PC is Freezing on Windows Installation

I think I would class this as a Hardware problem BUT

Firstly Pc Specs
Mobo - Asus A8v-X
Ram - 512mb Kingston
Nvidia Gefore go gfx
AMD 3500 Proccessor
Maxtor 160gb HD
Sony DVD ROM

I put my Xp pro CD in and it boots i choose which partition i want to use and whether or not i want to format the drive, in my case i formatted the drive.

Windows starts to copy files - gets to about 2% sometimes 3 and then freezes - the CDROM and HD are all still revved up as it would normally do for an installation but the PC is totally unresonsive and i can leave it like this for hours and it wont budge.

I am assuming something is nackered, can anyone guide me to what might be nackered or maybe something is wrong in the bios.......anythingconfused

I really need this PC setting up ASAP so all help will be appreciated guys.

 

Hi mate are you doing a quick format or normal format?

 

I've tried both

 

K cos sometimes quick format can make install hang... have you tested your HDD? if not download the Ultimate Boot CD it has a maxtor disk tester and also the very good drive fitness test.

 

Why are you re-installing windows? What happened before?

Studio T

 

New Buildd- well not new mobo, hd and ram are old.....although i know the hd and ram work cos av tested them in another machine

 

what HD testing software did you use?

 

i havent i have actually fully installed windows and run it........and that is good enough for me....and if it wont install on another machine then somethings telling me its not the hard drive

 

So what sort of XP pro CD is it?
Problems have been reported between SP2 versions and Asus boards, albeit later in the install cycle.

Studio T

 

Just normal Windows XP Pro SP2

 

Corporate? OEM? Microsoft? Recovery Disk?

Studio T

 

Ok, just changed that with a 1gb chip...

 

tis OEM

 

What's on the other partition? Are you also running ddo?

TIMW has just reminded me of this link

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_haldll_missing.htm

Studio T

 

Well i just tried installing on a 40gb - formatted it - quick and slow and its doing the same thing - all these drives work on other machines so it CANT be the drives - av checked the memory could this be a mobo issueconfused

 

Hey everyone. I'm having the same problem on a Presario Laptop. AMD Sempron, 512 mb RAM, 40 Gb HD. It's my sister's computer and was running really really slow. I cleaned it all up but was still choppy. I backed up her data on my external HD and ran the Compaq XP CD on boot up. The installation lags at the same place with the regular format. I can do a quick reformat but want to reformat correctly the HD.

Any ideas?