Why won't Win XP Install on E-Mach PCs??
I have an a OS installation CD which I made using N-Lite. I usually, minimally, just have to insert The product Key, when asked, and all goes well. I usually use the COA from the case, and all goes well. If there is an issue installing the OS, i usually come to Expert's Exchange, and all usually goes well.
However, on one particular brand, I have always had problems doing as i described above. That brand is E-Machines. Especially troublesome, is the Drivers and the Customer Support.
To test the CD, I tried it on 2 other brands (Dell & HP) and one generic PCs, with success. So I think the CD is OK. I know that this could be caused by a trillion different issues, but hopefully I have ruled out the CD being broken. I have also tried 3 different HDD's with varying degrees of succes. Actually, 2 of them made the PC act like it did not like the Win XP CDs. So I also tried 3,4 different XP installation CDs as well, unsuccessfully. I was thinking of nusing a brand new Hard drive, but somehow, I am afraid it will get ruined or broken. This OS installation is like when I 1st started doing this stuff. i have no clue what I am doing what is going on
I got as far as 100% formatting one of the HDDs, then came a BlueScreen, instead of installing the Windows files. Also, BTW, The OS I am working with is Win XP Pro SP3. My repair work involves mostly XP, for many, many reasons, mainly the clientele. I can fix Vista and Win 7 with you Experts' help, but XP is my forte. Altho I still consider myself a beginner.
Anyways, THE QUESTION IS:
Can anyone guide me on the correct path towards installing a Win XP Pro, SP3 Operating System on an Emachines T3862 desktop?? Is it softwre issue or hardware? I will concern myself with the drivers later on, but I must get this OS installed first.
However, on one particular brand, I have always had problems doing as i described above. That brand is E-Machines. Especially troublesome, is the Drivers and the Customer Support.
To test the CD, I tried it on 2 other brands (Dell & HP) and one generic PCs, with success. So I think the CD is OK. I know that this could be caused by a trillion different issues, but hopefully I have ruled out the CD being broken. I have also tried 3 different HDD's with varying degrees of succes. Actually, 2 of them made the PC act like it did not like the Win XP CDs. So I also tried 3,4 different XP installation CDs as well, unsuccessfully. I was thinking of nusing a brand new Hard drive, but somehow, I am afraid it will get ruined or broken. This OS installation is like when I 1st started doing this stuff. i have no clue what I am doing what is going on
I got as far as 100% formatting one of the HDDs, then came a BlueScreen, instead of installing the Windows files. Also, BTW, The OS I am working with is Win XP Pro SP3. My repair work involves mostly XP, for many, many reasons, mainly the clientele. I can fix Vista and Win 7 with you Experts' help, but XP is my forte. Altho I still consider myself a beginner.
Anyways, THE QUESTION IS:
Can anyone guide me on the correct path towards installing a Win XP Pro, SP3 Operating System on an Emachines T3862 desktop?? Is it softwre issue or hardware? I will concern myself with the drivers later on, but I must get this OS installed first.
Download Memtest86+ from http://www.memtest.org/ , and check the memory.
Check also you have to correct memory for the system, if you have two memory modules, try removing one, and then swapping it over later, e.g. just try running in one module.
Check also you have to correct memory for the system, if you have two memory modules, try removing one, and then swapping it over later, e.g. just try running in one module.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
Ok gentlemen. i feel sure the correct answer is in there somewher. Sorry, the model is T2862. the hard drive is not SATA it IS IDE. I have some work to do it looks like. Thank you much You all gave me very good info.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
Sorry for the double, but I always thought that the BIOS Option for >Plug and Play OS< was supposed to be "NO" It was set to "YES" on this PC. So I changed it to "NO". Is that correct?
I am now running a complete hardware testing from a live CD. it will not be done until the middle of the nite, so I will be back tomorrow.
I am now running a complete hardware testing from a live CD. it will not be done until the middle of the nite, so I will be back tomorrow.
Set P'nP option to YES.
what with ahci --> ide setting ???
ASKER
Good AM--I believe the IDE setting is default and not changeable. ( I cannot see ahci) setts anywhere in BIOS. I want to be clear, that YES, I am able to format the disk, but during the next step is where the trouble starts. During "loading Windows Files" part of the installation, I have had several different variations of the BSOD. I do not know when it happens because I have not been in front of monitor. However, the last BSOD stated:
"Page fault is in a non-paged area SCSIPORT.SYS'
Also, The memory test failed in one section, early on in the testing after I removed one ram stick. i will keep experimenting with different memory and follow your other suggests, as well.
This is a PC that wastraded to me and I am rebuidling it. Personally, I think it is a piece of underpowered Celeron junk. i am just practicing my self-taught tech skills more than anything here. I have promised it to a poor old lady, for $50, but now it looks like it might cost me more than that to replace more parts if I need to.. That's OK, tho. I just replaced DVD Rom, CD burner, 2 sticks 512 MB pc 2700 RAM, all used hardware. MB caps look OK to me, unlike MANY other E-Machn boards before this. Also, I have no idea why I did not automatically and immediately remove the Bestec Beast the moment I saw it. Really!
YES, I am aware of Bestec PSUs and $40 motherboards that are being used. What lousy quality! That is what is being put in these brand new OEM $275 desktops, doomed to have the MB or PSU before short periods of time. A new Bestec PSU can be bought for $20. How a a large OEM could use those things in their PCs is beyond me. (HP uses them too) Anyways I am not in such a hurry with this PC, but will keep continually plugging along with it and you Experts., until XP is installed correctly.
However, I now have an actually more important question that arose in the middle of this. I will submit this post then immediately post that very serious question in Misc. Hardware--Windows XP for anyone interested. That is a tough one and it will be ready for the experts within the hour.
