yuhook
asked on
XP Setup Can't Access Files from Setup CD
THE PROBLEM. I am trying to do a full installation of XP Pro on a Compaq Presario 5714. Every time, the installation fails right after final dialogue box which selects the network workgroup. As soon as files start to load, I get the message "Files Needed" and automaticly the location of my cd drive\i386 is chosen which makes perfect sense and of course Setup should find the files there, but for some reason can't seem to access them. If I copy the needed files on to a floppy (from another computer), Setup will take those, but I fear there may be hundreds perhaps thousands of needed files, and I would have to do them one by one! Besides, why won't Setup get them from the Setup cd?
THE DETAILS. The computer is a Celeron 466 with 128MB ram and a 12GB weird (very wide) Quantum hard-drive. The Bios has been updated to version 686C2, and was running WIN 98 fine, but now the Compaq Win 98 QuickRestore Disc won't boot, which is a different problem and not the subject of this posting. I have tried NTFS slow format (as well as quick) and I have also tried flashing the CMOS. Unfortunately I neglected to note down the IRQ settings before the CMOS flash so now I am completely unsure about those. There appear to be 27 possible configurations. I've tried nine of them and the result is always as described in "THE PROBLEM". I can cancel out of the "Files Needed" dialogue box, and continue the installation, but XP is incomplete (1.07GB always). Also it should be noted that some hardware is different than the original. The floppy drive and CD drive have both been replace with ones that I bought used, but are known to have been and appear to be (other than this problem) working fine. I've got both the hard drive and the CD drive on the Primary IDE, the CD drive is jumpered as slave.The weird Quantum hard-drive (called Big-Foot) does not have the normal jumpers on the back of the drive. On an exposed circuit board there is a very small jumper currently set on "CS". Other choices are "DS" and "PK". CS probably means Cable Select. DS might mean slave, and lord knows what PK might mean. I tried the "DS" and got the same results. When I tried the "PK", the Bios didn't recognize the hard drive. (All this time the CD drive remained jumpered as slave.
BIOS DETAILS. System Information shows what would be expected. For some reason there is an asterisk next to the CD-ROM which BTW is a Tatung CD 1624E. There are five IDE parameters which can be enabled or disabled.
1. IDE Drive Translation
2. Enhanced IDE Transfer
3. Ultra DMA
4. Primary IDE Controller.
5. Secondary IDE Controller
There are six items listed under PCI devices. All have possible IRQs of 3, 5, or 11.
Onboard VGA controller is not tied to any of the others.
Onboard USB Controller is tied to Slot 4 (of 4) "Other communications device" (factory original)
Onboard SMBus is tied to Onboard Audio Device, and Slot 2 (of 4) Ethernet Controller (factory original)
PCI slots 1 & 3 are open.
Bus Options only lists PCI Bus Mastering (enable or disable)
Device Options shows:
1. Alternative Memory Reporting (Enable or Disable)
2. USB keyboard legacy support (Enable or Disable) (not a USB keyboard)
3. Parallel Port Mode. Bidirectional, EPP, ECP,or Compatible. (parallel port is not being used and there are no
external devices attached to the computer, just mouse and keyboard)
4. Number Lock State at Power On.
All other items in BIOS (as well as a few of what I have mentioned) are not relevant to this problem.
Other than reconfiguring the Bios, trying some jumper combination yet to be tried, or utilizing the 2nd IDE slot (which I've tried, but not necessarily with all jumper combinations), and re-flashing the CMOS in combination with previously mentioned ... I don't know what to try. Even with just those, there are too many parameters to try everything just by stabbing in the dark. I need someone who knows more than I. Thanks.
THE DETAILS. The computer is a Celeron 466 with 128MB ram and a 12GB weird (very wide) Quantum hard-drive. The Bios has been updated to version 686C2, and was running WIN 98 fine, but now the Compaq Win 98 QuickRestore Disc won't boot, which is a different problem and not the subject of this posting. I have tried NTFS slow format (as well as quick) and I have also tried flashing the CMOS. Unfortunately I neglected to note down the IRQ settings before the CMOS flash so now I am completely unsure about those. There appear to be 27 possible configurations. I've tried nine of them and the result is always as described in "THE PROBLEM". I can cancel out of the "Files Needed" dialogue box, and continue the installation, but XP is incomplete (1.07GB always). Also it should be noted that some hardware is different than the original. The floppy drive and CD drive have both been replace with ones that I bought used, but are known to have been and appear to be (other than this problem) working fine. I've got both the hard drive and the CD drive on the Primary IDE, the CD drive is jumpered as slave.The weird Quantum hard-drive (called Big-Foot) does not have the normal jumpers on the back of the drive. On an exposed circuit board there is a very small jumper currently set on "CS". Other choices are "DS" and "PK". CS probably means Cable Select. DS might mean slave, and lord knows what PK might mean. I tried the "DS" and got the same results. When I tried the "PK", the Bios didn't recognize the hard drive. (All this time the CD drive remained jumpered as slave.
