Serious Computer Help

aim high

aim high

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Jun 3, 2008
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Was installing XP pro on friends computer. Decided it would take too long so I shut down the computer mid installation. Now when i start up it asks to resume where i left off and asks me where asms is and enter the location. i have the install disc in and press enter since the field is prepopulated with the location. it doesnt work. i try to start up with the xp disk so that i can restart the installation. loads, then gives me blue screen of death with a memory error which is probably caused by the partial installation of xp. now i have no idea what the hell i can do. how would i reformat the hard drive so that i can start from scratch?
 


aim high said:
i put cd in. loads a little. then massive blue screen of death giving me a memory error.
Click to expand...

are you sure your booting from the CD , it seems like its trying to load your not completely installed XP install.

One thing to do is put a linux live CD in, and do what the above said to reformat the drive. and if the live cd boots atleast you know everything still works hardware wise.
 
boot XP to the recovery console. fdisk /mbr
then reformat
then reinstall.
 
bb_wolfe said:
boot XP to the recovery console. fdisk /mbr
then reformat
then reinstall.
Click to expand...

it gives me the memory error right before it loads this screen

rc3.jpg


so i cant even get to the recovery console. i guess ill have to reformat it by connecting to another computer. sigh.
 
mattfca said:
put the cd in
boot from cd
start over
Click to expand...

aim high said:
i put cd in. loads a little. then massive blue screen of death giving me a memory error.
Click to expand...


Do you have access another computer that has XP or Vista on it (I'm assuming you do since you're on here.) and a 3.25 floppy drive?

Does the computer you are installing on have a 3.25 floppy drive?

Do you have a blank floppy disk or one you can format?

If the answer is YES to all 3 of these questions you need to create an "MS-Dos Startup" disk.

Go to my computer and select the floppy drive.
The right click it and select format.
Choose the "Create MS-Dos startup disk".

Take the XP disk out of the drive for now.

Once that is done put that floppy disk into the computer that you're trying to install XP on.

Now turn the computer's power off and wait 20 seconds for good measure. (A carry over habit of mine from days gone long by.) Then restart the computer and wait for the A:\ command prompt. (If it doesn't come up with the DOS prompt you may have to get into the BIOS and adjust the boot search sequence so that it searches for the FLOPPY drive first. Usually the DELETE key or F11 will get you into most BIOS's. Just keep hitting that key during the system post to get in.)

At the DOS prompt you want to type:

Format c: /s (Then hit enter) Answer the prompts and let it format.

You can add /v with a space after the /s if you want to put a volume label on the HD.

Once it is formatted turn the computer off and remove the floppy disc.

Restart the computer and make sure that it comes up with the DOS prompt c:\

If it does, put the XP disk back in the drive and restart the computer. (If you cahanged the boot sequence in the BIOS you might have to go back into it and set it to CD, Floppy, HD boot sequence in that order. Save and exit and it SHOULD start the XP setup again.)

If for some reason you lose the CD driver and can't access the CD Rom drive during all of this, put the floppy disk back in, take out the XP disc and restart the computer again.

At the DOS Prompt a:\ type in DIR /p to look at the list files and directories on the disk.

Once you find the CD Driver file, write it down and then type CD\ and hit enter.

At the DOS Prompt a:\ type the file name in and then hit enter.

Now put the XP disc back into the drive and type CD\ D:\ and hit enter.

You should now be at the D:\ DOS prompt.

Do the DIR /p thing again to look at the files or just type "Setup.exe" to start installing XP again.

I typed all of this because I have to leave the computer for a while to work on dinner. I know you most likely won't need to do all of this.

I have had almost every imaginable XP install failure known and they are DAMN frustrating.

For future reference, ALWAYS MAKE a WINDOWS START UP DISK in System Restore once XP is installed as well as a PASSWORD reset disk and store them somewhere that you will remember their location if you ever need them. A Hirens Boot Disk utility disk is always nice to have as well.

I'll check back in later to see how your doing.

P.S. While typing this, BB_Wolfe and the other guys have given you GREAT advise as well.
 
aim high said:
it gives me the memory error right before it loads this screen

rc3.jpg


so i cant even get to the recovery console. i guess ill have to reformat it by connecting to another computer. sigh.
Click to expand...

If you don't feel like opening the computer and pulling the HD yet, try making the boot floppy and reformat the HD with that first.

I wish you well and will check back.

By the way, the MS recovery console has been about as reliable as that DAMN "System Restore" for me!! LOL
 
Dont use system restore.
Virus' propogate into the backup data and virus checkers cant look in it.

Just me 3 cents
 
mattfca said:
Dont use system restore.
Virus' propogate into the backup data and virus checkers cant look in it.

Just me 3 cents
Click to expand...


Good to hear!! I don't either for that very reason, plus in years past when I have needed it, it never could restore my system.

In the past other people in the house would shut the computer down wrong or something and screw up my registry. I've since learned to just keep backups of my registry once a week and just replace the registry file if I get hit with bug or the system becomes unstable and it solves the problem relatively painlessly.
 
Ok so you want to take a red and yellow wire from the power supply and strip it to where you have the metal wire exposed. you want to expose about 3mm of metal wire. Then take the red wire *this is a very important step. Then and put it directly on the heat sink of the CPU (you want to attach it about 2mm from the base)
epia_cl_cpu_north.jpg



Now with the yelow wire you need to attach it to the metal frame of the computer, this is an important step as it creates a feedback loop for the re-transductance of the opperational command to take effect. Power on the computer, (you may see a few sparks, but dont be allarmed this means that it is working.)

Your computer is now fixed and as an added bonus it will work much faster
 
ttime said:
Ok so you want to take a red and yellow wire from the power supply and strip it to where you have the metal wire exposed. you want to expose about 3mm of metal wire. Then take the red wire *this is a very important step. Then and put it directly on the heat sink of the CPU (you want to attach it about 2mm from the base)


Now with the yelow wire you need to attach it to the metal frame of the computer, this is an important step as it creates a feedback loop for the re-transductance of the opperational command to take effect. Power on the computer, (you may see a few sparks, but dont be allarmed this means that it is working.)

Your computer is now fixed and as an added bonus it will work much faster
Click to expand...

OP asked a legit question, no need to be a dick.
 
Yeah i know-- but really all you do is run killdisk on the HD (zero the fucker out) then reinstall xp

Done
 
ttime said:
Ok so you want to take a red and yellow wire from the power supply and strip it to where you have the metal wire exposed. you want to expose about 3mm of metal wire. Then take the red wire *this is a very important step. Then and put it directly on the heat sink of the CPU (you want to attach it about 2mm from the base)
epia_cl_cpu_north.jpg



Now with the yelow wire you need to attach it to the metal frame of the computer, this is an important step as it creates a feedback loop for the re-transductance of the opperational command to take effect. Power on the computer, (you may see a few sparks, but dont be allarmed this means that it is working.)

Your computer is now fixed and as an added bonus it will work much faster
Click to expand...


Remember the old saying, "Actions speak louder than words".

Well with online instructions "Actually doing it is only 1/10th of what it takes to TYPE how to do it". LOL
 
The easiest thing to do is to download a live version of a popular linux distro, like fedor or ubuntu. Boot into that and reformat.
 
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