XP CD doesn't boot - blank screen

If it is forgotten password there are other ways to remove it. search in the internet and you might find the solution. I have done this before. But i dont think its right to discuss how to do it and what the tools are in public

I understand the concern for public discussion of overwriting a pre-existing password protected OS.
However, I would still like to figure this out.
As an aspiring minister and Army officer, I can assure you what I am attempting is legitimate. In the apartment where I live, this Profile 4 was sitting with a "FREE" sign on it. Needing a Windows machine for DoD compatibility (I run two Macs, 1 with a BootCamp'd XP - but it's just not the same), I got excited - until now.
I want to put XP on the Profile so that I can take it off my MacMini and have everything "each according to its kind."

I have been searching for the past two days and nothing has proven helpful.
All of the information I've found is either:
 - too deep in Linux speak for me to understand
 - assume that I am able to boot the XP disc, which I can't

Do you have a floppy drive or access to a USB floppy drive? If you do then you can create XP setup bootdisks to get past your initial hiccup.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/310994

If you are using SATA disk turn on IDE emulation from BIOS.

Try using the username admnistrator without any password.

Ok..Now This is a hardware issue. Try checking the memory and other hardware.

MD

mrbayne,

 I followed those directions before and made a USB bootdisk through BartPE, but it's doesn't seem to come up during the boot process.
 In BIOS i have USB Device Boot enabled. What priority should I put the boot order? Current it is this:

 - Removable Devices
   Floppy Drives
  - Hard Drive
    ST340016A-(PM)
    Bootable Add-in Cards
  CD/DVD=ROM Drive
  Network Boot
  IBA 4.0.22 Slot 0240

necati,

 I don't know what SATA is or how to turn on IDE emulation - can you explain?

 Thank to you both.

When I press ESC during boot up I am taken to a menu where I can select from 3 Ubuntu options. One is regular bootup, one is recovery, and one is the Mem +86 test. Which I did run. The comp passed 4 times, so I don't know if the memory is an issue...

necati,

 i think reformatting would be very helpful for me, but everything I've come across so far is a bit too technical for me (i can follow procedures, but they need to be clear and not too full of Linux or other jargon).
 I think this is where I have more of an issue, though. Being a Profile 4, I can't remove anything (i.e. HDD) to plug into another machine (as far as I understand the model). And, my other machines are Macs anyways, and I have no friends....(seriously, my g/f has a Mac too and I don't want to involve a large network of people-in-flesh if people-on-net can help me)

 So, what is this livecd? How does it work?

cougerjd,

Check BartPE. It's the most user friendly bootable CD for maintanance tasks :

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

You can check the website for building the CD for your needs.

please send me a disposible e-mail id so that i can send you thetools

>XP CD doesn't boot - blank screen

Step1:
Get an Erasure and Brush.
Turn off the computer.
Open your computer case.
Find where memory is located.
memory's hardware length is 5 to 6 inches.
try to remove the memory from slot.
use the erasure to scratch the part memory(pins or legs, color bronze), scratch it back to back.
with the brush,  wipe away the dust from the memory slots. (usually use the toothbrush)

if you think memory and slot is cleaned, then insert it again. (but remember the procedure how did you get the memory from the slot, just reverse it)


step2:
While your computer case still open, check the power supply cord connected to your hardisk.  Check also the data cable connected to the hardisk, if they are properly inserted.  Check also at the motherboard data cable if it is properly inserted also.

After that task.

Turn on computer for test.


Great is our GOD.
:)
rionroc

rionroc has a good point - that I should at least try to figure out what exactly is behind my machine physically.

so, I was able to crack it open, and here's what I found out - my HDD was blazing hot and the plastic case it was in just cracked apart in my hands because it had be heated up so high and weakened. The HDD was so hot that I couldn't maintain touching it for more than a second at first. It's been 5-10 mins since taking it out and it's still as warm as fresh laundry out of the dryer.

So, I'll see what I can do from here with getting it into another machine, or finding a fresh HDD, or wondering why it got so darn hot (fan = crap?)

anyways, I have to let this be for the day. Thank you all very much for your help.

