[ojasookas]

Hi there!

I am trying to do a clean install for Windows XP. I inserted the bootable CD and started the computer. It asked "press any key to boot from cd" as usual. I pressed a key and "inspecting hardware configuration" appeared.

Unfortunately just a second after that screen turned blank and stayed so. I tried many times and waited a while also. Didn't help.

If it is relevant, Windows Vista is currently installed to the computer. I'd like to format the C: drive and substitute Vista to XP again. Thought, that it doesn't matter when running XP installation from boot cd, but who knows.

Thanks for Your help!

[abcdjzmcbt]

Is this the factory 'official' CD? Or the "I just wanted to make a copy in case I lose this" CD . You may want to unplug all non essential hardware and try again. Even unplugging the internal usb cord to the motherboard helps sometimes. Do you have another graphics card you can put in and see how far you get?

[ojasookas]

It's factory official CD. Computer is actually a laptop with no (at least external) hardware attached and unfortunately I don't have another graphics card to try.

Thanks for fast answer though! Any more ideas?

[Elvandil]

Was there some problem with the machine that made you want to try XP?

Is the CD clean, unscratched, etc.?

[ozziebeanie]

Where I worked we received some laptops (New) with Vista installed, you either (if new laptops) have to use the discs they give you to, as they call it (“down grade to XP”) before, it will let you load your own version of XP Pro, I don’t know how that was rigged up but we where unable to install our very legit version of XP till we had done this.

We had ordered laptops saying we did not want Vista so they sent it as it was already loaded and sent us Discs to “down grade”, Even though we where not using their version of XP Pro we had to for some reason accept it till it was loaded then change the versions of XP

Don’t know if that is happening to your one, you did not say if it was a new one with it preloaded. Might not have anything to do with what is going on with your one, but just thought i would throw that in as possible.

[ojasookas]

There was XP before (the same one, I'm trying to install now). It was switched to Vista because need for special software out only for Vista. Now there are some driver problems and that special software is not needed anymore.

CD seems to be perfectly fine. It reads well, when op-sys is running. Only I haven't managed to boot.

[abcdjzmcbt]

Have you ever managed to reload your OS with that CD before? Sometimes it can be a bad burn from the mfg. Though very rare, I have seen it before. Also considering the Vista install disc worked well I'm guessing.

One thing I want you to try that may help us brainstorm. When it starts inspecting configuration while its still working hit your caps lock key a few times. See if the caps lock light goes on and off. If so, wait till the screen goes black and try it again. Does it still let you turn it off and on? If so then the computer is still responsive during that time. If not the computer may have locked up completely.

[ojasookas]

Hi again,

Today I first tried to restore BIOS defaults (just in case). Still checked, that CD-drive is the first booting device.

I also tried that WinXp CD for test booting my other computer. Worked fine and fast.

Then I did that caps lock test. The light works, so it's not so dead. But sound of reading CD stops, processor working light doesn't show any activity and screen is black for a long time.

So I'm still stuck.

[abcdjzmcbt]

Do you have an extra desktop monitor around? Does your laptop have the external monitor jack in the back of it. If so I would try hooking the monitor into the back of the laptop and make your bios use that instead of your laptop monitor. I think maybe the cd and activity indicator stops because it spins down after it finishes inspecting configuration and is waiting for you to hit enter, R, or F3 to exit.

That gets me thinking. When it goes black wait for the cd to spin down again then hit ENTER, wait 5 seconds then hit F8. Does the CD spin up again? If so, then it is definitely a vid card/driver issue. If not, then we will be back at square one unfortunately.

[ojasookas]

I don't have an extra monitor. Tried hitting enter and F8 - no result.

[printmatt]

Just to be on the safe side and rule out the CD, I suggest try to use the boot the CD on another computer and see if opens the installation GUI for XP.

[abcdjzmcbt]

Originally Posted by printmatt

Just to be on the safe side and rule out the CD, I suggest try to use the boot the CD on another computer and see if opens the installation GUI for XP.

I think the OP already tried it on another computer. Unless you are talking about actually copying the setup files...

As for your issue I'm not quite sure yet. I am gonna have to think about it some more and my day has been hectic, sorry. I will sleep on it and let you know.

[ojasookas]

Yes, I did try the CD on another computer. It worked both ways: booting and playing while running operating system. Thanks for thinking with me!

[ojasookas]

Hi there!

Finally I found a solution! The hard drive had two partitions. That bothered the boot-CD. I booted from Linux-based operating system called Ubuntu and used its Partition Manager. I removed unnecessary partition and created new one, which holds all of the capacity. Then I tried to boot from XP CD again and it worked.

Great thanks to everyone who answered, especially to abcdjzmcbt for trying to find a solution!

[abcdjzmcbt]

Great! I'm glad you found the solution. Very interesting. I didn't think the setup CD really cared what partitions were on the drive BEFORE it even gets to the "partition management screen". I'm glad it turned out to be a "software" issue and not a hardware conflict. Very useful solution, thanks for sharing.