can't install XP onto OS

[bangers]

i need a computer nerd. i just got given a relatively new computer from a bloke on council but he erased the whole HD before i got it. there is no windows of any description. only the OS. i went into the setup and have got the system to read of the cd-rom. i have put the xp disc in and rebooted. it comes up with a blue screen with 'windows setup' written in the top left corner. at the bottom it says 'setup is loading files (blah blah)' for a little while going through different files but then it stops with 'setup is starting windows' on the bottom of the screen. problem being windows never starts. it stays with that screen for hours. i have tried it several times but it progresses no further everytime. WHAT CAN I DO?

[minux]

use ubuntu, nice simple install and it isnt windows

[bangers]

what on earth is ubuntu?

[holdensupporter2005]

you may want to check out this link http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310760
It matches the problem that you described.

What type of Hard Drive is in the computer, is it an IDE (Flat Ribbon Cable)drive or SATA (Small Cable, Usually Red or Orange).

[Spaced]

dude pm me this is what I get paid for. Press F6 during the install and then hit escape. Are you able to create a partition or does it just get stuck?

The more details you give me the better i can help you. If that doesn't work (above) then if it has two sticks of ram remove one then swap with the other. From what i read above holden supporter knows about this problem and is onto it.

BTW minux is listing a linux operating system (linux being the alternative to windows)

N.B. Anyone who likes commodores who also knows how to work computers is a bogan not a nerd

[Tekka]

Xp is the OS, OS being Operating System, that what Xp is!, so how can there be only a OS and no xp? Unless its an old OS and u want to have XP on instead?

But if he has wiped the HD meaning hes formatted then it wont have anything on it, so it would be a straight install of the operating system

[greenfoam]

Don't worry about Minux hes just preaching I used to be like that 10 years ago too but you have to learn to draw the line, I'm sure someone that says they need a nerd isn't wanting to be a nerd and run Linux

[azkwazere]

Don't worry about Minux hes just preaching I used to be like that 10 years ago too but you have to learn to draw the line, I'm sure someone that says they need a nerd isn't wanting to be a nerd and run Linux

no, people who run ubuntu arn't eal nerds at all... there just people that dont want to use windows because they think thye are better than that... real nerds dont bother with precompiled crap.... nerds use gentoo..... you dont know what that is, you arn't a nerd.

this guy doesn't need ubuntu... as its harder to install than windows, he'd be ###'d...... point is.... i couldn't understand what he was trying to say about his omputer.... just put the CD in and go... windows does all formatting these days...

aZk.

[bangers]

turns out the 2 HD's are dead. plus the CPU may be stuffed too.

[satos]

turns out the 2 HD's are dead. plus the CPU may be stuffed too.

Sorry to hear that.I hope you didn't pay too much for it as cpu's are damm expensive to replace.

[bangers]

i didn't pay anything. its ex-council. the program they use to wipe the memory also kills the HD so no one else can use it. i have a spare 2gb CPU so i'll buy a motherboard to suit, cheaper that way. and HDs aren't very dear.

[JBDrifter]

i didn't pay anything. its ex-council. the program they use to wipe the memory also kills the HD so no one else can use it. i have a spare 2gb CPU so i'll buy a motherboard to suit, cheaper that way. and HDs aren't very dear.

You mean 2GHz right? You don't wanna get you sht mixed up and waste your money buying the wrong gear.

[Spaced]

Hey mate, sounds like they just wipe the hard drives clean meaning you have to reinstall windows. If you want to test if the hard drives have any physical problems crack open the side of the case and look at what brand the hard drives are and if they have a flat wide cable or a thin roundish cable. Then type in the manufacturer name e.g. seagate go to the support section and download the hard drive test cd. It will be in a format called iso you then use nero to burn this "image" into a cd and boot from the cd.

When I worked for govt we used a program to wipe the hard drive all data prior to sale. This is due to the privacy act. It doesn't do anything as such to the hard drive. If your cpu was stuffed when you booted the computer you wouldn't get anything on the screen and the computer would most likley beep.

To get into bios switch on the computer and it will say press F2 F8 or Del (Delete) to load setup. This is the bios screen (basic input output system) if you can get to that then your cpu is fine. To test if the memory is ok you can download a program called memtest from here

http://www.memtest.org/download/1.70...+-1.70.iso.zip you need to let it run for 24 hours but if there is an errror it will find one. If you get online sometime when I'm on I can help walk you through some of this stuff.

Anyone is welcome to correct anything I have said that is wrong.