hi

I am trying to install XP Pro on compaq presario 700 and keep getting errors in installing devices. Stop: 0x0000007e sysaudio.sys

I have gone into the bios to disable the onboard sound, but only get 3 options in the Phoenixbios setup utility:

MAIN - BOOT - EXIT

According to phoenix specs there should be more options. There is nowhere to disable shadowing or anything else. All i can do is change the parrell port etc. Any ideas would be greatfully received.

Cheers guys

Forget BIOS changes you've read in the Phoenix info. Compaq uses a proprietary interface for BIOS setup, not the standard one. Many of the normal features are unavailable for change. Many large companies do this to their PCs, and can even use the technique to limit your capability for upgrading processors etc.

To install XP Pro you need to first download the appropriate drivers and save them to CD. Get them from Compaq's website, where you'll first need to determine which Presario 700 of the many, many models you have.

Then boot from the XP CD, delete the existing partition and create a new one in its place. This will completely remove all information on the drive, so be sure you've backed up essential data first.

Create a new partition in the reclaimed space, install XP and then install the drivers you downloaded previously. Reload your software, copy your data back if need be, and all should be good.

That laptop should have come with XP home. It should also have come with a recovery CD or some other means of reloading the original OS and programs. Is there any reason for not doing this, as it would be the best way to proceed.

It sounds to me like you are trying to Install XP Pro as an 'upgrade' to an XP Home installation which is in a mess. That doesn't, and can't work! It'll make things worse not better.

thx catwaezle

The recovery cd didn't work. so what i did, was booted from xp cd, deleted partition and created a new one using long format option and NTFS. It then copied files and started to install. However, when it starts installing devices it always stops at the same point with the stop: sysaudio.sys error. It suggests disabling shadowing but i cannot do this because of the options in bios. So i have started with a clean install. What i do not understand from your answer however, is when i have downloaded the drivers etc from the compaq site and save them to cd, i can only install these once windows has installed. Am i worng here? TIA

That's correct. When installing devices, is it asking you for input? If so, cancel out of any hardware installation dialogues you encounter, and let the installation proceed without installing the related devices.

Installing the device drivers afterwards will fix it up.

there is no input. just installing devices then stops.

What happens if it 'hangs' when installing a device, and you press reset? Does the install continue? Have you tried?

have to reset then computer restarts and restarts the install from the beginning of installing devices. there is no user input anywhere.

Did you ever try to determine WHY the Recovery CD didn't work? Are you sure that you followed the correct procedures? Was the CD damaged?

Seems to me that it's likely you'll either need a replacement Recovery CD, or else learn to create a customised installation CD which loads the drivers as part of the install. That's a quite complex and advanced procedure.

Have another good look in BIOS Setup in case the entry is 'nested' and you've missed it, and try contacting the Compaw support section to see if they can assist.

replaced ram, ram causes read error or device errors when installing windows xp if ram doesn,t work you have a bad motherboard.

disable your onboard audio and it will let you install xp on my computer i have to press f10 when computer comes on