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Windows XP crashes but Ubuntu's OK

Repairing a Dell Desktop running original Windows XP whose hard drive appeared to have crashed. Windows was unable to load since it couldn't find a system file.

Replaced the HDD with identical make/model WD SATA drive. Setup sees it but Acronis & Windows do not. Installed XP on replacement drive by using a different Dell Computer. Drive boots fine on that machine. On prob machine boots until you start to get the 1st XP splash screen but then goes to the blue screen that Windows has detected a problem and has stopped the system to prevent damage.

Tried another functioning HD with Win XP that runs fine on another machine. Just like the replacement HD start to get the 1st XP splash screen but then goes to the blue screen that Windows has detected a problem and has stopped the system to prevent damage.

Interesting is that when I hook in another HD with Ubuntu 13 it loads fine.
Thinking it might be an issue with different modes on the video card, tried substituting a known good video card with the same results.

I'm wondering if the SATA interface has problems ----- but then how can the Ubuntu HD
boot?

Any thoughts/suggestions?

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

arnold

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SOLUTION

David

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nobus

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Spudstah

ASKER

Everyone,
Thank you for your suggestions although they didn't help. The good news is that I found my own solution.

Could it have been a driver problem? Quite possibly but probably not the HD drivers. Remember that while the problem machine would not see the HD except in setup, I was able to to install WinXP on the HD using another Dell computer which is running SATA and this tells me that there must be SATA drivers on the setup disk. Plus the drive booted on the other machine.

In regards to the minidump in windows\minidumps, it was impossible to get to any kind of file access on the HDD as Windows shut down pre-boot on the problem machine.

I did google the slipstreaming and found it frustrating. For example it said to "Extract the file contents to '%userprofile%\desktop\SATA Driver' ” Interesting trick when you never get to the desktop (even in safe mode) Example 2.....it said "2. Copy the contents of your Windows XP installation disc to a new folder on HDD". This is difficult when you can't access the HDD.

My solution: I found out that after having setup the HD on the other machine, Acronis
would now recognize the HD and it allowed me to Recover a True Image to the drive.
Whatever was at fault was corrected by this and the HD now boots on the prob machine.

David

The problem was exactly as I stated, "XP doesn't have the SATA drivers on the setup disk. There is effectively enough to "see" the disk, but not enough to make it bootable."

Instead of slipstreaming, you imaged from another machine. This was another way to do it, but the problem was exactly as I stated.

arnold

I've seen/experienced the same issues asmy comment pointed out. XP wSP1 will see the drive and will complete the first stage of the setup, but will fail on restart or after the install completes when the hard drive is larger than I think 160 GB. You have to use an OS install with SP2 or better with sp3.

While VENDOR OEM disks might not be as simple to do slipstreaming with a tool! nlite from nliteos.com simplifies the slipstreaming process. Vlite is a vista version.

Spudstah

ASKER

Diethe,

You repeated "The problem was exactly as I stated, "XP doesn't have the SATA drivers on the setup disk. There is effectively enough to "see" the disk, but not enough to make it bootable."

However, I took the HD (unformatted) and placed it in another computer. Then I installed Win XP on the HD. Had no problems. The HD cold booted into Windows just fine. I guess the XP Computer Fairy just happened to zip by and magically pop in some SATA drivers ???????

Spudstah

ASKER

Arnold,

You stated "XP wSP1 will see the drive and will complete the first stage of the setup,"

My problem was that XP would NOT see the drive at all.....there was no setup at all.
Since I had a non-existant drive there was no question of loading anything including nlite and driver files to it.

Also please note that while XP was unable to see the HD in the problem machine, it had no problems in a separate machine.

arnold

Check the BIOS and configure the SATA to function as IDE or sata, not raid or AHCI.

Once you have the system up and running. You can add the requisite sata ahci drivers, and then enable them via regedit. Reboot and within the BIOS change the operating mode.

When an install CD can not see the drive it means it does not have the requisite drivers to interact with the components.

Windows has all drivers loaded/installed. The two systems you used are not identical or you would have had the same behavior or your settings in the bios differ.

I believe if the CMOS battery is drained/running low, the SATA interface at times on the DELLs would reset to RAID.

nobus

i still suspect that drive - or the controller; you can test it also on another sata connector
i would start by checking in the bios if it is seen correct.
then run a diag on it : http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=612&sid=3

Spudstah

ASKER

I don't want to get into a points argument so I divided the points equally among the answerers and gave to odd 2 extra points to the 1st person who responded.