OS Install prob.

Friend has computer specs below. He upgraded ram from 126 to 252 to install XP but this is what happens, When reading commences it reaches 17% then freezes, have tried numerous times and it freezes at 17%. So we try going back to Win98 and this then freezes at 'Preparing Directory' at 0% this has occured countless times as well. Have swapped Ram/Rom/hard drive still to no avail, Have done a F Disk and HD has been formatted several times. Hard Drive was operational with Win NT before he was given it. So I'm at a loss, but I thought one of you geeks may pinpoint prob as exact symptons are ever recurring. Tried all the usual like taking disc out and turning/reseating ram etc.
Mobo MX841
Ram 256 of pc 133
Pent 111 @ 677 mhtz
FSB set to 133mhtz any ideas plz..

 

Have you tried a different cd-rom? I know I had problem installing xp using an older cd-rom drive. Ended up copying the cd to the hard drive and ran it off the hard drive. Installed fine from there.

 

Yes in answer but I thought I already stated that ...[swapped Ram/Rom/hard drive still to no avail] ...What I did fail to mention is when trying to install Win98 it completed a 'scandisk' successfully so that I assume OK's the HD. The stick of 256 PC133 Ram is second hand and I could check that in another com.. The first purchase of the same was no good so was replaced with this one. What puzzles me is that it freezes at exactly the same place on each attempted install, so if it was memory would that then not be a random freeze ??

 

The only time I've seen problems like this is when the CMOS battery is dying. For the cost, it may be worth eliminating that as a suspect!

 

Well after finally getting hold of a battery (great shortage hereabouts) it has made no difference at all, still freezes at exactly the same place. Tried a friends XP disc to check but that froze the same at 17% at driver.cab. Reseated RAM again, tried the Win98 and that froze at the same place, have tried taking out disc and giving it half a turn. So where do we go from here Geeks, rattle that grey matter

 

Well, at this point, you could try swapping out parts such as the HDD, or RAM for known good ones, but it may be just as economical to purchase a working refurbed system

 

does the whole system freeze, mouse and everything and do you have to hard reboot? if so the only problems i would think could do this other then what you have already checked is the motherboard or the processor(overheating maybe). also so are you sure its frozen and not just doing a lot seeing as this system is only at 667Mhz it might look like its frozen but its just working really hard, have you tried to give it some time and see if it moves one try giving it 10-30 minutes and see what happens? any weird noises?

 

Yes its a total freeze, no activity light no mouse no keyboard .. no weird noises though.. I was thinking of overheat but the regularity of the freeze I suspect something else. But I suppose I could take out processor and reseat with some Artic Silver which would clear up the overheat prob. I have got case lid off and heatsink is functioning OK. The guy who owns it was given it (as he has little money) by our local health authority and he said he may be able to beg another. But this is Damn annoying not be able to pinpoint it. I think maybe I will go fetch and bring to my house and do some serious work on it as his room is so small and dark.. thanx for interest and replies, I'll keep you all posted

 

I've had problems like this before but it has always turned out to be the cd or cd-rom. Try changing the IDE controller that the cd-rom is on, if is slaved with the HDD then use a seperate cable and make the cd-rom the master. If it is on its own cable then slave it with the HDD (setting the HDD to master). I also get some wierd failures on older pc's if the HDD isnt set as master (cd-rom would be master and HDD set to slave -- not sure why some manufactorers did that)..

 

Could still try copying it to the hard drive and trying to install it from there. If that doesn't work at least you've eliminated the connection to the cd-rom as the problem.

 

hi,what hardware is installed is it just cpu,hardrive,memory is there a soundcard or other cards installed?

also have u had a good rumage around the bios some settings in there can somtimes upset installations.

 

No has no PCI cards at all. I brought the HD home and put it in one of my coms and started to load XP and I noticed even with 1 gig of memory it still stuck at 17% but only for a minute then continued with a succesful install, whilst it was reading 17% driver-cab at least i had activity light which doesnt on his so the next step is to try on his again and leave well alone when it reaches the critical part 17%. Will keep ya posted..