Laptop reformat freezes on "Setup is starting Windows" - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

GirlySports · 10-18-2009, 08:48 PM

Help!

I'm installing Windows XP Professional using a CD, on my laptop and it freeze at "setup is starting Windows"

What do I do?

Thanks.

Rathji · 10-18-2009, 09:22 PM

Either wait, or restart.

If you restart it, might be best to just redo the entire install to ensure nothing was screwed up.

GirlySports · 10-18-2009, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rathji

Either wait, or restart.

If you restart it, might be best to just redo the entire install to ensure nothing was screwed up.

Waited forever, nearly an hour.
Can't install.. setup is starting windows is like the first step!

jammies · 10-18-2009, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Can't install.. setup is starting windows is like the first step!

Why are you reformatting the laptop in the first place? Was it acting up before? If there is something physically wrong with it, it might cause the reinstall to lock up, and you'll need to fix that problem before going on.

Depending on the laptop you have, there might be preinstalled diagnostics you can access from the boot menu - if so, try running those to see if you have a hardware issue.

GirlySports · 10-18-2009, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammies

Why are you reformatting the laptop in the first place? Was it acting up before? If there is something physically wrong with it, it might cause the reinstall to lock up, and you'll need to fix that problem before going on.

Depending on the laptop you have, there might be preinstalled diagnostics you can access from the boot menu - if so, try running those to see if you have a hardware issue.

blue screen of death... i dont have much on this laptop so i thought it would be easiest to re-install.

jammies · 10-18-2009, 10:02 PM

BSOD might be many things, but if your laptop is freezing on reinstall I would guess one of: memory; video; overheating; processor. If it's relatively new and under warranty I'd see about taking it into a shop to have them look at it - just make sure you call the manufacturer first and get a call reference # so they don't try to charge you if they can't find anything.

If it isn't under warranty and you aren't comfortable or familiar with how to test it for hardware issues, either get a knowledgeable friend to look at it, or try getting a different Windows disk just in case it's the disc that's defective and not your machine.

GirlySports · 10-18-2009, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jammies

BSOD might be many things, but if your laptop is freezing on reinstall I would guess one of: memory; video; overheating; processor. If it's relatively new and under warranty I'd see about taking it into a shop to have them look at it - just make sure you call the manufacturer first and get a call reference # so they don't try to charge you if they can't find anything.

If it isn't under warranty and you aren't comfortable or familiar with how to test it for hardware issues, either get a knowledgeable friend to look at it, or try getting a different Windows disk just in case it's the disc that's defective and not your machine.

I was thinking that. Is it possible there are certain types of CDs that a laptop drive can't read?

gottabekd · 10-18-2009, 10:44 PM

So what exactly have you done to get to this point? What is the state of the hard drive? Do you have a working Windows XP install on the system now? Or did you do anything to the hard drive before this step. If you already "formatted" the hard drive in some other way, that could be the problem. I've found certain hard drive states cause the Windows XP installer to lock up. If you have access to any sort of formatting/disk utility CD, put that in, and set up your partitions. Windows XP likes NTFS, so that should be the primary partition (and maybe only partition?). This could help : http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

GirlySports · 10-18-2009, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gottabekd

So what exactly have you done to get to this point? What is the state of the hard drive? Do you have a working Windows XP install on the system now? Or did you do anything to the hard drive before this step. If you already "formatted" the hard drive in some other way, that could be the problem. I've found certain hard drive states cause the Windows XP installer to lock up. If you have access to any sort of formatting/disk utility CD, put that in, and set up your partitions. Windows XP likes NTFS, so that should be the primary partition (and maybe only partition?). This could help : http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

I haven't done anything. I'm not computer-saavy.
I saw blue screen of death, figured that laptop has nothing important, pop-in Window XP CD to install... and it freezes.

jammies · 10-18-2009, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I was thinking that. Is it possible there are certain types of CDs that a laptop drive can't read?

No, but the disc could be damaged or defective. One way to test it is to put it into another machine and try copying the entirety of it onto the hard drive; if it comes up with bad files found, the disc is bad. I'd personally try a different Windows XP cd myself as it's just as easy and also will actually get you somewhere as far as fixing the problem if it works.

GirlySports · 10-18-2009, 11:03 PM

Think the disk is ok.. i used it to install windows on another computer recently... that why this doesn't make sense.

jammies · 10-18-2009, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Think the disk is ok.. i used it to install windows on another computer recently... that why this doesn't make sense.

