try doing a format with a windows 98 start up floppy and installing windows
from your hard drive. this worked for me when i had set up probs the same as
you.
you can download win 98 start up floppy from bootdisk.com. you will also
need to download 'smartdrv.exe' onto the same floppy.
then change your boot device back to floppy and start your system.
choose 'start without cd rom support' and when the a:\ prompt comes up, type
'fdisk' .
choose to view partition information and then delete the partitions (usually
primary partition).
then create a partition whilst still in fdisk.
you will be prompted to restart and format the partition. again, select to
start without cd rom, and format the partition.
then, if poss, copy the 'i386' folder from your cd rom, to your hard drive.
the easiest way to do this is to put your hard drive into another computer
already on win xp and you will be able to view the contents of it (which
will be empty).
copy the i386 folder onto the hard drive and then put it back in your
machine.
restart with win 98 floppy and type 'smartdrv.exe' at the prompt. once this
is initiated (it just displays some stuff about smartdrive) you can change
directory to the c:\i386 folder. i'm not great with DOS commands and it took
me ages to switch directory successfully but from memory, you need to type
'cd c:<dir>' and then 'c:<i386\winnt.exe'
just try various combinations until you get lucky. once in the i386 folder
(your screen will display the prompt c:>\i386 or similar, the key command is
'winnt.exe'
all of a sudden, a blue screen appears and asks for the path to the windows
set up files (i don't know why, because you've just told it), but it's
c:\i386.
then, hey presto, set up starts but no cd rom required because it's all on
the hard drive and is much quicker as well.
i sure hope this works for you. please let me know how you get on. i had
exactly the same probs but as soon as i did it this way it worked first
time. don't ask me why.
cheers.
crash" (e-mail address removed)> wrote in message
No that did not work it went on to acpi file and then it stoped and said
that setup failed................... man this is very upsetting i just want
to format my drive and now I am having all these problems
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks..........sorry if i am getting on
anyones nevers.. What els steve????