Windows XP install problems (blue screens, errors...)

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BillLeeLee

[H]F Junkie
Joined
Jul 2, 2003
Messages
13,486
Hey all, it's been a while, hope you all had nice holidays. Now on to my problems.

I just built my new comp, and when I go to install Windows XP Pro, the problems start.

After partitioning the drive and it starts copying the files to the hard drive, it'll sometimes give me errors, like (xxx.xxx file could not be copied, press enter to retry or esc to abort).

If I manage to get pass that part, and when the actual install happens after reboot, more problems arise. It'll give me a blue screen with an error (usually, PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA or IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL) and the install stops.

Comp specs are:
P4 2.4C
Abit IC7-G
1 Gig Mushkin PC3500 Level II
Lite-ON 52x CD-RW
WD 160 GB HD
Radeon 9600 XT

I've been wrestling with this problem at home, and since I haven't had the net for a month, couldn't really do much in the past few days.

Thanks for any advice.
 
Sometimes XP installs don't like an over abundance of RAM. I was running a Gig and had to drop down to 256 to get the install to complete. If that doesn't help, install with the minimum amount of components that you can get by with and add the others after the install. If that doesn't work, try the 6 disk XP boot disk set to run the install, it hardly ever fails. If after all of that doesn't work, I'll sell you a nice hardly ever used copy of WinME cheap :p
 
Originally posted by MajorDomo
Sometimes XP installs don't like an over abundance of RAM. I was running a Gig and had to drop down to 256 to get the install to complete. If that doesn't help, install with the minimum amount of components that you can get by with and add the others after the install. If that doesn't work, try the 6 disk XP boot disk set to run the install, it hardly ever fails. If after all of that doesn't work, I'll sell you a nice hardly ever used copy of WinME cheap :p
Click to expand...

I didn't know that. I will to try that next time I install Windows XP. I would get the same copy errors, but it would eventually install

Oh and Bad Domo!! for trying to sell WinME to a fellow [H]'er :D
 
XP setup doesn't have a problem with high amounts of Ram, since I've tested it with 4GB installs before, but XP doesn't like crappy memory, as it uses it all. This definatly sounds like an either the memory timings are set too high, or you have a bad stick of Ram.
 
I had the EXACT same problems on my dads new 2400+, 256 meg, 40 gig harddrive.

I was guessing it has something to with bad ram or IRQ conflicts.
 
I ran memtest86 on the RAM, was going fine, then suddenly 760 errors were generated about halfway through the first pass. Now I'm testing the individual sticks to see which (if not both) are the culprits.

Thanks for the help so far, hopefully, if one of these sticks aren't bad, I can instlal windows, and then RMA the RAM.

edit: I forgot to mention, the RAM is running at the timings programmed into the memory chip (2.5-2-2-6). Isn't this stuff suppose to run at 2-2-2-6 or 2-3-2-6 in i875 chipsets?

yet another edit: okay, I changed the timings just for kicks (2-3-2-6). I'm not sure that's the right order to say it, but CL 2, RAS to CAS Delay 3, and the other two. I ran memtest on the stick in the system right now, and no errors so far and nearing two passes. Any explanations? I'm not really that good on memory timings, so I don't know how they can affect errors and such.
 
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