Stuck with Dos. Cannot re-install

[hansberry]

My computer was shutting down or constantly saying it had just recovered from a serious error.  It was also running slowly.   I decided to just save everything and go through the HP recovery that is automaticly in the computer (by pressing f10).   It did all the formatting but then when it was putting stuff back on it had an error.  I got all the way to the little computerized guy talking to me but then it had an error and kept telling me windows was not setup.  So I tried to recover it again but it still wouldnt complete it.   So I decided to buy the 8 recovery discs from HP.  Through the whole process it kept shutting down or giving me a blue screen (always with a different error number) but I managed to make it through almost all the discs but on the last one it started giving me a blue screen or freezing up and would not complete.   I can only get it to start in dos mode using an old Win 98 boot floppy (I have no way of making a boot floppy of XP because I dont have another computer with a floppy drive).   I am able to put in the recover cd and it will open in the HP recovery but I cant do anything because it either freezes or gets a blue screen.  I have no windows anymore because of the formatting.  I just want to reinstall but cant.

Two things going on here..one, I get these shutdowns unless it is just sitting there in DOS(then it stays on forever).

The other is that I cant get anything back on (primarily because of the shutdowns).

I dont know what all info you need.  I dont have much clue about what I'm looking at.  Here is some stuff I found in the Bios:

CPU type  AMD Athlon xp2200+
CPU speed  1800mhz/266mhz
CPU Cache RAM 256k
Installed Memory 256MB/PC2100
Memory Bank 1 256MB/ddr
CPU FAn Speed 1814-1854 rpm
CPU temp  48' C

It has Windows XP and is an HP Pavilion 554e
If there is something else you need to know please tell me where to find the info.

I appreciate any help you may be able to give.     

[Dusty]

Time to start hardware error diagnostics.

Run ram diagnostic program Memtest86 from http://www.memtest86.com/  (select the cd iso image & burn it to cd).

Run hard drive diagnostic program from your hdd manufacturer's site.

Good luck

[hansberry]

ok..I ran both the memtest and Western Digital's hard drive diagnostic.  Both said no errors.

I then erased the hard drive (it was already erased from a previous recovery attempt anyway) and then tried my hp system recovery discs again.  Same problem..I get a blue screen in the middle of transferring files.  It is never the same numbers but this one happens to be:

***STOP: 0x00000050 (0xCB94AE24,0x00000001,0x8041FFAE,0x0000000)

Any suggestions ?

thank you

[RankenTech]

Give this a read and see if it is of any use:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/329293

[hansberry]

I read it but I dont think it is the same error (the numbers in parentheses are different).  Plus I dont have any windows on my computer...just dos.  I have been trying to get windows back on but I get various blue screens with different error numbers.    The solution they suggest for the problem on the page you gave me cant be done because there is no windows to use to do it.

If I could just stop getting these shutdowns or blue screens I'd be able to get through the hp recovery discs and complete the installation..grrr

[Broni]

This is really weird situation, but from all you described, it really looks like some hardware problem.
I assume your CD drive worked OK, before all this happened.
I would open computer case, and play a little with IDE cables. Maybe disconnect/re-connect them.

[Clippy]

Wait a second here!

Where did you get DOS from? Your hard drive is reformatted right?

XP uses virtual DOS.  Not DOS

Where are you getting DOS from?  What version? Probably 5 if XP SP2.

Just type VER at prompt.

The HP stuff must be on a protected drive or it would be gone too.

Chances are, that HP is the problem! Their system stuff just plain sucks.

[patio]

What exactly does it say on this CD you are using ? ?

[hansberry]

OK..well, I dont know much about this stuff.  It probably IS the virtual Dos then.  What I mean is that I dont have windows.  In fact after the hard drive erased I just had a blinking dash..not even a prompt.  Then I put in the HP recovery disc and so now when it starts it goes into hp system recovery screen (even when there is no disc in there) and asks me for disc one but then gets a blue screen or freezes.  The only way I can get any kind of prompt is to use an old win 98 boot disc.   There is apparently something now in my drive but not much..just the beginning of the install from the disc.  

So anyway..have no idea if it is real dos or virtual.  Also, I had SP1.

Cant help it being HP..it is what it is, lol.  It did have a recovery drive..that is probably where the HP logo and such is coming from for the recovery when the disc is not in.  You can hit F10 to access it as well (though it isnt any different than from the CD ).

And yes, the CD drive worked before and it still works when I put the non-windows stuff in.

[hansberry]

The disc says :

System Recovery
Windows XP Home Edition disc 1 ( there are

This cd contains a backiup copy of all sofware originally installed and can only be used with an HP Pavilion home PC. 

[hansberry]

that was supposd to be a number 8 and then a parentheses but these new programs just want to take over and make everything have a smiley face on it! lol

Well..hopefully someone will have a clue what I can do with this computer!

[Broni]

Did you try to open your computer case, and see if IDE cables are seated well?

[patio]

Try This...
Put the HP recovery CD in
Boot to the Win98 floppy...
At the A: prompt type D: and hit Enter...(assuming D: is your CD drive)
At the D: prompt type setup and hit Enter...
The recovery process should now run...
Let us know.

[street1 (RIP)]

You may want to read this and follow the guides provided
by the manufacturer.

GoHere

[hansberry]

Broni-
Yes, the cables seem to be in firmly.

Street1-

That link you gave from HP is what I've been trying to do over and over.  The problem is that the computer either freezes or gives me a blue screen error in the middle of doing the recovery.  So even though the hard drive has been formatted it has not had the stuff put back on because the recovery has not been able to complete.

Patio-
Tried that at the prompt..but it says bad command.  There is no file named setup ..just other stuff like I386, Preload etc etc.   But even so, I have no problem getting the HP recovery to start as I mentioned above to Street1.