WinXP Format Stuck at 20%

I just installed a brand new 160 GB hard drive on my parent's old-ish Dell Dimension 3000. (That was fun because I had to get an IDE to SATA converter...) I am trying to put Windows XP back on it (I get Win7, Windows Vista, and WinXP free from my school, but I've used up all my Win7 product keys). I created a CD with the boot files from the ISO I downloaded, but I have to boot from the XP upgrade CD my parents have and then insert the CD I created to continue the installation. Unfortunately, it won't boot from a USB flash drive.

So I start the installation, and I get as far as formatting the disk. The first time I did it, it was stuck at 0% for several hours, so I turned it off and started over, deleting the attempted partition. This time I chose quick format (NTFS), and it went to 20% but got stuck. I left it overnight, came back in the morning; still in the same place. I'm not sure what to do now. I would just format it using GParted on a live Ubuntu disk, but again, it won't boot from a flash drive and I don't have any blank DVD's. I happened to have a CD-RW, which is big enough for XP, so I was able to use that.

Does anybody have any suggestions, or should I just go get some DVD's and try installing Vista instead?

 

Try creating a specific partition rather than letting it take over all unallocated space. So on the where do you want to install Windows screen. Delete the large ~150gb partition and create a new one say 100-120gb. Then format that one. See if you get any further.

Which model dell is it? Usually printed in the circle by the power button.

 

I tried doing a 20 GB partition, but it jumps right up to 20% and then stays there. It's a Dell Dimension 3000, 1.5 GB RAM, Intel Celeron 330, 160 GB HDD. It's kind of old, but it runs well and we've had XP on it for years. It only had 1 hard drive connection, though, so I had to replace the old one rather than just expand it.

 

Hmm, XP and a 160GB HDD; are you using XP Media Center or XP SP1 or later?

 

I'm not sure what is going on here.

I wonder if it could be due to the converter card? You have a SATA HD and a connecting to an IDE motherbaord correct? Do you have a link to the card model number? (I'm wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences)

The other thought is Dell documentation lists USB as a possible boot device. (I see where others say it can't but the docs say it can) Try connecting a USB thumb drive and hitting F12 to see if you get a boot list that includes USB. If it does include USB then you could try a GParted USB to partition.

 

It's XP Pro with SP3. However, when I start up the computer, it won't load straight from the install disk I made, only from the XP Pro Upgrade disk that I have from a while back when we upgraded from Home Premium or whatever came with it to Pro because my dad was using it for work. Maybe that's causing issues...could anyone tell me how to make an XP disk bootable? I just mounted the ISO using Daemon Tools and then burned the files to the disk.

 

I think the adapter is working because it's recognizing that it has a hard disk, but here's the URL for the device:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812270269

I tried the first time with a flash drive, and it showed up as one of the options in the Setup menu (not in the Boot menu though) although it said "Not installed" next to it.

 

Try burning the ISO using CDBurnerXP

 

Actually it's booting Ubuntu from a flash drive now...perhaps I just didn't do the XP flash drive right. I don't have a tool to make the flash drive bootable to WinXP like I do for Win7, so I just formatted it and copied the files over, but apparently that's not enough. Ideas? I'll use Ubuntu to format the disk and then see if XP will install from the CD.

 

It's installing now, thanks everyone!

 

I think your plan is the way to go forward. Use Linux to format the partition. Burn the XP3 ISO to the CD using CdburnerXP or (imgburn -- Make sure to use the Write Image File to Disc option if you use imgburn).

Edit: Good job! Looks like I ate too leisurely a dinner.