Unable to install XP Pro SP2, hangs during installation

[rhouck]

Ugh, this has been a LONG day! Everyone has raved about how great SP2 is and how I was being stupidly paranoid to avoid upgrading to it. So I finally said fine, I'll do it...

Worst mistake ever.

I purchased a BRAND NEW copy of Windows XP Pro SP2. Came back, tried to install (note this is on my PRIMARY machine). Reformatted the drive, formats NTFS, reboots.... and hangs at the logo screen. WTF? Try again... same thing.

I then start switching hardware around. I pull the sound card so that all that is left is the video card. No go. I go through 3 video cards (all AGP, 1 Radeon 9500, 1 Geforce 4600, 1 Geforce 6600GT). I do a cdrw and a dvdrw. I even try 2 different hard drives. All with no luck.

I throw in an oem dell copy w/ sp1 just to see if it will install (it's not my cd)... works great! I THEN try my sp2 cd... no go, same problem.

Then try the sp1 cd again... it hangs... I have to do shift-f10 into device manager so that I can disable non-working devices (Bus controller, and a bunch of unknowns, including what is most likely display).

It installs. Yay!

However, still no luck on trying SP2 after that...

So now I'm stuck using someone else's OEM winxp sp1 cd that I obviously can't authenticate with while I have a brand new xp pro sp2 cd sitting that I can't use. *sigh* Thank God I wasted money on a microsoft product

FYI I have also tried a sp2 win xp pro corp cd and it installs fine in my server comp but NOT on my primary computer. So it appears to be the motherboard.

Now this motherboard does not have builtin video or anything....

So my question is, how the hell do I install this thing? I believe that I can do it by downloading all the drivers off Abit's website and installing them, then upgrading... at least I hope. However, that doesn't help me in the future! (I won't always have an extra windows cd laying around...)

Any ideas? Anyone else run into this problem? This is absolutely ridiculous... otherwise I'm making microsoft give me a refund and walking away from this sp2 mess....

 

[djnes]

Thank God I wasted money on a microsoft product

So it appears to be the motherboard.

It's Microsoft's fault how?

Anyhow, is the SP2 CD scratched or damaged? My guess is, you have memory that went bad, and SP2 happens to be using a bad sector of it, whereas the other versions don't. Run Memtest on it first. Then check the cables inside if they are seated correctly, and also make sure your BIOS settings are correct.

 

[rhouck]

I am upset with Microsoft because after spending 2.5 hours on the phone with someone who doesn't speak english, his only solution was "well just install a different version first, then upgrade"... which kind of defeats the purpose of a standalone install.

And the guy was a moron. He suggested that I someone install a builtin video card onto my motherboard... He seems very adamant that it is a display driver problem and, if so, I basically have no choice but to get a different motherboard (this mobo is NOT that old....)

Anyway, I'm not going to get into an argument with you over whose fault it is.

No the cd is brand spanking new, it's absolutely mint.

BIOS settings are correct, not overclocked at all or anything either.

The cables are fine, I checked them numerous times, especially as I was swapping drives to check for compatability issues...

I will check the memory tonight; that would be irritating but preferable. I can also try swapping it with the memory out of my other machine... that or I have a spare 512 stick laying around somewhere.

I'm also in an exceptionally bad mood because my internet went down yesterday and won't be back up until tomorrow and I hate having to go to the library just to get wireless for my laptop

 

[Phoenix86]

Repeat after me:
If the OS install fails, you have a hardware issue*. Thank you.

*obviously there are exceptions to every rule.

Also, in all that ranting I don't see system specs nor do I see a single error message.

 

[rhouck]

Also, in all that ranting I don't see system specs nor do I see a single error message.

Ok, did you even bother trying to read what I wrote?

#1 There IS no error message, it hangs on the loading screen

#2 I listed full system specs in my sig and noted in my post that it was my PRIMARY machine (I also listed what types of hardware I stopped)

Obviously it is a hardware conflict... I believe I said that I thought it might be a conflict with the mobo... That is why I am asking for suggestions on how to fix it!

Anyway, as an update...

I tried different memory. No luck, same problem.

I tried installing every driver for my mobo. Checked device manager to ensure there were zero device errors. At this time, the only thing installed were:
- video card drivers
- mobo drivers

Nothing else (programs, hardware, etc) was added to the system.

Still same problem

I'm going to try installing SP2 as a standalone upgrade and see if that does the trick. However, if that does work, I still then need a way to change to my own windows key (as I'm borrowing a friend's Dell OEM XP Pro SP1 cd so that the computer will at least work)

Cliff notes:
- Swapped all hardware except mobo/cpu (including memory); hangs before install screen (at winxp logo)
- Hangs on two different SP2 cds
- Works fine with SP1 and regular winxp pro
- Hangs even after installing all mobo/display drivers under SP1 and then attempting upgrade

 

[rhouck]

Tried installing the SP2 package that can be downloaded directly from Microsoft.

Installed fine under Windows. Prompts to restart when finished. Upon restart, promptly hangs at Windows logo load screen.

I'm at a loss here

 

[O[H]-Zone]

See if there's an updated BIOS available for your motherboard.

 

[rhouck]

See if there's an updated BIOS available for your motherboard.

Just did that About to give it a go!

I called Abit and they said that I shouldn't have any problem with any of the BIOS revisions.... buuuut I did have v.14 and they're up to v.19 so I'm hoping there's maybe something they didn't think of

Otherwise I'm just going to call MS and have them trade me my SP2 cd for an SP1 and I guess live without SP2

 

[rhouck]

Resolved! I'm glad I didn't listen to the Abit guy and flashed the BIOS anyway

In case anyone in the future has this problem, version 14 (and I'm assuming earlier) AI7 mobo bios revision does NOT work... version 19 for sure does (with sp2)

At least it worked on the in-windows update... I'll have to try a clean install another time to make sure

Still curious what it was that was in the bios update that made it hang like that.... Microsoft tech support swore that if I had updated drivers it would work and that wasn't it... oh well