Member Avatar for imrickyduh

This is exactly what happens from start to finish everytime I turn on my pc.

Power On.
Goes thru til Boot from CD to install windows XP Pro.
(for some reason my dvd-burner drive won't recognize the cd in the drive and doesn't ask me to push any key to load setup)
My 2nd cd drive recognizes it and loads it up.

-This is usually where most of the problems start.

It has started loading the xp setup cd and after its done loading the drivers from the cd it says Starting Windows and it has frozen there.

I have been able to install windows up to 17 minutes left before it'd stop or freeze. But also I note that when it installs it goes really slow, for example: The time it takes normally from 36 min left to 26 min left should be about 10 min in real time. Well for me it took about 45 min real time, maybe longer.

But I also just was having a problem installing windows onto the hard drive so I bought a new one and keep the slave drive and switch the master drive. Also bought a new IDE cable because I noticed my last one was pulled a little out.

I will say that before I tried reinstalling windows the pc was working but would freeze sometimes while I was using it. Then it got bad and I had to try and reinstall.

So I'm trying to see what I could test or try to figure out this problem, or with any of this info someone could have some advice.

I use:

AMD Athlon 2.0 GHz
1 gig ram
160 gig hd
80 gig hd
soundblaster audigy card
geforce 7600 GS
dvd-burner
cd-drive

If you need any more info post and Ill repost.

  • 3 Contributors
  • 4 Replies
  • 131 Views
  • 10 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by koldawne

Dani AI

Generated

Good pointers from and — here is a concise, prioritized checklist that isolates the likely causes and gives practical tests to run next.

Start with a minimal hardware configuration: one stick of RAM in the primary slot, the boot drive only (disconnect any extra HDDs, card readers and front-panel USB), no add‑in cards, and a single optical drive. Bootable diagnostics make this simple: run a full memory pass with MemTest86 (MemTest86) and let it complete multiple passes; any errors point straight to bad RAM or a bad slot. While powered down, do a visual inspection of the motherboard for swollen or leaking capacitors and ensure the CPU heatsink is firmly seated.

If memory and caps look OK, exercise the storage and power systems. Run the drive manufacturer’s bootable diagnostics (for Seagate: SeaTools) to check SMART and do short/long surface tests. If a bootable test shows drive errors, replace the drive or try a different drive to eliminate the HDD. For PSU checks either swap in a known-good unit or use a basic PSU tester/multimeter and observe voltages under load — large deviations or instability mean replace the PSU.

If hardware checks pass, the install media or drivers are the remaining suspects. Create a fresh install medium (burn at low speed or make a bootable USB), or use a slipstreamed XP+SP3 disc; alternatively use a diagnostics collection like Ultimate Boot CD (Ultimate Boot CD) to run tests and install from different media. Change only one variable at a time and record exactly which install phase fails; that information helps narrow the cause to RAM, power, drive, or media/driver issues before replacing parts.

Recommended Answers

All 4 Replies

Member Avatar for imrickyduh

Oh and before it started to even freeze it worked fine for a few months. Did something die or short? I have tried resetting cmos and formatting hd's and other stuff. Could it be my power supply?

Member Avatar for caperjack

yes it could be you psu,also bad psu can cause Processor and motherboard problems ,it also could be dust build up on the cpu fan ,causing a heat problem ,also you should try removing all addin cards ,like sound and you video card, if you have onboard video use it instead ,when install windows .and the dvd not reading the disk could just be that its not in the list of bootup disks ,or because its the slave on the ide cable .

Member Avatar for imrickyduh

yes it could be you psu,also bad psu can cause Processor and motherboard problems ,it also could be dust build up on the cpu fan ,causing a heat problem ,also you should try removing all addin cards ,like sound and you video card, if you have onboard video use it instead ,when install windows .and the dvd not reading the disk could just be that its not in the list of bootup disks ,or because its the slave on the ide cable .

well i cleaned it thoroughly and even tho there was dust buildup it didnt change anything. I also tried it with all the add in cards removed like vid card and sound crad but now i cant get past after xp cd loads it wont get to the part where u have to push f8 to accept the agreement and can't install. And I do find it wierd that it won't start the cd from my dvd drive, cuz it seems the other one goes rly slow.

EDIT: Installing windows right now, will update soon.

Member Avatar for koldawne

If it fails, note which portion of the install is failing. On the same screen as the timer [where it says "Setup will complete in approximately XX minutes" ] there are several categories..where does it fail?

Additionally, you may want to run a memory diagnostic. Potentially the system memory may be failing. If you have more than 1 DIMM try removing one and seeing if it still fails at the same place - if so try with the other one.

As for your CD/DVD drives..which one is on the top? Normally, the top one is the one that will be the 'bootable' one. If the DVD drive is the bottom one then likely this is the reason you can't get it to boot.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.