, i think)
p>>> * Biostar Tforce6100-939 motherboard
p>>> * Two new 160 GB hard drives that i tried
p>>> - Seagate Barracuda 7200.7
p>>> (3160827AS - Serial ATA and 3160023AR - ATA/100)
p>>> * DVD Drive: Samsung SD-616 (E or T), the DVD drive can load a CD
only
p>>> version of Linux at least
??>>
??>> There should be some text that accompanies the error you get when
??>> installing XP (-- at the bottom of the screen?). It should give you
??>> some indication where the problem may be.
??>>
??>> I spent most of a weekend trying to install XP Pro until I finally
??>> deciphered the error and called my RAM maker (Mushkin). They told me
??>> to bump up the voltage to my RAM and to change some other setting
??>> which I don't remember offhand. XP then installed in half the time it
??>> said it would take. With the wrong BIOS settings, my PC would boot
??>> okay, but when it came to installing XP, forget it.
??>>
??>> You may have a similar problem. Make sure your BIOS settings are
??>> correct -- especially your RAM settings and RAID settings. Good
??>> luck. -- Hoppy (e-mail address removed) ~~
??>>
