Installing Xp

[sierra01]

My poor PC has been ravaged by viruses, I removed 31 that got through in a period of a few minutes. On reboot many programs wouldnt work, I think the viruses did for them, reinstalling them didnt help either. Also Windows kept telling me that some of its files had either been changed or moved, so I decided to reinstall XP over the top.

I have a wireless mouse and keyboard and during installation they stopped working so I can only get so far into installing XP before it grinds to a halt. Ive tried swopping them for wired versions but they stop as well. What I want to do is either cancel installation or finish it so I can take what I want (various files, movies, photos etc) then do a clean install.

As an aside, what the hel_l happened? I have up to date Nod32, Kerio firewall and a router, I thought routers either helped or stopped viruses getting through?

[Guest Reimar]

My poor PC has been ravaged by viruses, I removed 31 that got through in a period of a few minutes. On reboot many programs wouldnt work, I think the viruses did for them, reinstalling them didnt help either. Also Windows kept telling me that some of its files had either been changed or moved, so I decided to reinstall XP over the top.

I have a wireless mouse and keyboard and during installation they stopped working so I can only get so far into installing XP before it grinds to a halt. Ive tried swopping them for wired versions but they stop as well. What I want to do is either cancel installation or finish it so I can take what I want (various files, movies, photos etc) then do a clean install.

As an aside, what the hel_l happened? I have up to date Nod32, Kerio firewall and a router, I thought routers either helped or stopped viruses getting through?

First at all you need a "normal" keyboard! The USB Mouse should work!

After that do a clean new install with bboting from CD and deleting and new creation of tha partition incl. full formatting as NTFS.

[sierra01]

I'll try and track down a Non USB keyboard but my USB mouse just froze when I needed to answer yes or no to something XP asked.

[Guest Reimar]

I'll try and track down a Non USB keyboard but my USB mouse just froze when I needed to answer yes or no to something XP asked.

It's because of your wireless Keyboard which runs over USB as well I thnk!

[sierra01]

I have a USB to PS/2 connector so I'll try that. I think I only need the keyboard to input the XP serial number and I'm past that stage.

[Guest Reimar]

I have a USB to PS/2 connector so I'll try that. I think I only need the keyboard to input the XP serial number and I'm past that stage.

Everytime you need to restart within an installation, you need an Keyborad to insert the CD-Key and some other settings.

To avoid more problems, use a normal wired Keyboard for the whole installation and first few starts of Windows before you switch to Wireless! It could save you some trouble!

[sierra01]

The USB to PS/2 whatsit idea didnt work, now it tells me a set up file is missing and wont continue just restarts and the cycle goes on and on.

Each time I restart the installation it goes straight to the point I was at when the mouse/keyboard stops working, it says 39 minutes left to finish.

I really appreciate your help Reimar, dont give up on me just yet please?

[endure]

If you want to do a fresh install you have to look for the moment at the very (black screen) start of the boot process where it says 'Press any key to boot from CD'. Hit any key and the installation process will start from scratch.

[Guest Reimar]

The USB to PS/2 whatsit idea didnt work, now it tells me a set up file is missing and wont continue just restarts and the cycle goes on and on.

Each time I restart the installation it goes straight to the point I was at when the mouse/keyboard stops working, it says 39 minutes left to finish.

I really appreciate your help Reimar, dont give up on me just yet please?

Wow,that could be a problem with your memory! If you have several Memory banks inside, let say 2 x 512 MB, remove one and start the setup again. if the same problems occurs, change the banks and start again.

Whta is your hardware: MB, Memory pp.?

[sierra01]

Endure....Ive never seen the screen you're talking about, I knew it couldnt be that easy.

Reimar....Once it gets going it install quite fast, that 39 minutes takes about 20 or so. I have 2x512 MB of ram.

[Guest Reimar]

Endure....Ive never seen the screen you're talking about, I knew it couldnt be that easy.

Reimar....Once it gets going it install quite fast, that 39 minutes takes about 20 or so. I have 2x512 MB of ram.

If it keeps rebooting and/or get problems with copying files, it looks like Memory problems. Again, just take out one Bank and start the install again and if the problem occurs change that bank and try again. This is an problem we have many time special with some older memory. Often a cleaning of the connectors with an pencil rubber helps as well.

[endure]

Endure....Ive never seen the screen you're talking about, I knew it couldnt be that easy.