"Page fault is in a non-paged area SCSIPORT.SYS'
Also, The memory test failed in one section, early on in the testing after I removed one ram stick. i will keep experimenting with different memory and follow your other suggests, as well.
This is a PC that wastraded to me and I am rebuidling it. Personally, I think it is a piece of underpowered Celeron junk. i am just practicing my self-taught tech skills more than anything here. I have promised it to a poor old lady, for $50, but now it looks like it might cost me more than that to replace more parts if I need to.. That's OK, tho. I just replaced DVD Rom, CD burner, 2 sticks 512 MB pc 2700 RAM, all used hardware. MB caps look OK to me, unlike MANY other E-Machn boards before this. Also, I have no idea why I did not automatically and immediately remove the Bestec Beast the moment I saw it. Really!
YES, I am aware of Bestec PSUs and $40 motherboards that are being used. What lousy quality! That is what is being put in these brand new OEM $275 desktops, doomed to have the MB or PSU before short periods of time. A new Bestec PSU can be bought for $20. How a a large OEM could use those things in their PCs is beyond me. (HP uses them too) Anyways I am not in such a hurry with this PC, but will keep continually plugging along with it and you Experts., until XP is installed correctly.
However, I now have an actually more important question that arose in the middle of this. I will submit this post then immediately post that very serious question in Misc. Hardware--Windows XP for anyone interested. That is a tough one and it will be ready for the experts within the hour.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
You may be correct Nobus, and you might be interested to know that I made a copy of this version of Knoppix just last week. I thought of you as I burned it, since you rarely fail to tell me to use it. i am slowly learning its ins and outs. I have been busy here in the past ten days. i was wondering where you were.
Anyways, this PC now turns on and the fans spin but nothing else happens. No BIOS appearance. No CD spinning up. No monitor turning on. (Light stays amber) I swapped the memory sticks several times and that is the result.
Thanks
Anyways, this PC now turns on and the fans spin but nothing else happens. No BIOS appearance. No CD spinning up. No monitor turning on. (Light stays amber) I swapped the memory sticks several times and that is the result.
Thanks
Looking more and more like a bad mobo. Are you sure there aren't any deformed or leaking caps -- especially those around CPU socket?
ASKER
I looked again Will, but there is nothing visible. Almost time, I reckon, to give up on this PC but not quite yet. I just might have a compatible MB somewhere in my basement. Lots and lots of E-machine computers from that era in my "ment"
if you have the same, or a compatible mobo, you can swap out cpu, and mobo, to see what is ok or not
**i have been on EE every day
**i have been on EE every day
ASKER
Ok men, I am done. I have made a "franken-computer' The only thing remaining from the old system is the case and DVD rom
I cannibalized from another E-mach "shell":
1--- I took the motherboard out of 2nd PC and swapped it in. It has many more features than the old one.
2---Swapped PSU for a better one
3---Swapped in front USB ports and memory card slots.
4---Used different memory
5---Same CPU and cooler
6---Same DVD & swapped in CD/RW
7 ---Same HDD
I cannibalized from another E-mach "shell":
1--- I took the motherboard out of 2nd PC and swapped it in. It has many more features than the old one.
2---Swapped PSU for a better one
3---Swapped in front USB ports and memory card slots.
4---Used different memory
5---Same CPU and cooler
6---Same DVD & swapped in CD/RW
7 ---Same HDD
ASKER
Sorry in was not finished. Anyways, the OS is being installed as we speak. It seems to be going smoothly. I will return later to close this question.
ASKER
I just continue to keep on learning. Every day thanks you all of you. In1964, when I was 21 Y.O. my dad sent me to school for "this new thing that is going to be real big and important one day---COMPUTERS !" He was an Engineer at our local Army Base, that even today, lots of my immediate family are still employed at. It was a 6 month course. All the Binary stuff was "boring" and "crazy" to me, so I quit school and got drafted and I continued to resist free Computer School while in the Military, choosing to go the tough guy , instead of Office boy route.
So here we are 47 years later, I am voluntarily doing what my father tried to get me to do way back then. I would be "Experting" all you guys if i had taken his advice. The more I learn on EE, the more regretful I become about how I -----d-up my life. Because ironically,now, I just absolutely love this stuff. (No Binaries, Please) Thanks to all.
So here we are 47 years later, I am voluntarily doing what my father tried to get me to do way back then. I would be "Experting" all you guys if i had taken his advice. The more I learn on EE, the more regretful I become about how I -----d-up my life. Because ironically,now, I just absolutely love this stuff. (No Binaries, Please) Thanks to all.
you can only regret the things you did not learn, and had the opportunity...
same feeling here..
same feeling here..
This is a "second career" for me as well. Started working with PCs about 25 years ago and have been at it ever since. Started as a hobby and morphed into a sideline business. If it makes you feel any better, you are only 4 years older than I am.
Incidentally, the computers of 40+ years ago bear little resemblance to PCs. I haven't written a line of Fortran since I left college. Still remember that binary stuff though :-)
Incidentally, the computers of 40+ years ago bear little resemblance to PCs. I haven't written a line of Fortran since I left college. Still remember that binary stuff though :-)
i've been educated in computers by IBM - classical machines = 24,26, 56,88,77, and allthe collators, and triage systems 82,83, 84
- all working with 80 colums cards - thats wgere the 80 colums comes from imo..
- all working with 80 colums cards - thats wgere the 80 colums comes from imo..
ASKER
I will see you next time, which i believe is coming within a day, If I don't figure something out pretty soon. It will be listed under "Misc. Hardware" category.
ok..see you then
Jan MA CCNA