OS won"t install

[belikemike]

I picked up a hp pavilion 360n desktop about 5 years old.
It was running very poorley,couldn't quite make it to the desktop. Was running XP. Went into bois and everything checked out. I don't have the original restore discs which came with this system new. Tried to install my OS, win xp pro. Loaded all files fine but when I went to format the HD a message came up: A problem has been detected $ Windows has been shut down to prevent damage. Check avaliable disc space. Check hardware vendor for bios updates. disable bus memory options such as caching or shadowing. Tech info stop; oxoooo8e..... mor letters and numbers.
I formated the HD on my computer, tried again this time I skipped the format process. Loaded files fine but when I pressed enter to install windows I got the same message. Tried a different HD, same thing.
Is it possible I need the original restore disc. Could all the OEM HP parts be coded in some way to reject any but their disc. Reset cmos no go.
AMD 1900, 512 pc 133, 80 gig HG, HP writer and dvdrom. av7-vm
Anyone have ideas?

[DMR]

When it occurs during the XP installation process, the error you are receiving usually points to a problem with your physical RAM (either a defective module or an incompatible module configuration).
Please post the full and exact contents of the error message, as the 0x0000008E code in the Stop error you're getting only indicates the general category of the error.

[belikemike]

Ram sticks are definetly different or mismatched. Both are 256 sdram. one is much taller than the other. Loades win 98 perfectly after reformating fat 32.
error code is 0x00008e 0xc0000006 ox81081a799 oxf7333924 0x0000000
I'll google ram sticks. Perhaps thats also why this is the slowest AMD 1900 you could imagine.
Also the bios is 1998. Could update to a 2002 version. Computer in 2002.
Thanks for your reply.

[DMR]

* Did you have XP Pro installed before, or was it XP Home?
* Is the new version of XP Service Pack 2, but the old version was SP1?
* Can you give us any details about the problem(s) the computer was having to begin with that caused you to reinstall?

* Here's the official article from Micorsoft concerning the RAM possibility:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315335
If you want to stress-test your RAM, you can do that by making a bootable disk with the free memtest386 utility on it.

* Given the age of the BIOS, I'd definitely update it if possible.

[belikemike]

XP home sp1. X owner claims to have made it to desktop. I never made it thet far. She has been ripped horribly by too different shops. One claimed she had a virus and charged her $290.
She got 2 months out of it. I believe the other shop switched a memory stick.
Other than that I know little. I will get a matching ram recommended for this machine.
update the bois and do a memtest. Thankyou for your expertise.

[DMR]

You're welcome. Let us know the results of trying the RAM,BIOS, etc. possibilities.

[belikemike]

Here is an update to bios update and ram test.
Tested both sticks of ram in each slot w/ memtest, no errors
Bios update went fine. Recieved same error message when I tried to load OS.
For what it's worth I will give the exact stop error code. 0x0000008E (0xc0000006,0x8090EEA7,
0xf73D26EC, 0x00000000) Could the memory sticks each be good on their own but not be compatable as a pair, I didn't test with both sticks in at once, but did test in each slot.
The only thing left to do is change MB. Change HP writer and dvd rom. As I've said it loades 98 fine, my xp OS disc is good. two 168 pin sdram sticks but quite different. Any ideas, I'm in no hurry. Thanks