Then I'd have to say you almost certainly have a hardware issue. It's hard to say what issue it would be, though, if it just freezes on install - it is likely one of the problems I listed earlier, but could be almost anything.

If it is an old laptop, I wouldn't even bother having someone look at it unless it's someone you know who'll do it for free, as fixing laptops is expensive because they all have different and non-interchangeable parts, and if it's old a new laptop is usually a better idea. If it's newer, like I said see if you can get it fixed under warranty.

If it's a Dell or HP or something similar, you can usually call their hotline for free even it's out of warranty, and they might have some ideas, although it depends on if you get someone useful on the line, or a doofus - and it's about 50/50 which one, even when you're on their business support lines that technicians get to access.

LockedOut · 10-18-2009, 11:18 PM

If you have any dongles on your laptop diconnect them. Try and disable as much as you can in the BIOS as possible if your not afraid to play around in there. Turn off other stuff if you can like wireless if there are switches, etc.

GirlySports · 10-18-2009, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LockedOut

If you have any dongles on your laptop diconnect them. Try and disable as much as you can in the BIOS as possible if your not afraid to play around in there. Turn off other stuff if you can like wireless if there are switches, etc.

grrrr

disabled everything and turned off the wireless switch... still that same.
what's an example of a dongle?

jammies · 10-18-2009, 11:52 PM

If you had a dongle on there, you'd know. It'd look like a USB key and you'd have it because you bought some crap piece of software that uses a dongle for security - and you undoubtedly would have posted in the past, "How can I get rid of this stupid 'dongle' that continually screws up my laptop?"

mykalberta · 10-19-2009, 11:48 AM

Sounds like a bad hard drive.

sclitheroe · 10-19-2009, 08:25 PM

It could very well be that he's using an older XP install CD (non-SP2) that doesn't know what to do with a disk configured to operate in AHCI mode. I'd check the BIOS and see if there's a setting you can use to configure the disk for IDE or ATAPI instead of AHCI mode.

Bownesian · 10-19-2009, 10:03 PM

It sounds to me like you are trying to install Windows over a previous installation without reformatting the hard drive. I have never had a non-reformat reinstall solve any computer problem ever.

If you haven't done so, delete the partition, remake and reformat it and see if the reinstall works then.

Bownesian · 10-19-2009, 10:07 PM

From http://www.whitecanyon.com/format-ha....php#format-xp
How to Format a Hard Drive with Windows XP

To format a hard drive with Windows XP or 2000, insert Windows CD and restart your computer.
Your computer should automatically boot from the CD to the Windows Setup Main Menu.
At the Welcome to Setup page, press ENTER.
Press F8 to accept the Windows XP Licensing Agreement.
If an existing Windows XP installation is detected, you are prompted to repair it. To bypass the repair, press ESC.
Use the ARROW keys to select the partition or the unpartitioned space where you want to create a new partition. Press D to delete an existing partition, or press C to create a new partition.
Type the size in megabytes (MB) that you want to use for the new partition, and then press ENTER, or just press ENTER to create the partition with the maximum size.
Select the format option that you want to use for the partition (Recommended: NTFS), and then press ENTER.
After the Windows Setup program formats the partition, follow the instructions that appear on the screen to continue installing Windows.

GirlySports · 10-20-2009, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bownesian

From http://www.whitecanyon.com/format-ha....php#format-xp
How to Format a Hard Drive with Windows XP

To format a hard drive with Windows XP or 2000, insert Windows CD and restart your computer.
Your computer should automatically boot from the CD to the Windows Setup Main Menu.
At the Welcome to Setup page, press ENTER.
Press F8 to accept the Windows XP Licensing Agreement.
If an existing Windows XP installation is detected, you are prompted to repair it. To bypass the repair, press ESC.
Use the ARROW keys to select the partition or the unpartitioned space where you want to create a new partition. Press D to delete an existing partition, or press C to create a new partition.
Type the size in megabytes (MB) that you want to use for the new partition, and then press ENTER, or just press ENTER to create the partition with the maximum size.
Select the format option that you want to use for the partition (Recommended: NTFS), and then press ENTER.
After the Windows Setup program formats the partition, follow the instructions that appear on the screen to continue installing Windows.

It doesn't get past step 3.