It's right at the start of the boot process (black/white screen) when the BIOS info appears on screen.

[Guest Reimar]

If you want to do a fresh install you have to look for the moment at the very (black screen) start of the boot process where it says 'Press any key to boot from CD'. Hit any key and the installation process will start from scratch.

The problem for the OP is starting after the main system files copied already. So the basic OS is installed an working and what is starting now is the installation of the rest of the programfiles.

The problem starts after keyin of the CD-Key within or after the setting setup for Location and Network and so.

[Guest Reimar]

Endure....Ive never seen the screen you're talking about, I knew it couldnt be that easy.

It's right at the start of the boot process (black/white screen) when the BIOS info appears on screen.

This will be happens only if the FIRST boot drive is set to CD, If the 1. boot drive is set for HDD and the second for CD, that bootscreen/message will NOT show up because the system is correctly installed already. What is follows now is just the finishing of the installation of windows. It's the bigger part but the Kernel and all required system files are installed.

[endure]

Endure....Ive never seen the screen you're talking about, I knew it couldnt be that easy.

It's right at the start of the boot process (black/white screen) when the BIOS info appears on screen.

This will be happens only if the FIRST boot drive is set to CD, If the 1. boot drive is set for HDD and the second for CD, that bootscreen/message will NOT show up because the system is correctly installed already. What is follows now is just the finishing of the installation of windows. It's the bigger part but the Kernel and all required system files are installed.

Yes and if sierra01 has a corrupt Windows installation he needs to reinstall completely.

[Guest Reimar]

Endure....Ive never seen the screen you're talking about, I knew it couldnt be that easy.

It's right at the start of the boot process (black/white screen) when the BIOS info appears on screen.

This will be happens only if the FIRST boot drive is set to CD, If the 1. boot drive is set for HDD and the second for CD, that bootscreen/message will NOT show up because the system is correctly installed already. What is follows now is just the finishing of the installation of windows. It's the bigger part but the Kernel and all required system files are installed.

Yes and if sierra01 has a corrupt Windows installation he needs to reinstall completely.

I don't think is a corrupt installation, it looks like a memory problem! This symtom is most of the time related to memory. Most of the time it start's at the stage when the files from the CD are copied to the Hard disk, the error messages of damaged fileswhich can't be moved appears. The other time it start's at that moment when within the final installation the rest of the files being copied.

It helps most of the time to change the memory or to take out some banks for the time of installation, as I described in my post's before.

A corrupt installation within an installation is very, very rare and that's very unusual that's the case here!

[sierra01]

I had to take it to the shop in the end, it was too much for me to handle. The verdict was....multiple bad sectors and SMART failure, error code C8 whatever that is. Ive only had the disk a couple of months so Ive emailed the place I got it from asking how do I claim a replacement under warranty, now waiting a reply.

[JSixpack]

That is believable. A disk can fail at any time, though most do last longer than a few months. Better check the power supply, too, which can sometimes cause a disk failure. Most likely you just got a bad disk for whatever reason. Over the years I think I've gotten a bad everything at one time or another . . . .

[bkkperson]

I had to take it to the shop in the end, it was too much for me to handle. The verdict was....multiple bad sectors and SMART failure, error code C8 whatever that is. Ive only had the disk a couple of months so Ive emailed the place I got it from asking how do I claim a replacement under warranty, now waiting a reply.

Sounds like a blag to buy a new HD to me...is that what happened you had to buy a new HD...

P.s Reimar..I do like your advice..originaly the OP said he was having problems re-installing XP so he could retrieve his files and then do a fresh install..and you tell him to format his drive....

[stumonster]

what make is the drive and where did you buy it from ? and how long ago was it purchased

most manuf have a place on their website you can go to and see if it still under warranty with the drives serial number - also places like pantip and zeer have a place which handles warranty claims , you take the drive t o them , they check if it has a problem ( some manuf have a DOS utility you can download to check your drives ) and will give you another drive if yours is under warranty.

a great utility for checking RAM if you suspect you have a problem module is memtestX86 , it is a DOS utility - RAM problems can be the most frustrating to troubleshoot.

[sierra01]

Its a Seagate Barracuda, bought from the BT online shop in November last year. It came with a 5 year warranty and now I have to send it back to them, luckily I kept my old drive installed so at least I'm not internetless!

Edited January 25, 2008 by sierra01