OMG, I cannot install XP for the life of me.

Ok, so I am trying to do a clean install of XP pro. I have tried to do it on two different hard drives, one of which is brand new, and it gets through the format stage just fine, installs the windows files, reboots and shows the won xp splash screen, then as it should go to the windows set up, it displays a big BSOD:

Check for viruses on your computer. Remove any newly installed hard drives or hard drive controllers. Check the hard drive to make sure it is properly confugured and terminated. Run CHKDSK /F to check for hard drive corruption, and then restart your computer.

Technincal information:

*** STOP: 0x0000007B (0xF7C7A640,0xc0000034,0x0000000,0x0000000)

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No viruses on new or old hard drive. Make sure it is properely configured? do they mean the jumpers? well, they are in the proper position. I have no idea how to run the CHKDSK thingy, but I don't see how two harddrives could both be corrupted.

Anybody? thank you.

Just a couple of questions as i have had the same problem..

1. what kind of cdrom are you trying to install with??? switch it if you can.

2. I maybe mistaken but dont the athalon 64s (opterons?) have to have a special version of xp 64bit i think that i may be wrong on, from there you have to start looking at ram/videocard and such that might be the problem

1. it's an ASUS, it has worked many times before, and I doubt it is the source of the problem.

2. no

anybody?

EDIT: first harddrive was an 80gig maxtor ata133 8meg cache,
second was a WD 160gig ata100 8meg cache, both 7500rpm

Now it is giving me another error message of the type: "Driver_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" what driver is it talking about? I have no drivers installed. this is driving me nuts.. anybody have any suggestions?

take one of the drives out(the one that u are not going to install windows on)and try again. make sure that bios reconizes the drive, make it the master device, and windows setup also reconizes the drive. it is also possible that copy of windows is bad (yes they do go bad).

remove all PCI cards and other items you dont need - if you got 2 sticks of ram take one out and try each one with the set up.

remove all extras from the system - process of elimination

also just because your cdrom worked fine before - does not always mean it works fine now

I would start fresh.Take the floppy disk from the maker of the drive and delete the MBR or do a low level format.Once you are done doing that go here and start the install with the 6 floppy disk set.
http://www.bootdisk.com/

alien dork said:

take one of the drives out(the one that u are not going to install windows on)and try again. make sure that bios reconizes the drive, make it the master device, and windows setup also reconizes the drive. it is also possible that copy of windows is bad (yes they do go bad).

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I have only been trying one hard drive at the time. The bios recognizes everything inthe proper order. I have used this copy of windows for a year now, the CD isn't scratchedor anything... how do they go bad anyway.

Mr.Guvernment said:

remove all PCI cards and other items you dont need - if you got 2 sticks of ram take one out and try each one with the set up.

remove all extras from the system - process of elimination

also just because your cdrom worked fine before - does not always mean it works fine now

Click to expand...

No PCI devices, tried one stick of ram and still no go. I have even tried other memory from another computer and it is still a no go.

I have tried with bare minimum.. if I remove anymore items, there won't be anything to boot up.

diehrd said:

I would start fresh.Take the floppy disk from the maker of the drive and delete the MBR or do a low level format.Once you are done doing that go here and start the install with the 6 floppy disk set.
http://www.bootdisk.com/

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Take the floppy disk from the maker of what drive? From the HDD? neither came with a floppy disk, not hing came with a floppy disk. I don't even have a floppy drive anymore.

I am starting fresh, new harddrive, new mobo, new CPU.

Anybody else have any ideas? maybe I should RMA the motherboard, but it seems to function properly due to the little diagnostics LED (never flashes an error).

Just my 2 cents...When you have H/D issues it is almost a must that you have a Floppy drive for convience.Memory testing and hard drive testing is done in dos.........Usually issues around installing Xp can be resolved by wiping the drive..

Just yesterday I gave the drive wipe info to another member that could not install XP ..he wiped the drive and now has XP running perfectly..

Ok, I got the thing fixed, it turns out this board has an issue with undervolting the vcore, which I was fully aware of, but for some crazy reason, I overlooked. It tried to boot @ 1.4vcore, so that was causing all the mess.

Thanks all for your time.

for future problem solving, most hdd manufacturers have test software on there websites, and if the drive goes bad, you mneed to use it before they will issue you an RMA, good to have before you need it. Great to hear you got it working!

dreIU said:

Ok, I got the thing fixed, it turns out this board has an issue with undervolting the vcore, which I was fully aware of, but for some crazy reason, I overlooked. It tried to boot @ 1.4vcore, so that was causing all the mess.

Thanks all for your time.

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Rule of thumb - ALWAYS install your OS at STOCK/Default,,,,then start your OC/'UnderClock' as the case may be,,,,,,,

jajmon said:

Rule of thumb - ALWAYS install your OS at STOCK/Default,,,,then start your OC/'UnderClock' as the case may be,,,,,,,

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Yes, I know this. I was at completely stock speeds (except for my ram, which was running at 200 instead of 233, but that won't matter). There is a problem with some of these boards where you select the stock vcore of 1.55, but it undervolts to something like 1.42, which clearly isn't enough to boot into windows.

I hope that is more clear.