OK,

I therefore conclude that your motherboard and the hard disk are not compatible since on the beginning you brought the machine, they are not.

So try another hard disk, if that's the case on your hardware.  But better try to follow my first solution.


Great is our GOD.
:)
rionroc

If the XP you are taking off your Mac and putting on the Gateway is a retail license, the full retail End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) permits the move.

If the XP you are trying to move from the Mac to the Gateway is an OEM license that was first used on the Mac, then the OEM EULA does NOT permit the move to the Gateway.

For many reasons, IMO your BEST option is to contact Gateway and obtain the Recovery/Reinstallation CDs for this computer so as to install the originally shippied, originally licensed XP that came on it---assuming of course it came from Gateway with XP.  Look on the Certificate of Authenticity (CoA) affixed to the computer case, printed on it will be the originally licensed version and edition of Windows for that computer.  

If Gateway cannot supply the necessary discs, try at www.restoredisks.com.

If still no joy at www.restoredisks.com, there is a way you can use a genuine MS hologrammed systembuilder/OEM CD to install XP onto the Gateway (again, assuming it came with XP from the factory) utilizing the Product Key on the CoA.  If it comes to that, let me know and I will provide the info in another post.

I disagree that this is a hardware issue. If gOS boots (like you described initially), your hardware is probably fine. If you're concerned about it, then go to http://www.ultimatebootcd.com, burn a diagnostic disk, and run cpu, mem, and hd tests. swap as much hardware out for testing as possible.

Your initial issue was you lost a password and wanted to load XP with a CD that stalled during setup.

I don't know why you bothered with BartPE to make self extracting floppy boot disks. If you want a windows PE disk to test your system (hardware wise) boot with Windows DART.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=5d600369-0554-4595-8ab4-c34b2860e087

Ultimately, it doesn't seem that your system can boot from USB, so that's not an option. It sounds like at this point you need to try a different windows XP CD to see if that loads a setup.

Make sure your hardware is all working, because now there are doubts, then we can get creative on how to install XP without USB or a working install CD. Or you can reinstall gOS however you did that.

Thank you all for your round of advice today.

There seem to be many approaches to my particular problem, and a series of complications on my end.

Thus, I am going do the following for now, and will update when something happens:

 - contact Gateway for System Restore Disk (I've been using my copy that I put on the Mac - a slipstreamed version built off of SP1, but the Gateway still has its XP CoA attached, so its best to get a 100% proper copy)
 - try to boot from new System Restore Disk, see what happens (if Gateway does shoot me down, got through restoredisks.com)
 - play around with power supply, HDD to see if there is a correlation (i.e. turn comp on for a while and see if it gets hot with various parts swapped out - if I can)
 - forget the whole thing, strip out parts, and try to find another machine...

Hi

if you can boot up the existing installation to the log on screen why dont you clear its password and use it rather than going for a fresh installation. reply with an email and I can send you that tool. I dont want to publish it here. It will take less than a minute to remove the password. I think that will be the best option

Dan at IT - SeaTool was the key. With it I confirmed that the HDD passed full test, then I zeroed it and was able to run my XP install off CD.
rionroc - Thanks for tuning me in to the possibility of hardware issues. I will keep a close eye on the power supply and HDD, monitoring the heat level. So far, SeaTool says it's still okay, but it's a good reminder.
necati - You were right about reformatting the HDD and trying again with the CD install, but the tool you suggested wasn't quite right for me this time.
Thank you all though - you were all a tremendous help.

Thank you all for your help.

Dan's suggestion of using SeaTools saved the day for me. I was able to verify the the HDD was healthy (thanks to rionroc for suggesting hardware issues). Also with SeaTools, I was able to zero out the HDD, clearing all the old data off of it. Thus, like necati originally suggested, with the unformatted HDD I could boot from the XP CD just fine and am now reformatting my partitions NTSF in order to setup Windows.

 Much thanks to all again!

 Regards,

 cougerjd