OT: XP install crash... HELP!!??

[cleeve]

Hey dudes.

For the love of god, and all that is holy, I need help.

OK, I'm putting together a system with an ASUS A7V8X-X mobo and athlon 2200+.

The only card in it so far is a Radeon 9000 PRO. Only other peripherals are the floppy, HD, and CD-ROM.

BIOS works fine with the keyboard.

Installing XP... boots off the CD no problem. Everything seems to work okey-dokey until it gets to the screen where it asks you what you want to do (Install XP, recover a previous install of XP, etc.)

Then it hangs. I can press enter until the cows come home... no dice. And I know it's not the keyboard because I can abort the install using the keyboard until it hits this screen.

Once the install hits this screen though, even CTRL-ALT-DEL won't do anything. It seems like a hard crash.

I've tried replacing the video card with another one lying around... no dice. I can fdiskt he drive if I boot off a floppy, so I don't think it's a drive issue. I know the CD is good, and the CD-ROM is from a working machine.

Any ideas? I'm at a loss here.

Thanks for your time,

- Cleeve

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Radeon 9500 w/256 bit memory bus @ 367/310
AMD AthlonXP 2000+
3dMark03: 3439

 

[DisgruntledElf]

Well.....perhaps you can try the boot disks? I used them to install Windows XP.
There are links to both the Home and Pro versions of the disks here:
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
I've never used anything but the boot disks (meaning I've never booted straight from the CD into setup).

Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you do criticize them, you are a mile away and you have their shoes.

 

[cleeve]

Thanks Elf, but the CD boots and copies the exact same files as floppy boot disks would.
I can't imagine that being the problem...

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Radeon 9500 w/256 bit memory bus @ 367/310
AMD AthlonXP 2000+
3dMark03: 3439

 

[DisgruntledElf]

Well, the only thing I could think was that something may be corrupted. It probably won't be the problem, but if you run out of options.....=)

Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you do criticize them, you are a mile away and you have their shoes.

 

[Flinx]

Check if the CD has a defect/scratch. Are you loading from a backup copy of the CD?

If dirty/finger prints, clean the CD (a little soap and warm water)? Check if the CD has become scratched, if it has there are repair kits.

The loving are the daring!

 

[coolsquirtle]

I'm thinking faulty ram could be the main cause of your problem...... try running ramtest-86

Proud Owner the Block Heater
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[Nights_L]

it hangs? you don't get any other error msg?
do you have a copy of windows98 or Me? try install them, if they works, then there is sth wrong with the hardware and detected by WinXP
when I got my new pc, I couldn't install XP or 2k either, but Win98 or ME are fine...I finally find out the problem..and then using WinXP for a while.
now i'm using Win2k, just cuz I like it more =P

 

[cleeve]

Not the disk... I tried 2 different XP CDs, both do the same thing. Got to be a hardware problem or setting methinks.

Maybe I'll try a RAM tester... thanks guys.

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Radeon 9500 w/256 bit memory bus @ 367/310
AMD AthlonXP 2000+
3dMark03: 3439

 

[cleeve]

OK, get this:

I try memtest... memory is fine.

I swap out to an old PCI video card thinking that maybe there is a conflict or driver incompatibility... no difference

I change keyboards to another PS2 keyboard... still no dice.

ALl I have left to swap out is the CD-ROM or HD at this point, andfor shits and giggles, I'm inspired to try a USB keyboard I have lying around.

It WORKS!!!?????

WTF?

So, the Asus A7V8X-X doesn't like to install XP when using a 2 year old PS2 keyboard, it seems...

BIZARRE.

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Radeon 9500 w/256 bit memory bus @ 367/310
AMD AthlonXP 2000+
3dMark03: 3439

 

[Guest]

Weird stuff really but hey! you got it working hehe