windows xp install

Hello,
i cant get windows xp to install on a laptop.
i booted up ubuntu 9.10 to work out what i needed to backup and then used image for linux cd to backup the data.
it did have XP on it but the computer froze playing music so a hard reboot was done and then it wouldnt start. i tryed lots of different third party utilities to get the bootloader reinstalled but none worked.
once all the data was backed up to my external hard drive I deleted all the partitions and
then i got an XP disc and tryed the following so far:
1. a vanilla windows XP SP3 disc, the screen just goes blank.
2. windows xp SP3 disc with sata driver intergrated, screen just goes blank.
2. installing windows XP sp3 vanilla using a usb stick. couldnt see HDD
3. installing windows XP SP3 with sata driver intergrated. stage one (text mode) works but after the reboot i booted from the usb stick again and choose Stage 2 but the screen just goes blank.

the laptop is an acer extensa 5220.
how would you proceed from here?

hmm i tryed installing windows 7 but the installer says it cant install to this hard drive because the hard drive may not support booting from the hard drive, ensure this discs controller is enabled in the bios...

 

Hi lodore, after deleting the partitions have you tried re-formatting the hard drive? Are you able to access the BIOS? ...does it see the hard drive?

 

well i created new partitions and gonna try using dban to completely wipe the disc.

i can see the hard drive in the bios.

dban doesnt work eiether.

im gonna boot fedora and check smart info status of the hard drive.

edit: i tryed to install ubuntu, install went fine no errors reported but it doesnt boot.

 

Well then, it seems as if your HDD and controller are ok - that's a good news...

Very curious problem - good luck!!!

 

have you tried ultimate boot disk works for me with a bit of thinking required sometimes

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html

 

i can create partitions but the hard drive wont boot any operating system.

windows 7 wont allow me to install because it says the drive doesnt support booting check the controller is enabled in bios.

ubuntu creates partitons and tells me to reboot and take out disc but doesnt boot after.

fedora tells me it cannot mount SDA as /boot

windows xp text section works if booted from usb stick but gui section doesnt work just get a blank screen.
any one know what might be causing this?

ive already set the bios back to defaults.

 

Perhaps the first sector of your hard drive has developed a fault. Use a third party tool and run a hard disk surface test or just reformat and zero-fill the entire hard disk and then try installing XP.

 

dban wouldnt work.

the western digital tools wont load.

gonna try ultimate boot disc.

 

You can not even boot through a usb flash drive?

I will recommend you use the usb flash version of the Paragon free partition manager or the free fix boot software. Boot through it, reformat and zero-fill your entire drive. Also run chkdsk with surface scan.

 

Sorry, but you can not create a usb bootable media for the express version of Paragon rescue kit 9, and I am assuming this will be true for the express partition manager too. You can only use the cd/dvd based recovery media.

I just tried the express version of rescue kit and the zero-fill option was disabled in it. I am not sure whether it is available in the express partition manager.

If you have a decent paid version of a partition manager then you can use it to correct your problem.

The problem you mentioned seems likely to be cause when your boot sector is corrupted. So, you can install the OS but the OS will not boot. If you run chkdsk with surface scan on the hard drive, it will detect and mark the sector as bad and then your OS will use the next good sector to store the boot info. You will probably be able to boot properly then. That is just my guess, may or may not be true.

 

I don't believe that UBCD will work for the very same reason that the others fail....

...but I'm pretty sure TestDisk will.

 

lodore,
If you decide to use UBCD, you can get the latest version here. V5 RC1

http://ubcd.linuxfreedom.com/

I do not know if it has the latest release of HDAT2 but you can get it here. Updated 12.10.2009

http://www.hdat2.com/

HDAT2 is program for test or diagnostics of ATA/ATAPI/SATA, SSD and SCSI/USB devices.

HDAT2 program has 2 levels:

* Drive level testing
- main function is testing and repair (to regenerate) bad sectors for detected devices
- you get many information about detected devices

* File level testing
- read/find/check items (MBR, boot, directories, etc.) of file system FAT12/16/32
- check/remove (regenerates) bad sectors records, flags in FAT table

 

Hello,
hdat2 only lists the dvd drive.

im checking the hard drive with paragon drive backup 9 vistape disc.
according to the testdisc website the utilmate boot cd has testdisc included so i will try that soon.

 

lodore,
From your first post, am I correct in assuming that you deleted the Acer hidden recovery partition? D2D enabled in BIOS? If the recovery partition is not there, did you disable D2D in BIOS? Try to change the SATA setting in BIOS from ACHI to IDE and see if it recognizes it. It might be a simple enable/disable switch.

 

Hello tgell,

I have deleted all partitions on the hard drive.
I have just disabled D2D in the bios

I Have now changed ACHI to IDE.

edit:
as soon as i took out the hard drive windows xp disc loads perfectly.
the bios is speedy like it should be.
with the harddrive installed it took around 5mins for the bios to load from the first boot device.
with the hard drive installed it too around 5mins to enter setup.
time to order a new hard drive.

ive changed the hard drive mode back to ACHI.

 

Re: Windows cannot find 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe

Hello, I'm replying to the above quote about the rundll32.exe error.
I don't have the Windows XP CD anymore and I never thought of copying the file from my backup until I read your thread. Thanks a bunch! It worked perfectly!