BIOS DETAILS. System Information shows what would be expected. For some reason there is an asterisk next to the CD-ROM which BTW is a Tatung CD 1624E. There are five IDE parameters which can be enabled or disabled.
1. IDE Drive Translation
2. Enhanced IDE Transfer
3. Ultra DMA
4. Primary IDE Controller.
5. Secondary IDE Controller
There are six items listed under PCI devices. All have possible IRQs of 3, 5, or 11.
Onboard VGA controller is not tied to any of the others.
Onboard USB Controller is tied to Slot 4 (of 4) "Other communications device" (factory original)
Onboard SMBus is tied to Onboard Audio Device, and Slot 2 (of 4) Ethernet Controller (factory original)
PCI slots 1 & 3 are open.
Bus Options only lists PCI Bus Mastering (enable or disable)
Device Options shows:
1. Alternative Memory Reporting (Enable or Disable)
2. USB keyboard legacy support (Enable or Disable) (not a USB keyboard)
3. Parallel Port Mode. Bidirectional, EPP, ECP,or Compatible. (parallel port is not being used and there are no
external devices attached to the computer, just mouse and keyboard)
4. Number Lock State at Power On.
All other items in BIOS (as well as a few of what I have mentioned) are not relevant to this problem.
Other than reconfiguring the Bios, trying some jumper combination yet to be tried, or utilizing the 2nd IDE slot (which I've tried, but not necessarily with all jumper combinations), and re-flashing the CMOS in combination with previously mentioned ... I don't know what to try. Even with just those, there are too many parameters to try everything just by stabbing in the dark. I need someone who knows more than I. Thanks.
Luc Franken
Try copying the whole content of the i386 directory to your harddrive and start installing from there.
Also try cleaning the drive and the CD itself.
ASKER
I don't know how to copy the folder onto my hard drive that is as yet without an OS, if that's what you mean. Or for that matter how to install from there, should I be able to do so. I can cancel out of the "Files Needed" dialogue and get a bootable if incomplete xp. Using that, might I be able to add the needed files from the Setup CD? I have already tried "Repairing a previous installation" and it just reinstalled exactly the same incomplete installation as before.
The CD itself is clean. How would one "clean a hard-drive" cleaner than what could be acheived with a slow NTFS format?
The CD itself is clean. How would one "clean a hard-drive" cleaner than what could be acheived with a slow NTFS format?
>>How would one "clean a hard-drive" cleaner than what could be acheived with a slow NTFS format?
slink9 meant you should clean your drive.
slink9 meant you should clean your drive.
For setting it up from the harddisk:
Boot using a win98 bootdisk, if you don't have one, get one from http://www.bootdisk.com
Format the harddrive.
Create a directory on the harddrive.
Copy all files from the i386 directory of your cd-rom drive to that directory.
Browse to that directory on your harddrive.
Run Makeboot.exe from there (it'll create bootdisks, If I recall it right 5 of them)
Now boot from those bootdisks and try to setup windows.
Boot using a win98 bootdisk, if you don't have one, get one from http://www.bootdisk.com
Format the harddrive.
Create a directory on the harddrive.
Copy all files from the i386 directory of your cd-rom drive to that directory.
Browse to that directory on your harddrive.
Run Makeboot.exe from there (it'll create bootdisks, If I recall it right 5 of them)
Now boot from those bootdisks and try to setup windows.
Buy a CD cleaner from Staples or somewhere similar. It will clean the lens of your CD drive.
The Cd itself may look clean. Just in case you should rub the data side on a cotton shirt in a circular motion.
Do you have another CD drive you can try to verify that the problem is not the drive itself?
The Cd itself may look clean. Just in case you should rub the data side on a cotton shirt in a circular motion.
Do you have another CD drive you can try to verify that the problem is not the drive itself?
