OT: HELP! Loading Windows XP Pro

Jay Gladwell wrote on 3/3/2008, 3:31 PM

Okay, I finally (almost) got my new Quad Core system up and running--an upgrade. But I can't get Windows to finish installing.

I go through the install process, all goes well until the last bit where the Windows loading screen with the blue scrolling bar at the bottom appears (like what you see at boot up). That screen has been there for an hour.

Anyone seen this before? Any ideas as to what's happening or not happening?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and suggestions!


Comments

Kennymusicman wrote on 3/3/2008, 4:06 PM
Did you load your HDD drivers via manufacturers disc during setup - it's usually the OS struggling to handle HDD, that would be my first thought..

(XP not designed to handle modern interfaces, be it raid, sata, or even some ide.)
JJKizak wrote on 3/3/2008, 4:39 PM
I assume you are changing the boot from "CD ROM" to "HardDrive" after the first re-boot of the installation during the install process.
JJK
Jay Gladwell wrote on 3/3/2008, 4:59 PM

Kenny, there were no discs that came with the newer hard drive (a sata). The other drives were already on the system (where I store and edit projects).

Jay Gladwell wrote on 3/3/2008, 5:01 PM

James, you're really twisting the knife ;-)

That may be the problem because I'm not certain (although I have an idea) of what your talking about here.

Chienworks wrote on 3/3/2008, 5:50 PM
"(XP not designed to handle modern interfaces, be it raid, sata, or even some ide.)"

That statement strikes me as odd. SATA predated XP. IDE predated Windows 3. RAID predated DOS.

A stock XP install straight from a Microsoft SP2 CD on my system supports all three without any additional drivers.
rmack350 wrote on 3/3/2008, 6:31 PM
SATA predated XP? Can't remember one way or another but that strikes me as wrong. Maybe I'm thinking widespread adoption.

Anyway, if this were the issue I'd say it's a matter of drivers for the controller. For instance, my motherboard came with a disk with nvidia drivers for the nvidia disk controller (it's an nvidia chipset). My XP disks don't have those drivers on them. Just an example. System still booted without my installing the nvidia drivers. RAID drivers were another matter.

I have had this sort of hang before and I eventualy just gritted my teeth and rebooted. The system started on the second boot.

Hope you have all the important stuff backed up.

Rob Mack
TheHappyFriar wrote on 3/3/2008, 6:37 PM
shouldn't matter when SATA came out: if the drive is seen during the install process, windows can use it no problem. The only reason to load drivers would be so windows can see the drive.

Odds are something got messed up during the install or a bios setting isn't working well with windows. Gave you give more info?
Jay Gladwell wrote on 3/4/2008, 3:47 AM

Yes, all drives (3 IDE and 1SATA) are recognized in BIOS.

What more information would like?

Kennymusicman wrote on 3/4/2008, 4:55 AM
"Anyway, if this were the issue I'd say it's a matter of drivers for the controller. " - that's what I was referring to.
Also, just because BIOS can read it, does not mean XP can.

You should have a disc with the motherboard, that supplies the relevant drivers for the HDD controller - and it's these that you would specifiy during install/setup, when the screen is still blue, and it asks you if you want to push F6(?) to load scsi or simliar drivers.
-that's still assuming I'm right, and it's a HDD problem. It coulod be something else after all...
owlsroost wrote on 3/4/2008, 5:43 AM
Were any of the other drives in the system boot/system drives previously ?

Are you installing XP on an empty partition or re-installing over an existing installation ?

Have you tried disconnecting the other drives - so just the boot drive is connected ?

Will it boot in safe mode ? (press/hold F8 key after it switches away from the bios screen during the boot process).

Basically I'm just wondering if XP is getting confused by having the other drives connected on first boot.....

Tony
TheHappyFriar wrote on 3/4/2008, 6:13 AM
What more information would like?

well, the CPU, MB, ram, vid card, hard drive setup, etc. :D
4eyes wrote on 3/4/2008, 8:37 AM
What more information would like? First, maybe eliminate some of the drives. Remove all those drives except the main one your installing to. Which for the initial install should be the 1st channel of the Primary Controller.
You can always customize things later.
Unless you configured a Raid you install the MB drivers for the chipsets after windows boots.
I don't think your even getting out of 16bit bootup.

You do need to post what Service Pack of windows XP your using. I hope it's at least SP1.
Windows XP original install before SP1 couldn't see large harddisks.
JJKizak wrote on 3/4/2008, 8:53 AM
Earlier versions of XP cannot load the OS on drives larger than 120 gig. Best to partition the drive to 80 gig. If you have a SATA CD rom XP will ask you for "Raid" drivers during the install (F6) and if you don't install them it won't work because it cannot access the SATA CD-ROM where the install disc is. During the install as the OS is about halfway through it will re-boot and you must let it reboot from the harddrive, not the CD rom to finish the installation. If you have a USB keyboard and mouse on a KVM switch you must move the cables directly to the computer or when XP is ready to install it will not.
JJK
Jay Gladwell wrote on 3/4/2008, 11:15 AM

James, you hit the nail on the head. I was trying to install a too old version of Windows XP. I had a newer version, tried it and it installed without a hitch. Thanks!

Thanks to everyone!