I am very frustrated, what are the steps towards properly installing XP on a new HD?

I

INFERNO2K

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 21, 2001
Messages
344
Hello.

I have recently obtained a brand new Seagate 20 gig harddrive. Upon installing XP, one can see that the entire process is extremely slow and often halts on the file copying process. None the less the format and checking drive C: screens each take an hour by itself.

I have recently researched and have come across something called smartdrv, which properly speeds up the process. I have smartdrv.exe on a windows 98 boot disk. When I load the bootdisk before the XP Pro cd, I run smartdrv - it gives me a chart showing which drives I believe have read cache under the first column. I than go in \i386\ and run winnt - the process still continues to take a while. I believe one time it finished, it copies files to the harddisk and than reboots - and than the entire process happens again - it goes to the Windows XP setup main screen - the first screen you see when you want to install windows XP (Configuring hardware, installing raid drivers, automated recovery etc).


So my question to you is, how do I properly use smartdrv (step by step) and how do I get out of this loop of installing windows XP Pro.

PS; this windows xp CD is authentic and works on several other machines in my house.

This is my first time experiencing with a brand new harddrive with nothing ever on it.

Thank you.
 
SmartDrive isn't going to solve your problems. Your problem is that you keep booting off the CD. That's why you have a loop. Once the initial processes and file copies are done, and your PC reboots the first time, go into the BIOS and set the BIOS to boot from HDD before CD.
 
I sort of misread your comments. But, I am still wondering why your having a problem. Set your PC to boot from the CD. Once that's done, and the PC reboots the first time, you can change the BIOS to boot from HDD, and the setup will continue.

IF this is a real XP CD as you claim, this is how you do it. DO NOT use a Win98 boot disk or utility to load XP.
 
Originally posted by djnes
I sort of misread your comments. But, I am still wondering why your having a problem. Set your PC to boot from the CD. Once that's done, and the PC reboots the first time, you can change the BIOS to boot from HDD, and the setup will continue.

IF this is a real XP CD as you claim, this is how you do it. DO NOT use a Win98 boot disk or utility to load XP.
Click to expand...

An easier option than switching it to boot of the CD is to just take the damn disc out of the drive. The second part of the XP setup will boot and then prompt you to put the CD back in the drive. Slightly easier than changing the boot order all the time.

Edit - still sounds like you are booting from a diskette. Boot from the CD. Also check that your BIOS settings are correct for your HD and DMA is enabled.
 
The problem is, is that the file copying process and the format - are taking up to 4 hours.

Thus is why I had read about smartdrv.

Although, I dont seem to be using smartdrv properly.

I load it off the A:\

than I go into thr assigned cdrom drive, in this case X:\

I go to i386 and than winnt, it copies the files to the drive (still taking a hefty amount of time) and the process loops itself even though I assign the harddrive as first boot sequence.

I am not sure if I am using smartdrv properly.



I found this through google.


What is SMARTDrive?
==========================================================
SMARTDrive (SMARTDRV.EXE) creates a disk cache in extended memory. This significantly speeds up MS-DOS disk operations. Therefore, if you're installing Windows from the DOS level, place a copy of SMARTDRV.EXE onto the boot floppy disk that you boot with. After you boot your PC with this disk, execute SMARTDrive by typing SMARTDRV from the A prompt. It will only take a couple of seconds to load. You can then proceed with your installation of Windows. For both Windows 2000 and Windows XP, you begin the installation routine by executing WINNT.EXE, located in the i386 folder of the installation CD.
Just search Google for smartdrv.exe and almost the first line is a smartdrv. exe download. Its about 40 KB and fits on the Boot Disk.
 
STOP using smart drive.

Please tell us what kind of motherboard (brand & model) you have.
Please also include the type and speed of your processor and exactly how much RAM you have installed and any other components you know of.

Your computer could simply be too slow to handle WinXP or you may have a faulty hard drive.

>Br@d
 
Ok here we go.
Steps to installing Windows Xp on a new HDD!

1. Turn on PC.
2. Enter the BIOS (either by hitting F1, F2, or del.)
3. Change the BIOS to boot from CD instead of HDD. Save Settings
4. Insert Windows XP CD
5. Reboot
6. Let the PC boot of the CD (sometimes it will ask you to hit any key to countinue to boot off the CD. DO SO!)
7. Let windows do its thing.
8. When it asks you to reboot do so just take the XP cd out first.
9. Windows Setup will then boot from HDD
10. Windows will then ask you to put the CD in again.
11. Follow directions and let windows do its thing.
12. Sit back and enjoy a new Clean OS.

Hope that helps.
 
Did you change anything on your Bios before performing this HD installation? Head to your Bios and change everything back to Default or Optimal Performance. Is one of the things that you can select to have all of the settings on your Bios back to stock. Then pop in the XP CD, let it boot.
 
By doing what was stated, the pc halts during the transfer of driver.cab, in the file copying process. It has been roughly 28 minutes that it has stopped at 27% done, during the transfer of driver.cab.
 
It is a spare computer for upstairs. Pentium MMX 233, 160 megs of SDRAM. This machine had XP working on it on an older 5 gig harddrive before flawlessly. This new seagate purchased, I was told to use smartdrv to speed up the process of file transfer/setting up and installing on a harddrive that is brand new with no partitions and has never been fdisked or formatted.


Just a quick thought that came to my mind now, could it be that theres a setting in the bios that has the harddrive working at slower speeds than normal. The previous harddrive must have been from 1997.
 