ASKER
The CD itself cannot be the problem. The cd drive always works ell enough to get the install to exactly the same point of failure, and in the past has always played music & ran programs well. According to some lens cleaning has the potential to do more harm than good.
No one (as yet) has talked about Bios settings, jumpering etc. If in fact the problem does not lie within those types of things, then perhaps it is a dirty hard-drive, though win98 was running fine (I think?) just a few days ago on this drive. Any possibility that XP itself has a conflict with this motherboard or hardware?.
No one (as yet) has talked about Bios settings, jumpering etc. If in fact the problem does not lie within those types of things, then perhaps it is a dirty hard-drive, though win98 was running fine (I think?) just a few days ago on this drive. Any possibility that XP itself has a conflict with this motherboard or hardware?.
>>Any possibility that XP itself has a conflict with this motherboard or hardware?
I assumed you already checked that yourself, but it seems you havn't done this...
Look up the system you have here (or the hardware you use)
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/default.aspx?subid=22&xslt=categoryl3&pgn=3ee87e45-9d6d-4b81-ad20-c86244fe41cf
I assumed you already checked that yourself, but it seems you havn't done this...
Look up the system you have here (or the hardware you use)
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/default.aspx?subid=22&xslt=categoryl3&pgn=3ee87e45-9d6d-4b81-ad20-c86244fe41cf
Can anyone say Hardware Compatiblity List? :)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314062
FE
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314062
FE
Fatal_Exception, I know that site, now just a fyi, the links on that page point to the catalog, the adress of that one is rather long, so I chose to point to the list of supported desktops.
You are absolutely right. Yours is the better link.
It sounds like a problem with the CD or the drive itself. I would take LucF's advice and copy the I386 directory to the hard drive. Note any errors that happen. This will rule out a cable, drive or CD problem.
Try putting in a generic Network Interface Card in one of the PCI slots. (i.e. Netgear FA311 or some other newer model) Seems the Installation is looking for drivers for the NIC. I assume the NIC is integrated with the motherboard?
ASKER
I spent a good deal of time looking at the ms links that you gave to verify hardware compatiblity. I could find no reference to the entire Presareio 5700 series of computers, no reference to the specific hard drive or the specific cd drive or the bios version. The motherboard does not have a brand name but when I entered some numbers on a tag that may have referred to model, that came up blank as well. I also searched for all the above in the ms support knowledge base. This amazing lack of any reference to my hardware would seem suggest my chances of making this work are slim, however just out of curiosity I tried installing Redhat Linux 9.0 from the CD's. Guess what? It slid right on, no errors whatsoever. I'm planning on giving this computer to my child's school. Maybe it's best that the kids learn to use Linux anyway.
I haven't yet tried copying i386 directly to the hard drive due to the sorry excuse that I don't have enough floppies immediately at hand. The fact that Linux went on so easily though seems to suggest to me that my hardware is functioning well enough that XP SHOULD install. BTW, gemarti, the Network interface is not on the main board, but rather a PCI card, although being Compaq original, it's probably some oddball card.
I haven't yet tried copying i386 directly to the hard drive due to the sorry excuse that I don't have enough floppies immediately at hand. The fact that Linux went on so easily though seems to suggest to me that my hardware is functioning well enough that XP SHOULD install. BTW, gemarti, the Network interface is not on the main board, but rather a PCI card, although being Compaq original, it's probably some oddball card.
To be honest, you probably should not install XP on a 466 w/ 128 MB Ram anyway. It will be a slow performer and cause more problems, making it a real hassle. I am not surprised Linux installed so smoothly. Since it is going to be a donation, keep the XP OS to put on something better and take the Tax write off on the hardware.
Everyone will be happier that way.
Sorry we could not fix it for you. But come back anytime.
FE
Everyone will be happier that way.
Sorry we could not fix it for you. But come back anytime.
FE
ASKER
Fatal has taken exception to the idea of trying to put xp on this old funky computer. I think she-he is right. I do appreciate everyone's input, and now know that a hard drive can be brushed and flossed, and have also learned how to say Hardware Compatility List. Perhaps this query should be abandoned if that fits the custom here. Thanks again.
yuhook
yuhook
You can post a request in the Community Support section of this website (https://www.experts-exchange.com/Community_Support) with a zero point question and a link back to your thread requesting a point refund. The question will either be PAQ'd for future reference or deleted.
No problem
Ditto. Agreed.
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