XP Won't install correctly

[spellman1989]

Ok I have been working on this computer for weeks but it just won't load correctly. The computer is a very old HP 551w desktop 1.5gb ddr ram not sure about processor. I added a cd drive because the original wouldn't open. I tried to reinstall xp home using disc to a different hp pc but when it gets to the part after it formats the new partition it is supposed to restart and finish installing xp. It doesn't restart correctly the fans will still be running in the pc and the disc drive will still be spinning but the front led blinks green for about 2 or 3 minute and then restarts and the bios won't recognize the cd drive to even finish the install. So I have to take the hard drive out and format it in a different pc to get rid of errors. I have reinstalled xp on the same hard drive in a different pc and had no problems at all. So far I have tried reseating the ram chips, removing cmos battery to reset bios settings. Why won't the pc restart correctly during the installation? Any other tricks I could try? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[ryan27968]

That is a very strange issue that I wouldn't know much about. However, I have a question for you. Why the heck are you installing Windows XP? It has lost all support from Microsoft so it will have very little software support in the near future and will likely get bogged down with Viruses and Malware pretty darn quickly. The extended support ended a month ago already. Now, you might say "Its the only thing I have for this computer" but why not use Linux? If you install it permanently onto a computer, you will be surprised how usable it actually is. If you are worried that Ubuntu, Linux Mint, or something like that will run too slowly, then install Peppermint Linux. I have had a lot of success with it and it runs lightning fast on even extremely old PCs.

 

[ryan27968]

Ok, I think I figured it out actually. Make sure that your hard drive is boot priority 1 in your bios and your hard drive is after that. Most likely your pc is looking at the hard drive, and when it can't find an os, it resorts to your cd drive. But when you restart it during the install, it finds a partial os on it and tries to boot to it. which obviously will fail because it is not completely installed. However, I would still strongly recommend that you install linux instead as it will run much faster, and be more secure and just in general more useful.

 

[spellman1989]

Ok, I think I figured it out actually. Make sure that your hard drive is boot priority 1 in your bios and your hard drive is after that. Most likely your pc is looking at the hard drive, and when it can't find an os, it resorts to your cd drive. But when you restart it during the install, it finds a partial os on it and tries to boot to it. which obviously will fail because it is not completely installed. However, I would still strongly recommend that you install linux instead as it will run much faster, and be more secure and just in general more useful.

It's a lady from my church its her pc she wants it so her family won't have to use her laptop. I tried to tell her the computer is ancient technology but she insists on getting it fixed. I have tried that I have set the cd drive as 1 in bios and floppy as 2 and hard drive as 3. hoping that it would stay that way but after the crazy restart it reverts right back to itself. I have replaced the cmos battery and still get the same thing. After the restart it doesn't even give you the option of going to the bios and when i go to boot options it doesnt list the cd drive either. It only list the cd drive once I restart it using the power button. Another thing I noticed before the installation starts, right before it says press any key to boot from disc it says "No emulation". What does that mean?

 

[ryan27968]

i don't know. you will have to wait for someone else.

 

[spellman1989]

Update:

The restart problem could have been attributed to faulty power supply or incorrect jumper settings on hard drive. Changed hard drive to master jumper setting and changed power supply and XP installed flawlessly.

Now the only problem I have is it won't accept the product key from the back of the computer. I am going to reinstall XP again using an HP OEM xp home disc I got on ebay. Hopefully everything goes ok this time.

 

[FALC0N]

It should accept the product key. Are you sure the editions are the same?