Cant install winXP pro

[Kalmarath]

okay this is what i got when i tried to format my disk using winXp pro bootable disc

To install Windows XP on the partition you selected,
Setup must write some start up files to the following disk:
76317 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi [MBK]
However, this disk does not contain a Windows XP-Compatible partition.

To continue installing Windows XP, return to the partition selection screen and create a Windows XP-compatible partition on the disk above. If there is no free space on the disk, delete an existing partition, then create a new one.

well i did what it told me to, deleted my C: and D: (but not E:, i have stuff in there) and tried to create new partitions but still it doesnt allow me to install windows in it.

"To continue installing Windows XP, return to the partition selection screen and create a Windows XP-compatible partition on the disk above."
how am i suppose to create a Windows XP-compatible partition?

any ideas?

i got this problem after some fondling with Partition Magic 8.0

thanks in advance....

 

[ratchet]

Is the partition you want to install XP on formated? (NTFS or Fat32)

 

[Kalmarath]

Well the thing is.. Isn't it suppose to be able to format it for me with NTFS later in the installing process if my partition is not?

Anyway i tried the "R" button for the command prompt and formated my C as NTFS.. still i cant install winXP pro, and with the same message above...

thanks

 

[ratchet]

At the 2nd screen after booting from your XP cd press enter to continue with setup. R is for a repair installation of XP.

http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPPro/installxppro1.htm

 

[Kalmarath]

At the 2nd screen after booting from your XP cd press enter to continue with setup. R is for a repair installation of XP.

http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPPro/installxppro1.htm

okay im stuck at steps 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9... it just wouldnt proceed to the 10th step, the message i posted in my first post will appear.

thanks again..

any more ideas?..

 

[ratchet]

You are going to have to delete your partition, then continue.

 

[Bob Cerelli]

"i got this problem after some fondling with Partition Magic 8.0 "

What exactly was done with Partition Magic. This seems somewhat critical yet no detailed information is given.

What partitions are created and how was this done.

 

[Kalmarath]

You are going to have to delete your partition, then continue.

been doing that, "D" to delete right? thanks though..

What exactly was done with Partition Magic. This seems somewhat critical yet no detailed information is given.

What partitions are created and how was this done.

Okay i think i changed the "Primary" to "logic", which i dont know what it is. I tried to "redistribute" 2 drives before, and this is what happened..

any ideas?

thanks

 

[ratchet]

Uninstall Partition Magic and try to install after rebooting.

 

[Kalmarath]

Uninstall Partition Magic and try to install after rebooting.

I've reformatted C: and D: (where my partition magic was) already.. Before that i cant even get into windows. and so i thought why not just format the whole thing but then this problem came up..

 

[Bob Cerelli]

Given the use of Partition Magic, the problem is not likely with the formatting but with the partitioning.

As previously suggested, can you simply delete ALL partitions. You may also want to look just to make sure a hidden one didn't get created somewhere along the line as well. This will give you more disk space. You can boot to DOS and use the DOS version of Partition Magic (hopefully you created these disks).

 

[Kalmarath]

Given the use of Partition Magic, the problem is not likely with the formatting but with the partitioning.

As previously suggested, can you simply delete ALL partitions. You may also want to look just to make sure a hidden one didn't get created somewhere along the line as well. This will give you more disk space. You can boot to DOS and use the DOS version of Partition Magic (hopefully you created these disks).

Oh that means i have to delete my E: as well?
If it is then i'll give it a go..

i did create the 2 parts of the rescue disks but i do not know how to use it, any pointers?..

thanks..

 

[Bob Cerelli]

First off, any time you are playing with partitions, and have data you want to keep, you should certainly be backing up that data.

It still seems that the problem is somewhere in the partitioning, given the comment of "fondling with Partition Magic 8.0". More specifics here would help point to a solution.

If you have two partitions with three logical drives (C: on the Primary Partition and D: and E: on the Extended Partition), I don't see how you could delete D: and try and combine it with C:. FDISK just doesn't work that way.

Now this may be what was tried with Partition Magic but again no detailed information was given would have been helpful.

That is way, at this point, I would back up any data, removed all partitions, and create a single primary active partition.

 

[Kalmarath]

Well actually i've backed those more important ones up, its just that im a lil lazy too copy them back into my hard drive hehe..

Ya i was planning to take out some gigabytes off my D: and allocate them in C: but its just wont work, i thought by changing my C: from Primary to Logical using partition magic would help but, after rebooting i cant get into windows.. so this is what i actually did with partition magic..

so what do you sugest me to do? delete my E: too?..

thanks lots..

 

[Wet Chicken]

Hi Kalmarath I don't think your problem had anything to do with Partition Magic. I am having the same exact problem with my WinXP Pro install, and I don't use Partition Magic because there are better programs like PartitionExpert to use. I will be watching your thread because like you, my install just keeps going around in circles You press ENTER to install but it says that you need to choose the partition. You choose the partition and it tells you it needs to be in WinXP style and to go back. When you go back and choose C it creates new WinXP partition, but it won't let you install WinXP there. And around and around in circles it takes you

BTW - I have tried empty partitions, Fat32 partitions, NTFS partitions, and unformatted partitions, but WinXP won't let me instill in any of them. When you come to that screen and it gives you the option to choose "C" that is supposed to be making a NTFS WinXP partition for you, but for some reason for us it is not seeing it. Anyway, good luck. I hope you get it sorted