Member Avatar for mikeandike22

my friend has a really crappy computer that he has messed up even more so yesterday i said i would help him reinstall everything. The problem was he didn't have the discs all he had was this crappy hp tools program that does a system recovery. I did that and it did everuthing but now when you restart it says that setup is not complete and it will start again only thing is it doesn't the computer just restarts and the error message appears again. The only xp cd i have is for a dell could i just use that to do a clean install on his system.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Catweazle

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A compact troubleshooting checklist and practical tips to stop the "setup is not complete" reboot loop and get the machine ready for a clean XP install, building on points from , and .

First, break the loop before attempting another install:

  • Remove every piece of removable media (CD, USB drive, memory card) so the system does not boot the installer again.
  • Check BIOS/boot order (HPs commonly use F2/F10/Esc at power-on) and set the internal hard drive ahead of CD/PXE. Disable network/PXE boot.
  • During the short pause after POST, press F8 to try "Last Known Good Configuration" or "Safe Mode" — if setup can finish from there it avoids a full reinstall.
  • If that fails, boot from any XP setup disc into the Recovery Console and run basic repairs: chkdsk to scan for filesystem problems, then fixboot/fixmbr if the boot sector is damaged.

Preparing for a clean install and avoiding common snags:

  • If the installer cannot see the drive, switch the BIOS SATA mode to "IDE/compatibility" or be ready to use the F6 driver-load step (requires a floppy) for modern SATA controllers.
  • When doing a fresh installation, delete existing partitions and create a new one, then do a full format (not quick) to reveal any bad sectors.
  • Keep the HP COA/product-key handy and download critical drivers (chipset/storage first, then LAN, video) from the OEM site before going online.

Notes and cautions:

  • Back up any data before altering partitions. Vendor recovery media and OEM CDs vary; driver and activation issues are normal after mixing vendor media, so prioritize getting the system stable, then install drivers in the order above.

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Member Avatar for Member #2466

Get a full copy CD of XP. It doesn't need to be for this particular computer. Install it. Don't activate it. If you only have an OEM (non bootable) copy...we can work around this...I won't explain it unless you need me to. For now, I'm assuming that you have a full bootable copy of XP Pro.

Go to Microsoft KB and follow the directions. Change your key while following the directions to the key that should be on a sticker on the back of his HP computer. You should be all set now.

Member Avatar for Catweazle

You will also need to download all the necessary device drivers from HPs website. Post the complete model number of that HP PC here if you have troubles locating them, and we can help you work out what is needed. They should ideally be downloaded on a different PC and burnt to CD ready to install.

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