Windows XP Hangs at Beginning of Install

[Guest James Egan]

When I attempt to install Windows XP on a 3 GHz clone, it gets to the

point where it says that it's "Checking hardware", then the screen goes

black, the hard drive light stays on, and it hangs like that. Is there

anything I can do to get past this or troubleshoot the problem?

[Guest Unknown]

Re: Windows XP Hangs at Beginning of Install

 

Disconnect all devices except monitor, keyboard and mouse before

installation.

"James Egan" <jegan472@comcast.net> wrote in message

news:keWdnSMORrMIxR7VnZ2dnUVZ_tTinZ2d@comcast.com...

> When I attempt to install Windows XP on a 3 GHz clone, it gets to the

> point where it says that it's "Checking hardware", then the screen goes

> black, the hard drive light stays on, and it hangs like that. Is there

> anything I can do to get past this or troubleshoot the problem?

>

>

[Guest HeyBub]

Re: Windows XP Hangs at Beginning of Install

 

James Egan wrote:

> When I attempt to install Windows XP on a 3 GHz clone, it gets to the

> point where it says that it's "Checking hardware", then the screen

> goes black, the hard drive light stays on, and it hangs like that.

> Is there anything I can do to get past this or troubleshoot the

> problem?

 

The "Hard drive" light stays on?

 

Is this a SATA drive? If so, I'm pretty sure you'll have to slip-stream the

SATA drivers into the installation CD (but some motherboards have SATA

drivers on board).

 

Can you swap hard drives - preferably to an EIDE drive?

[Guest James Egan]

Re: Windows XP Hangs at Beginning of Install

 

On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:28:26 -0500, HeyBub wrote:

> The "Hard drive" light stays on?

>

> Is this a SATA drive? If so, I'm pretty sure you'll have to slip-stream the

> SATA drivers into the installation CD (but some motherboards have SATA

> drivers on board).

>

> Can you swap hard drives - preferably to an EIDE drive?

 

 

Yes, this is a SATA drive. I don't have an EIDE to swap it. I can't

believe Windows XP just "hangs". Shouldn't it have SATA drive support?

 

-Thanks

[Guest GreenieLeBrun]

Re: Windows XP Hangs at Beginning of Install

 

 

 

James Egan wrote:

> On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:28:26 -0500, HeyBub wrote:

>> The "Hard drive" light stays on?

>>

>> Is this a SATA drive? If so, I'm pretty sure you'll have to

>> slip-stream the SATA drivers into the installation CD (but some

>> motherboards have SATA drivers on board).

>>

>> Can you swap hard drives - preferably to an EIDE drive?

>

>

> Yes, this is a SATA drive. I don't have an EIDE to swap it. I can't

> believe Windows XP just "hangs". Shouldn't it have SATA drive

> support?

>

> -Thanks

 

Get the SATA drivers for your motherboard, load them onto a floppy disk,

early in the install process you will be given the opportunity to press F6

to load the drivers.

[Guest James Egan]

Re: Windows XP Hangs at Beginning of Install

 

On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:10:29 +1000, GreenieLeBrun wrote:

> Get the SATA drivers for your motherboard, load them onto a floppy disk,

> early in the install process you will be given the opportunity to press F6

> to load the drivers.

 

 

Thanks, that sounds like a plan.

[Guest Anna]

Re: Windows XP Hangs at Beginning of Install

 

 

"James Egan" <jegan472@comcast.net> wrote in message

news:keWdnSMORrMIxR7VnZ2dnUVZ_tTinZ2d@comcast.com...

> When I attempt to install Windows XP on a 3 GHz clone, it gets to the

> point where it says that it's "Checking hardware", then the screen goes

> black, the hard drive light stays on, and it hangs like that. Is there

> anything I can do to get past this or troubleshoot the problem?

 

(And James later adds...)

> Yes, this is a SATA drive. I don't have an EIDE to swap it. I can't

> believe Windows XP just "hangs". Shouldn't it have SATA drive support?

>

> -Thanks

 

 

James:

First of all, based on the rather cursory information you've provided

concerning this problem, it doesn't sound to me as if this is a SATA driver

issue that's causing your problem, as a number of responders to your inquiry

have suggested, although it is a possibility.

