File Copy Errors Installing XP

Hi,

I was reading a topic that was posted in November of last year and it sounds similar to my problem. I have already posted this topic on another web site and had a few replies back saying to do a memory test which i will do this evening. But I just wanted to post it here also to see what people think and if they can give any other suggestions?

Here is my problem:

a few months back now I decided to upgrade my PC. I bought a new motherboard (Abit v17?),new Processor (Pentium 4 2.6Ghz) and other bits such as memory and HDD. To cut a long story short, I tried to install XP on my new Machine. I have about 3 different copies of it and every single one of them gives an error when it comes to the stage of copying files over when in the process of installing. Im really confused as these copies installed without any problems on two other PC's. I cant remember the exact error messages as it was a few months back now and I gave up for a while. But basically it was saying it had errors reading and copying certain files. Ive tried using a new CD Rom and that doesnt work. Ive tried copying the files from CD to HDD in 98 and ME and then installing over them, but that doesnt work either. Ive tried loads of things and cant get my head round it. The wierd thing is that I have no problem installing windows 98 or ME so theoretically it shouldnt be my CD Rom. I thought it could be a problem with an IDE connector on the motherboard, but again it cant be as i can install two other o/s. Any ideas?

I bought a new HDD and have installed XP on that using another machine so the HDD appears to be fine. The only thing I can think of that the problem is pointing to is My Motherboard (which is new) or possibly an IDE Cable? I didnt try using a different one.Any help would be most appreciated as its been months now and Im keen to get it sorted out. Thanx

First I thought that it might had been that you had set the Master/Slave settings wrong but that dosnt sems to be the problem since you could install Win98..

The only thing that I can think of is that the HDD is broken somewhere and that when installing win98 it dosn't need the space where the corrupted space is so it works but when installing winXP wich needs more HDD space it might try to write on the currupted space and it dosnt work. try with another HDD if you can get a hold of one to se if its the HDD or another component of the computer, It could also be that something is broken on the motherboard that WinXP uses to install and that Win98 dosnt but I think it's unlikly that its that way. Anyway good luck.

Thanx for your reply, but the HDD is new. Also I tested it by putting it in another machine and installing XP using that machine. It worked completely fine and so I think that rules out any HDD Malfunction

As an experiment what happens when you take the harddrive that you have installed xp on successfully and stick it back in the original machine?

It will bleat a bit and come up with its normal 'found new hardware' routines a few hundred times but after that it should work fine. if there is a problem, it might give you a different error message which may be a little bit more illuminating.

the only other thing to do, which you've probably already done is try reseating the memory and the IDE cables and check the pins on the IDE socket.

cheers

Chris

How large is the hard drive? If it's larger than 137GB you need to have an Ultra ATA/133 PCI card.
ATA/100, 66 and 33 PCI cards do not support drives larger than 137 GB unless specifically noted by the manufacturer.

Hi

Iwill give you some ideas to work around. ( No promise if will it work.)

1- I would format the hard drive with the HDD floppy disk not using windows xp or any other OS cd. Than try to install XP.
2- Also I had the same problem with my friends computer and after a day or 2 I decide to move and put the memory sticks in a diffrent slots. Than I was able to install the Windows XP. ( Go Figure)

3 - Try to use diffrent IDE cable connecting the harddrive and the CD Drive. Even though you can Install 98 , me or diffrent OS on the same machine Windows xp installation requires specific cd drive transfer rate.

4- Could be the motherboard is defective. I had bought D865PERL Intel mother board ( Brand new from CompUsa) and could not start the computer. After 4 days Troubleshooting the system I have gave a shot to exchange the MotherBoard with anotherone. Guest what it was defective, they tested the mother board at the store.

Good Luck

Thanx for your replys! I've printed them off and about to leave work. Ill give em a go when I get home and Ill let you know how I get on. Thanks again

Well after taking my RAM out and putting it in another slot and disconnecting all hardware that i did not need to leave me with the bare minimum, I finally managed to get XP installed. However, I still had the exact same problems where it couldnt copy certain files over. But after hitting retry a few hundred times it appeared to finish. Its working but I wouldnt exactly call it stable.

I tried to install my ADSL modem and I kept getting an error where windows had to shut the program. But my modem does seem to connect. The Thing is IE keeps giving the same problem and wont load some web pages (Hotmail mainly). It keeps telling me that IE has perfomed an Illegal operation and must close.

Im guessing this is more to do with my modem installation problem rather than the OS itself. Any ideas?

Hi


I just did a search and as I though it turns out everyone had the same problem says the memory was the problem. Just an example go here
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread8356.html it looks like the exact problem you are having.

Good luck

Thanks for your link that sounds quite promising. I did try to do a memory test last night, but to be honest Im not sure what Im doing? I extracted the files to my floppy and re-booted with the floppy. A long list of figures appeared on the screen and it went on for ages so I gave up. Is it supposed to take ages?

Hi

Could you tell me what kind memory you have , howmuch and howmany sticks.

I have 1 stick which I think is DDR 512mb. I dont know who its manufacturer is though

Hi

Here what I would do I would format the hard drive with a flopy disk Not using the XP cd than I would install Windows xp.
Also Before you do that I want you to go to BIOS and loading the setup defaults.

To able to format the hardddrive with fdisk go here http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/fdisk/fdisk1.htm

for step by step intro.

Sorry I am not being much help. It is very hard to fix a PC when I am not infront of it

Also

If Your computer has Ultra direct memory access (DMA) turned on in the CMOS settings, and the data is moving too quickly

Yea, thats exactly how I did it last night. Also I used new IDE cables. Im pretty sure now after reading that Link you sent me that it is probably my Memory. Its just Im not too sure how to test it. I downloaded the Memtest 86 program and put it onto floppy. Im just not sure what to do after that. Do I just re-boot the machine with the floppy and let it do its stuff? Thats what I did last night but it seemd to be going on for ever. Thankyou for your patience and trust me you are being a great help!