Installing Windows XP Home SP2?

[Wyzrd]

I had to restore my computer a while back and the cd that I have with the PC have SP1 on it. Now this has happened several times but when I install SP2 my computer stops working. It normally either doesn't start up at all or it just keeps restarting itself. Currently it is running on SP1 because I'm tired of redoing it.

[Broni]

Try here:
http://winhlp.com/node/125

[Wyzrd]

Thanks I would try something it says in there but this time I never updated to SP2. And alst night I shut it off and started it this morning.

I got an error about

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows Root>\System 32\hal.dll

Then I restarted it and got this:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows Root>\System 32\ntoskrnl.exe

Then I restarted it again and got this:

Disk boot failure, insert system disk boot failure.

[Broni]

It's even hard to say, where to start.
As you can see:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=hal.dll+error&btnG=Google+Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ntoskrnl.exe+error&btnG=Google+Search
lots of possible causes.
You'll have to investigate.

[alexK]

Wyzrd,
I had the same thing. I all began when I installed a bigger Hard Drive given to me. The works ran fine at nigth. In the morning it stalled on the same messages. After three attempts, (of re-installing) I finally put the old drive back in and voila, no problem. 
I recon it was a bad drive that works fine when the system is nice and warm, come the next day, doing a cold start it won't function.

[Wyzrd]

Thanks broni I'll have to look into it but who knows to what sucess.

And alexK that is the same thing that happened to me.

[patio]

This will happen with an "ahem" version of XP...

Does your CD have holograms and say Microsoft all over it ? ?

[alexK]

Patio,
what I was trying to install was W2K on a 39gig HD , as the old 29gig HD was full, and loaded with gazillions of programs/applications.

I am the owner of the Installation W2K CD and it is original, and originally loaded on the 29gig.
The 39gig was formatted on a different machine, but my machine did not like it.   After reformatting and installing W2K it would run fine until a Cold Start. I repeated this several times, and noting the messages that came across. These were the same: Dll, Hkeys, exe and other complaints.
I finally reformatted the 29gig and installed W2K. No problems up to now.
I don't think it would make any difference XP or W2K. It is the HD.

[patio]

Are you saying you want to be able to boot to the 39G as well as the 29G with Win2K ? ?
There are 3 different ways to accomplish this so post back with what it is you want to be able to do...

[alexK]

I think you misunderstand. I wanted to replace the 29gig with a 39gig. Not adding.

[patio]

Then the best / safest way to accomplish what you want would be to DLoad the utilities from the 39G drive manuf. website.
Hook up the 39 as a slave and boot to the DLoaded utilities on CD/floppy and "clone" the 29 to the 39...
Shut down and remove the 29 and hook up only the 39 as master and re-boot
Make sure everything is there and runs properly.
After that you can safely format the 29 and hook it up as a slave and use it for storage...