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Need help installing OS

A computer at my work was brought in by a co-worked for keeps. It's running a Pentium D and has 2 gigs of ram so i figured it would be a good addition to the lineup we already have.

My problem is I cant get past OS installation.
For Windows XP, a crash and reboot happens on "Setup is starting Windows" portion of the first installation (right after drivers finish loading).
This stands despite trying 3 different Windows CD's (3 different sources too)

As for Ubuntu (10.04 or 10.10, not sure), setup freezes on 51% installation (for both attempts).

I've had no problem leaving OS overnight for Ubuntu off LIVE CD. or running Kaspersky LIVE CD

I don't know much of history of this PC, it might have a faulty hardware portion.

Ideally I'd like to run Windows XP SP3.

SOunds like a hardware issue.

I would d a RAM test first and then MB diagnostics.

A good free tool is UBCD

I hope this helps !

UBCD Free with Disk tests and Vendor utilities
www.ultimatebootcd.com

ASKER

I have ran memtest 86+ overnight, finished with no errors.
Also UBCD4WIN would crash on boot. same for BartPE standalone (no plugins) off a CD.

ASKER

MB Diagnostics might be closer to home. Is there a nix tool for such that maybe has a GUI?

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ASKER

if this is SATA changed to legacy or IDE? not the other way?

Assuming you have a SATA drive then:

If it is SATA change to either Legacy or IDE (may be other options as well. Just get it out of SATA).
If it is either Legacy or IDE change back to SATA

The system will work either way but in Legacy or IDE will be more compatible.

Could easily be a flaky CD/DVD drive. Swap it with a known-working drive and try again.

ASKER

Give me a hand with SATA/IDEA deal will ya:

BIOS:

ITE8211F Controller
Set - Enabled
Options: Enabled/Disabled

INFO: If select IDE mode, the system will not support RAID mode

movin on..

SILICON3132 Controller -
Set - SATA2
Options: SATA2/ RAID Mode / Disabled

INFO: If select SATA2 MODE, The System will not support RAID Mode

here's the IDE Conf..

IDE Configuration:
Conf SATA -
Set- Standard IDE
Options: Standard IDE/AHCI/RAID

onboard ide conf...

IDE Operate Mode
Set - Enhanced Mode
Options: Disabled/Compatible/Enhanced Mode

S-ATA -
Set - S-ATA
Supported on : S-ATA, P-ATA, S-ATA+P-ATA

What is actually connected to the mobo is a single IDE 80GB HD, only drive on that channel, also set as Master, also second IDE drive i have tried in this system.

OK

If you are using an IDE drive then there is no need to touch any of those settings. Worth looking at if you were using SATA but you're not.

Check this is an 80 pin cable. Where is the CD drive attached to?

Get hold of DBAN and wipe your hard disk.

ASKER

Check this is an 80 pin cable. Where is the CD drive attached to?

Dont understand what u asking. CD-ROM is attached to the mobo via IDE cable. only drive on that channel. cable is standard IDE ( 1 pin blocked). This is 2nd cable I've tried. BIOS detects drive with no problems, no weird letters or anything.

This is the 3rd cd-rom ive tried. error happens at the same time and place (setup is starting windows).

Also tried another Windows disc for all the above.

DBAN autonuked the hard drive. operating completed succsefully, Im still experiencing the same problem.

This time hard drive is a known working pull. Would be kinda odd if 2 different hard drives crashed on the same place. Ah yes I also have chkdsk /r this drive.

about to launch UBCD off boot...

>> Dont understand what u asking. CD-ROM is attached to the mobo via IDE cable. only drive on that channel. cable is standard IDE ( 1 pin blocked).

Was checking to see if the CDROM and hard disk are on the same cable. They aren't so if one of them was faulty it should not affect the other. Some cables are 40 pins and some are 80. Modern ones are all 80 for fast data transfer.

