Installing XP - Copies files, then...

[Emirzan]

...nothing. Very irritating. I've read about problems where people have trouble copying files from the cd and the installation fails that way but this is different. The copying process goes fine, nothing skipped at all. Then when it comes to the point where it restarts the machine and claims "setup will continue once your computer has restarted" it simply doesn't.

That is the computer restarts but the setup does not continue. I just get a black screen and nothing happens.

If anyone could shed light on what's gone wrong that would be great, I'm not sure if it's some bios setting that i've got wrong or what.

Also since I know all the relevant files to install XP have been copied to the hard drive (took it out and put it in external bay and attached it to my laptop to look) is there someway of getting these to install by manually typing commands in the repair console (or otherwise)??

[Stringent]

It could be one of two things.

1. Dodgy original media
2. Optical drive faulty used to copy

I have had it when trying to install XP that the problem you describe occurs. It has either been one of the above. Mostly an ageing optical drive (or in some cases a dodgy new one!) or the media used. I sometimes use a downloaded slipstream image of Windows XP (with the latest Service Pack) and sometimes the CD I use is off.

[Koolpc]

After all the files are copied across and the PC restarts, go into the Bios and change the boot priority back to the Hard Drive. See what happens

[Emirzan]

Hmmm, I've had the SATA optical drive I'm using for a while now and I have actually managed a win 7 beta installation using that very drive. Given that was totally successful would it be reasonable to assume that it's a dodgy xp cd in this case and not the optical drive?

I'm using a fresh copy of slipstreamed xp image that I've used successfully on other machines. I suppose this particular cd might have been a bad burn though. Worth re-writing it?

[badass]

Is your SATA controller set to emulate or AHCI mode?
If its set to AHCI, try setting it to emulate instead.
Doubt it's that as it should bluescreen saying inaccessible boot device IIRC but you never know.

[Emirzan]

I've found a solution. KoolPC, I tried changing the order of boot devices but it made no difference. After this I decided to have a play with the repair console before going through the hassle of finding another slipstream XP image to burn.

Turns out there was the remenants of the old win 7 boot sector on the partition that used to have that beta on (not the same one I'm trying to install XP on). I thought that XP would write a new boot sector and ignore any commands that the old win 7 left in place, I was wrong.

A simple couple of fix boot commands in the repair console using the bootrec.exe solved the problem. Namely:

Bootrec.exe /fixMBR
Bootrec.exe /fixBoot

When restarting the computer it now booted straight into the second part of the XP installation with no trouble at all. Just goes to show everyone should still retain a few basic dos commands even now. Thanks for the prompt replies at this time of night guys.