Brand new WindowsXP install - can't boot!

I have just installed WindowsXP fresh on a spare HD. Next I tried to install the drivers for a SoundBlaster Audigy2 ZS sound card. Didn't work. Installer couldn't find the device. (It's there and works find with other HDs.) So I installed ATI Catalyst Driver Suite for the video card. That worked.

Now I can't boot normally into WindowsXP. It gets as far as the WindowsXP splash screen for about a second then gives me the "We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not successfully." screen. If I allow it to "Start Windows normally" it just starts over at the MB screen and goes back to the "We apologize..." screen.

I CAN start in Safe Mode, but then what?

Since the problem started with the install of the ATI stuff (which also works fine on other HDs), I went to Add/Remove while in Safe Mode and removed everything except the ATI Catalyst Control Center and Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 which it won't let me remove in Safe Mode.

This is a brand new install with nothing else hooked up or installed. What the heck is going on?

 

Try booting from the Install CD, hit R for Repair when prompted and at the command prompt in recovery console do a chkdsk/p.

 

Rather than repair, I decided to start over.

I allowed Setup to format the drive (long). Then it did the copying files thing. Then it did its automatic reboot.

At the reboot, the WindowsXP splash screen appeared briefly, then a blue screen reading: "A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer. UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" Followed by a couple of advisory paragraphs which don't apply since the operating system isn't even loaded, then: Technical information: ***STOP: 0x000000ED (more numbers).

Is there any way to get WindowsXP installed at this point?

 

I would first try doing a chkdsk/p from the recovery console and see what it says. This error is a result of a damaged file system and the chkdsk/p command could resolve the problem.

Edit: If chkdsk/p does not resolve the problem try chkdsk/r

Check this link.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297185

Disk makers also have bootable diagnostics available to check the hard drive for problems. What is the make of the drive?

 

Hard drive is a Western Digital Caviar SE, 160 GB.

I ran chkdsk /p. This showed nothing except bytes and units on disk info.

I ran chkdsk /r. Message said, CHKDSK found and fixed one or more errors on the volume.

I typed EXIT and computer rebooted.

Windows splash screen appears briefly, then blue screen message, "A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down. Technical information: (0x8951c900) 0xc0000185 0x00000000 0x00000000

Reboot and back to WindowsXP Pro setup.

Partition box showed - C: Partition1 [Unknown] 152617 MB <152617 mb free.

and

Unpartitioned space 8mb

I chose: To set up Windows on selected item press ENTER. (I left Partition1 selected)

Message appears: You chose to install WindowsXP on a partition that contains another operating system, ect.

I chose: To continue Setup using this partition, press C.

Next screen; Format the partition using NTFS file system <Quick> (I had already done it with the slow option, so what the heck.) It does it.

Setup is copying files.

Reboot. Windows splash screen followed by same blue screen, "A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer". Same numbers as before.

A 'round and 'round I go.

 

In the link I referenced it noted that you should be using a 80 wire IDE cable. Are you using one?

Edit: I am wondering if this could be because of bad install media also. You could read the disk with Imgburn and write a new one a 4X speed. This might work.

Burn the iso of the diagnostic disk. Boot and see if it finds any errors.

http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=606&sid=30&lang=en

 

I've tried 2 cables, an old one and a new one. I don't know how many wires (There are 20 holes on the ends and 40 ridges on the ribbon, how would I know if its 40 or 80?), but the older cable has worked fine on this computer for years.

This is a brand new OEM WindowsXP Professional disc. Of course, that doesn't guarantee it's not bad.

I tried everything again and I got to the Installing Windows phase (39 minutes) this time. It'll probably crap out to the same blue screen at reboot, but I'll let it go on just in case.

 

my opinion, replace the hard drive...

if you need 1 private message me I can ship 1.

 

Chances are good it is the drive but the link I provided said the error can be due to the fact of using an IDE cable with 40 wires and not 80. If you see 40 ridges, you are using a 40 wire cable. See the image.

Also, to make sure the drive is not bad, burn the diagnostic iso and run it. Sometimes it will flag a bad drive as good but it can't hurt.

 

This time, after the Installing Windows (39 minutes) phase ran for a little while I got a box labeled:

Fatal Error. "An error has been encountered that prevents Setup from continuing. Setup failed to install the product catalogs. This is a fatal error. The setup log files should contain more information."

The setup log file read: "Error: The signature for WindowsXP Professional Setup is invalid. The error code is 80096001. A system level error occurred while verifying trust."

Next I ran the Western Digital Data Lifeguard Diagnostic utility on the HD. I did both the quick and the long and both found no errors. I then used the erase function to write 1's and 0's to clean the disc of all data.

I then tried setup again an generated a new error. After pressing Enter at the, "Setup WindowsXP on the selected item" I INSTANTLY got a screen which read; "An error occurred while setup was updating partition information on 152626 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi [MBR]. Setup cannot continue."

So next I removed each of the 3 RAM sticks and tried setup with just one of each in place. Same error as above each time, so it's not bad RAM it seems.

I even pulled out an old student edition of the WindowsXP install disc I've had for years. But no go. Same error.

I need to use this computer for some work on Monday, so I replaced the hard drive I've used on it all along which has a working WindowsXP install and it booted up and everything seems fine.

So where am I? Problem is not the WindowsXP installation disc because same error using two different discs. Problem is not memory sticks. Problem is not bad IDE cable as I've tried 2 of those. According to WD Diagnostic tool the HD is fine.

That leaves bad MB, right? But, as noted above, WindowsXP is running fine on it right now. Is it possible that an old Windows installation can run fine, but a new Windows installation will always fail due to a MB problem?

Sorry for the length, but I am trying to be thorough and clear.

 

Sorry for the late reply. I kind of lost track of this thread. The only two things I can think of is the drive is bad even though the diagnostics said it was good. Or, the computer has a hard drive controller that needs a driver that the XP install disk does not have. What is the make and model of the computer?

You could verify if the drive is bad by cloning your old drive that works to the new drive. Just remember to disconnect one of the drives before booting after the clone because if not, windows gets screwed up.

If the cloned drive still does not work, then it probably is a bad drive.

 

Thanks for your help with this problem.

Apparently all my trouble was the 40 wire IDE cable. (Actually an old one and a brand new one, both of which I tried.) I bought an 80 wire cable today and using that, I was finally able to get WindowsXP installed.

I don't understand why the 40 wire, which worked previously, was causing so much trouble but I'm just glad to get this task finished.

Again, thanks.

 

Glad you got it working and thanks for the feedback. I was thinking about something that may be the cause of the problem. The new drive may have been an ATA133. Your 40 wire cable may have just worked on the older drive but the newer faster drive needed 80 wire. Actually you should have 80wire on anything above ATA66.

 

I don't know if the drive(s) I was attempting, and finally succeeded with, is ATA133. It's a WD Cavier SE (WD3200AAJB) manufactured in 2008. The drives are several years old and when I referred to a 'new' drive, I meant the drive I was trying to install the fresh WindowsXP install on, as opposed to the 'old' drive with the old install.

 

That WD drive is ATA100. I was really surprised on how much an IDE drive like that costs now. I guess they are getting scarce because of SATA.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136109