ASKER

UBCD tells me Extremely Broken BIOS on boot

I've tried another blank CD and reburned ISO for UBCD. same message on startup.

Interesting.

In the BIOS disable all SATA and RAID configurations. Then try the UBCD again.

ASKER

SATA and RAID configuration disabled, I still get the same error with UBCD
also tried swapping hard drives as well as swapping cd-rom drives.

The error is kind long, the first sentence is extremely broken bios detected, last attempt with drive - EF
isolinux: DISK error 01, AX = 4258, drive EF

Boot failed: press a key to try.

Ive tried a different cable for cd-rom as well. and another thing ive tried disabling peripherals via bios (ethernet/sound/).

ASKER

what about this error more precisely blue screen of death

STOP: 0x0000007B (0xF78D2524,0xC0000034,0x00000000,0x00000000)

7B is a device driver error or hardware configuration.

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324103

I did Google the Extremely Broken Bios Error. Seemed to be indicating RAID or SCSI problem with machine configuration. Which is why I suggested disabling all SATA and RAID configurations.

Can you identify this motherboard and find out if there is a BIOS update for this machine? That was the other possible solution I could find.

But strange that if IDE was the only devices available it goes and crashes.

ASKER

i've reflashed bios to latest available this afternoon. im thinking now that maybe it's the controller bios or something of that nature, not pure motherboard bios. how about changing the bios battery? would that do any good? are mobos batteries interchangeable. is there more to it then swap?

ASKER

this mobo (p5w2d premium) should also have sata connectors. i might go fishing for a sata drive tomorrow.

Most motherboard batteries are a CR2032 3-volt lithium cell. If it's more than 2 years old, or anything in question, I'll replace it.

Shut down. Pull all power. Pop out battery. Hold down power button for 5-10 sec.
Put in new battery. Reconnect power. Turn on.

That flushes all the capacitors on the mobo, and should get rid of any BIOS configuration changes...goes back to factory default.

I would also load the BIOS defaults and or the BIOS Defaults SAFE settings if available.

I hope this helps !

ASKER

ive replaced battery and set bios to defaults. windows xp crashes on the same screen. setup is starting windows.

Can you try this with one stick of RAM at a time? If that doesn't work try the other.

If neither works can you borrow more RAM and try that.

I'm aware that you've used memtest but it isn't perfect.

ASKER

3rd CD in and after flushing capacitors I was able to boot UBCD 5.0.3

"Shut down. Pull all power. Pop out battery. Hold down power button for 5-10 sec.
Put in new battery. Reconnect power. Turn on.

That flushes all the capacitors on the mobo, and should get rid of any BIOS configuration changes...goes back to factory default."

I didnt hold power button for 5-10 sec first time. That was my bad. Also I've noticed that first UBCD 5.0.3 I had made wouldnt give the same error with extremely broken bios. Questions remains where it was the problem with the drive or the fact that it was burned on CD-R, not DVD-R or DVD+R like my other 2 copies (which boot just fine now). Im burning another copy of Windows XP on DVD+R (the same kind that UBCD booted off ) to give another try.

I've replaced all RAM with known working sticks and experienced crash at Setup is starting Windows.

As I'm burning XP I have the option of booting UBCD.
The question is what do I do next? I hae UBCD menu in front of me (BIOS/CPU/Peripherals, Grub4dos, etc)

ASKER

Also I've noticed that first UBCD 5.0.3 I had made *would give the same error with extremely broken bios

Look at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/217073

Lots of stuff to disable in the BIOS and retry.

ASKER

What made a difference was plugging hard drive into primary IDE on mobo, not primary EIDE like before. This was hard drive was recognized by Windows XP build I had on a USB flash drive. Ihave 30 minutes remaining in installation (Im on GUI portion/network setup currently). wish me luck

Good luck.

ASKER

i had hard drive connected to EIDE not IDE. solution was to install windows of a flash drive, once hard drive was detected, the rest was a breeze.