Originally posted by INFERNO2K
By doing what was stated, the pc halts during the transfer of driver.cab, in the file copying process. It has been roughly 28 minutes that it has stopped at 27% done, during the transfer of driver.cab.
Click to expand...

So it hung on install. If it didn't continue after 10 min it ain't going to go any further. Was all of this stuff working without problems before or was the new HD to solve some issues. Sounds like you have one of 3 problems.

1) Memory issues - check by running Memtest86
2) Bad HD - try putting your drive in another PC and run some sort of disk check, maybe the manufacturer has a diagnostic test you can run from diskette.
3) Bad system board (IDE ports specificly) - pretty tough to test, just RMA it.
 
Welp the previous harddrive had XP on it working flawlessly. I am just unsure of any necessary preceding steps one must take before they install the operating system on a harddrive for the first time.
 
Originally posted by INFERNO2K

Just a quick thought that came to my mind now, could it be that theres a setting in the bios that has the harddrive working at slower speeds than normal.
Click to expand...

There is, that was what I was telling you to do, set the Bios back to default settings or optomized, whichever one you have on your Bios. I am not at home right now, I cannot view the Bios because I am on a Mac at work, and I forgot what the thing in the Bios is called.
 
No, stop using SmartDrive. I have never used that software ever, I do not think folks here have used that when installing their OS on a new Hard Drive. I have installed XP on many computers, from aging 500MHZ with 15GB to 8GB HD just for kicks. Not once did I have to use that program.

Just reset your Bios, perform a fresh install coming from booting and not from the desktop.

Alex
 
The trouble is that you have almost min spc to install XP.
Min spec is 233 Mhz cpu and 128 Meg ram.

XP makes a RAM drive to help it load faster.
SmartDrive also makes a RAM drive plus it uses cpu cycles to help the disk drive work better.
So useing SmartDrive the hard drive may be faster but the overall speed of your comp will be slower.
Plus you may not have enough memory left to load XP.

First use Memtest86 to check your RAM for errors.
The download a drive checker to test the hard drive.
Check in the bios what speed your hard drives are running at.

Luck.......:D
 
After I saw that link you posted about using smartdrv it sounds like you're trying to install from a dos boot disk. Try this link for obtaining Windows XP setup boot disks.
 
On a Pentium 233MMX, you should expect the windows XP installation process to take a considerable amount of time. Also its worth mentioning that even if you put a brand new harddrive into your system with 8mb of cache and 7200RPM and support for UDMA 100, you're only going to get at best UDMA33 from that system because your motherboard/chipset was made long before UDMA 66 or 100 was available. That means that transfer speeds of files will be very slow and since Win XP generally takes about 2 gigs if I remember correctly, I'd expect the copying of just the OS files to take a considerable amount of time (as in many hours). I also agree with most everyone else here that you should not run Smartdrive for two reasons. First it will slow your computers performance down overall (Windows isn't just copying files, its also decompressing alot of them which takes alot of RAM and processor cycles), and then theres the fact that you're booting from a win98 boot disk and loading a win98 version of Smartdrive which BTW would set up your system to effectively be running in DOS mode with 640KB of base ram 360KB of upper lvl ram and 159MB of EMS/XMS ram. Windows XP does not use this method of dividing the ram up which might also explain the very slow installs since it would have to deal with a DOS memory structure. Now I'm not certain if you've had any success with booting from the CD, in fact depending on how old your motherboard is, it may not support ATAPI standards which allow for you to boot from the CDRom, So if you must boot from a floppy, Let me recommend you go do this
here for Win XP PRo or here for Win XP Home and download the Setup Disk and Floppy boot install. If I remember correctly, both these programs require something like 6 Floppy disks to boot for Win XP installation. Anyway, thats only if you can't boot from a CDRom directly. Whatever you do though, after the format and initial file copy process has begun (expect this to take a long time because your system is so dated) and the computer has reset for the first time, Remove any Floppy disks from the drives and remove the Cd from the CDrom. This will guarantee you are booting into the next stage of the installation. BTW, if you have a faster computer, you might consider running the 1st stage of the installation on said faster computer as it will support faster hard drive transfer modes and such and will probably go faster. But if you do that after the first reboot, you need to turn off that computer and take the hard drive to the slow computer before windows starts identifying and configuring the installed components. Thats just a thought though, either way should work. Goodluck
--John
 
Something that seems to have been overlooked is that your motherboard may not support that 20 gig hard drive. Putting a PCI IDE card in may help you a bit and may allow the hard drive to run a bit faster. If the hard drive capacity is not supported by the motherboard, then WinXP may be throwing a fit trying to install on it. I doubt there is any chance you would be able to support the full size of the hard drive and something like that could be seriously slowing down the install and copying of files.

Whatever you do, do not try to load Smart Drive. It was not made to be run with WinXP.
 
I have read all your replies.


I will try diagnostic tools later tonight. Perhaps a low level format and zero filling it. A new problem has arised is that Windows XP setup can not find a partition to create, and creating one - it can not find a harddrive. Ironically enough the bios does.

Tonight I will use Seagate's dos tools on a bootup disk to find out the problem.

Also, I found an article thru google, where a peer had the same problem as me and solved it by taking out a Linksys Wireless adapter card, which I recently put in this machine. I will try taking it out tonight and see if it makes any difference.

I'm just hoping for no blue screens now, in the XP install.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top