Windows XP Installation on old hardware.

[just_laze]

Hello,

I am attempting to install Windows XP Professional on a Pentium III, 600MHz machine with 384 Ram and a 40GB hard-disk but cannot get passed the Windows Setup Screen, in particular loading the Windows Executive that follows "Set-up is inspecting your systems configuration".

I'll list what i've done in my attempt to get beyond loading the Windows Executive.

Tried an alternative copy of Windows XP Professional
Removed second cd-rom drive.
Tried an alternative cd-rom drive.
Removed excess memory, lowering the total to 128.
Reset bios to defaults.

Is there anyone else who may have become stuck at the same point i am during setup and has an idea of the kind of problems that can cause setup to freeze at this point?

Thank you,

laze.

[Splash]

how long does it sit on that screen for? May take a while to inventory your system with a low end CPU. That said, the hardware should (just) run XP.

Have you formatted the drive it's going on or are you upgrading from an installed copy of Windows?

[dangel]

check memory and hard drive for any errors?

It should, in theory, be fine - i've installed it on machines with less cpu (although more RAM) than that and it's fine..

[just_laze]

I'll run memtest86 & the hdd manfufacturers diagnostics and report back.

[just_laze]

Low-level formatted the hard-disk and ran the manufacturers diagnostic utilities, no errors.

However, memtest86 freezes on test 2 at 14%. I have tried all combinations of installing the memory modules, yet it still freezes at 14%.

Any ideas?

[peterb]

New memory?

[dangel]

Good chance that's the problem then..

[just_laze]

I've tried all 3 sticks of 128Ram independently of each other, they cannot all be faulty.

laze.

[Koolpc]

I just installed XP on a pc with a 350mhz CPU, 8gig Hard drive and 128mb ram. Took awhile but loaded ok and installed programs. Going to put another 128mb ram in.

[just_laze]

I never had any doubts whether or not the hardware was capable of running XP.

I don't suppose anyone could shed some light on the memtest86 freezing i'm experiencing? Perhaps offer a few suggestions i may not have thought of?

[TheAnimus]

try memtest86+ tends to be less buggy, it might just be a bug.

Myself i'd look at the mainboard or the CPU, is it flashed to the latest BIOS?

Could there be any simple thermal problems