 

But before anyone can furnish you with an intelligent course of action to

remedy the situation you really need to provide some detailed information

about your system and the precise nature of the problem.

 

1. What kind of a system are we dealing with here? Desktop? Laptop? OEM

machine?

2. Is this a new machine that you or someone just built? Has it ever

properly functioned with an XP OS? Why, at this time, are you installing (or

trying to install) an OS?

3. Do you know the make & model of the motherboard?

4. When you say that you "attempt to install Windows XP on a 3 GHz clone",

what exactly is the meaning of this? What's the significance of a "3 GHz

clone"? Are you attempting to fresh install the XP OS onto a SATA HDD that

is a "clone" of another HDD? Is this a new SATA HDD?

5. Or are you using "clone" to indicate this is an OEM machine?

6. And you're using a "normal" XP OS installation CD to perform the install?

7. You never can get to the XP setup screen? Or get the screen message to

"Press any key to boot to the CD"?

8. Is there another HDD in the system? What is its status?

9. Is there any possibility you may be dealing with a defective HDD? Think

it might be wise to check out the disk with a HDD diagnostic utility that's

available from the disk's manufacturer?

10. Assuming you built the machine or you're familiar with its components,

are you satisfied that all such are properly connected & configured?

Anna

[Guest HeyBub]

Re: Windows XP Hangs at Beginning of Install

 

James Egan wrote:

> On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:28:26 -0500, HeyBub wrote:

>> The "Hard drive" light stays on?

>>

>> Is this a SATA drive? If so, I'm pretty sure you'll have to

>> slip-stream the SATA drivers into the installation CD (but some

>> motherboards have SATA drivers on board).

>>

>> Can you swap hard drives - preferably to an EIDE drive?

>

>

> Yes, this is a SATA drive. I don't have an EIDE to swap it. I can't

> believe Windows XP just "hangs". Shouldn't it have SATA drive

> support?

>

 

Uh, no. SATA drives became widely available AFTER XP was released.

[Guest James Egan]

Re: Windows XP Hangs at Beginning of Install

 

On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:50:10 -0400, James Egan wrote:

> On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:10:29 +1000, GreenieLeBrun wrote:

>

>> Get the SATA drivers for your motherboard, load them onto a floppy disk,

>> early in the install process you will be given the opportunity to press F6

>> to load the drivers.

>

>

> Thanks, that sounds like a plan.

 

 

Okay, since this PC doesn't have a floppy drive, I purchased a USB floppy.

However, during the install process, I'm never prompted to insert a floppy

disk with drivers. I get to the point where the install says something

like "Setup is checking your hardware configuration". That's when the

screen goes black, the hard drive light remains on, and it just hangs.

How can I get the installer to recognize the SATA drive if I'm not

prompted for the drivers?

[Guest GreenieLeBrun]

Re: Windows XP Hangs at Beginning of Install

 

 

 

James Egan wrote:

> On Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:50:10 -0400, James Egan wrote:

>

>> On Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:10:29 +1000, GreenieLeBrun wrote:

>>

>>> Get the SATA drivers for your motherboard, load them onto a floppy

>>> disk, early in the install process you will be given the

>>> opportunity to press F6 to load the drivers.

>>

>>

>> Thanks, that sounds like a plan.

>

>

> Okay, since this PC doesn't have a floppy drive, I purchased a USB

> floppy. However, during the install process, I'm never prompted to

> insert a floppy disk with drivers. I get to the point where the

> install says something like "Setup is checking your hardware

> configuration". That's when the screen goes black, the hard drive

> light remains on, and it just hangs. How can I get the installer to

> recognize the SATA drive if I'm not prompted for the drivers?

 

What is the make and model of the motherboard?

 

On some boards (Gigabyte GA-8S648FX-775 for example)there are two settings

in the BIOS under "Intergrated Peripherals" one of which enables the SiS

SATA Controller and the other sets the SATA mode to IDE or RAID, try setting

to IDE not the default RAID setting if that choice is available.