Finally all the 64bit drivers I need are available. So thought I would finally install the XP 64bit, I brought ages ago, on my PC. Very simple except I want to use a cluster size on the disk other than the XP default of 4k.
So formatted my Raptor 150Gb for cluster size of 8k, everything else standard. Put in the XP 64bit CD. It finds my hard disk and I tell it to leave the current file system intact. It installs that basic files and then reboots. On reboot I get the error msg "A Disk Read Error Occurred. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart".
After further testing I found that if I get the XP 64bit installation to setup the partition or do it myself also with the default 4k cluster size, then XP64 installs fine without a problem. Also tested with other cluster sizes and found the same behavior.
Then my memory woke up and I remembered that I had the same problem with an XP SP2 slipstream disk I had made, but on another Western Digital drive. At the time I thought I had just screwed up the slipstream procedure and just went back to using my SP1 installation disk which has never shown these problems.
I have searched around the Internet and these forums but could not find a mention of the problem. The closest thing was people having problems with installing raid drives. I am not using my drive in a raid config.
So my question is whether it is a known issue that XP, post SP1, won't install on a partition with cluster size other than 4k? Or is it an issue with my hardware. I have tired the same thing on some of my other drives and they have had the same problem. But then they are all Western Digital SATA drives. Is the installation procedure I have used faulty? Have other people been able to install XP64 on a SATA drive with cluster size other than 4k?
Please no comments to the effect of 'Why do you want to use a different cluster size to the default, it's rubbish'. I don't need a discussion on the merits of different cluster sizes. I just want to find out where I might be going wrong.
Thanks in advance for any advise.
Athlon 4000+
1 Gb Corsair XMS
Asus A8N-SLI Premium 1009
WD Raptor 150 Gb
Gforce 7800 GT
Audigy 4
Enermax Liberty 500W
So formatted my Raptor 150Gb for cluster size of 8k, everything else standard. Put in the XP 64bit CD. It finds my hard disk and I tell it to leave the current file system intact. It installs that basic files and then reboots. On reboot I get the error msg "A Disk Read Error Occurred. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart".
After further testing I found that if I get the XP 64bit installation to setup the partition or do it myself also with the default 4k cluster size, then XP64 installs fine without a problem. Also tested with other cluster sizes and found the same behavior.
Then my memory woke up and I remembered that I had the same problem with an XP SP2 slipstream disk I had made, but on another Western Digital drive. At the time I thought I had just screwed up the slipstream procedure and just went back to using my SP1 installation disk which has never shown these problems.
I have searched around the Internet and these forums but could not find a mention of the problem. The closest thing was people having problems with installing raid drives. I am not using my drive in a raid config.
So my question is whether it is a known issue that XP, post SP1, won't install on a partition with cluster size other than 4k? Or is it an issue with my hardware. I have tired the same thing on some of my other drives and they have had the same problem. But then they are all Western Digital SATA drives. Is the installation procedure I have used faulty? Have other people been able to install XP64 on a SATA drive with cluster size other than 4k?
Please no comments to the effect of 'Why do you want to use a different cluster size to the default, it's rubbish'. I don't need a discussion on the merits of different cluster sizes. I just want to find out where I might be going wrong.
Thanks in advance for any advise.
Athlon 4000+
1 Gb Corsair XMS
Asus A8N-SLI Premium 1009
WD Raptor 150 Gb
Gforce 7800 GT
Audigy 4
Enermax Liberty 500W