Reinstall XP very slow

My Windows crashed (blue screen, sorry, didn't capture the message) on my 4 year old Dell Dimension 4500 and I could not restore/repair.

I've tried to re-install Windows XP but it takes a VERY long time (hours and hours) to run through the process. For example, at the screen that says "installing windows" the duration states installation will take 39 minutes. Instead this process has taken several hours as the different steps are slowly completed.

I installed a new hard drive with the same results. No other new devices installed, and I am using the reinstall disc that came with the Dell.

Any idea what else it could be? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. My kids use this machine for the most part and they are experiencing withdrawal over their summer vacation.

 

From what I remember 12-14 hours to re-install Windows XP is too long. I've had to do this before on this machine and it did not take this long.

It has also done so on two different hard drives.

Once the install is complete, I still can not boot up completely. Only the background image on my main screen appears, no icons or bar or start button at the bottom of the screen.
According to task manager, CPU usage is 100%.

 

Brand new HD, replaced the old HD on the same Dell machine. Format went fine. Only slow down was re-installing XP from the Dell disc.

 

No errors, nothing skipped, just took forever.
It's a Dell Dimension 4500, Pentium 4, 1.8 GHz, 256 MG Ram, 40 M hard drive (replaced with 120 M HD with same results).

Thanks for taking your time to help and sorry if I keep leaving information out.

 

Maybe way off track but i had a similar problem with a Dimension 9100, i was re-installing with about 4 USB devices connected it took forever. I ended starting again after pulling the USB cables out and it was fine.

As posted before it could well be something infecting the MBR on the disc but you have changed the HDD right, so should effect it?

Are you installing cleanly? i.e no other devices connected, printer/scanner etc?

 

Thanks for the info.
I have kept my printer, scanner, and DSL modem attached while reinstalling. I will remove and try again, but will that correct the issue that I can not boot up completely? and just get the background image on my main screen without icons or bar or start button at the bottom of the screen?

I haven't installed a second video adapter.

 

Safe mode-wasn't working on the old HD, but I haven't tried it on the new. I'll try it and see what happens.

Could the RAM have gone bad? Can it be replaced?

 

Doubtful Rob, my experience was a very long install while the devices were connected, i would look at Tim's Microsoft suggestion first. But if you are re-installing from scratch make sure the machine is at its bare minimum first, i.e internals, no additional video adaptors etc

 

Two things might be happening here that I can think of, One:-Is your "New" HD from Dell, there have been some problems reported trying to reinstall with Non Dell HD's. Two:- With MS's new authentication process, some have had problems installing new HD's. If you can get to "Safe Mode" try updating MS Windows.

 

I'll try the suggestions.
Thanks everyone!

 

that sounds so MS! did Bill Gates buy Dell while I was sleeping?

When I try one of the MS defenders against spyware, I get the message that my validation code is invalid (perfectly legal copy). I don't seem to get the message anywhere else.

abri