Stuck in xp home install loop

[starfillybaby]

Hi, I'm trying to install xp home onto my computer and am stuck in this install loop.

Things I know:
>The xp disk is fine, installed from on another computer the day before.

>The hard drive I'm trying to install onto, I removed from a working external hard drive. After this loop thing, I tried it as a external again to check and it was OK. Showed the windows folder on it from the partial install.

> I am booting from CD drive to install and I tried changing the boot order to the hard drive after the restart but it says disk error and prompts a restart.

Blue screen says one partition 131072 MB <131071 MB free>
IT says I need to format using the NTFS file system (even thought I've done this thru this screen before ) So I  go thru the format.

It will got thru the windows install and restart but then it kicks me back the the first install screen. It will not continue with the second half of the install. BUT The next time it will not need to format and tell them Windows is already on the drive to I want to erase. So I say yes and back to square one we are. 

Over and over, at least a dozen trys the same thing happens.

Does anyone have any ideas why this is happening and and fixes to try?
I'm currently formatting again.

I'm stuck in this frustrating loop and don't know how to get out! HELP! :-)

[patio]

Legit XP CD ? ?
Have you ran any diagnostics on the hard drive ? ?
These are FREE DLoads from the drive manuf. site.
Any other issues with the CD drive prior to this ? ?

Just a few things to check out...also post some more info on the machine as well...

[starfillybaby]

Yes, It's a true windows cd and I just used it yesterday to reinstall xp on my other computer.

I haven't run and dig. on hard drive because it was working as an external, when this error happened I pulled the drive back to external and it loaded onto second computer fine. It shows a windows file (the only thing on the hard drive) from the previous tried install.

The computer I'm installing on was working fine until the old hard drive went up. I pulled the old drive to install the new one.

The computer is a custom job with a pcchips motherboard, cd drive, floppy drive, graphics card. I don't recall the exact numbers but the new hard drive is a Seagate Barracuda 7200 320Gb

Thanks

[patio]

I've seen my share of flaky PCChips boards but i'm not suggesting this is the issue...

I would use the SeaTools CD that shipped with the drive and follow the instructions for preparing the drive for an OS install...
This normally involves a low level format and creating whatever partitions you want.

If an IDE drive make sure it is jumpered master and connected at the end of the IDE ribbon cable...
If SATA it should be on SATA1 connector on the MBoard.

[starfillybaby]

I have a question regarding the jumper settings. I had to remove the jumper to get it to stop a reboot cycle, so now there is no jumper on it. I tried it as cable select, slave and master befor just pulling it off all together, same thing I had to do to the old hd.It is pluued into the end plug on the cable.
When looking in BIOS its saying Primary IDE Master is not detected, Primary IDE Slave Hard Disk. Secondary IDE Master not detected, Secondary IDE Slave CD/DVD ROM

Is this correct? If not what should it be and how can I fix it?
I'm tired of fooling with it for now and I'm going to bed but will start up again in the morning. I'm trying to pull up the pcchips website to find my mb information but its taking forever (I hate only having dialup!)

I dont have any cds for the seagate, it came pre installed with the external box and I didnt get anything with it.

Catch up in the AM, Thanks!

[patio]

Set it as master.
master is at the end of the IDE cable so you have that correct.
If you have 2 IDE channels on that board the HDD should be on IDE0 or 1 with the optical drive on IDE2.

Keep in mind when trying so hard to get out from under and many changes are made out of sheer frustration it can confuse the BIOS believe it or not.
In my early days I had a HDD that took 3 or 4 cold boots before the BIOS finally recognised it and it was fine ever since.
This was of course after i had mucked around in setup so much i had forgotten all the changes i had made...

Be patient ...and take things one step at a time.
Good Luck.

Clik Here  for the FREE SeaTools software...

[starfillybaby]

Ok, So I changed jumper setting to mater and its showing it as master in BIOS. Started windows install again but it's still kicking me back to the begining and not allowing the second half of windows to install.

Im off to the store for now, will try the Seatools when i get back.

<sigh>

[Raptor]

Diagnose your RAM using Microsoft Memory Diagnostics.

What are the temperatures reported by your system?

[starfillybaby]

CPU  48'C/118'F
System 34'C/93'F

Cownloading Memory program now, will run when I return.

Thanks!

[Raptor]

Make sure that you follow Patio's advise as well.

[starfillybaby]

ok, Well, tonight's progress has been nada! I tried running the microsoft memory program burned as an iso with active iso burner and all the computer does is say disk read error.
I tried the Seatools but it says this computer doesnt have the .net framework need to run.

Anything else to try while I keep working on it?

[Raptor]

ok, Well, tonight's progress has been nada! I tried running the microsoft memory program burned as an iso with active iso burner and all the computer does is say disk read error.
I tried the Seatools but it says this computer doesnt have the .net framework need to run.

Anything else to try while I keep working on it?

I'd use a diskette. I have no experience using this program from a disk.
You can also try Memtest86 that might work out better for you.

If you download Seatools, make sure that you get the DOS version.

Also make sure that you make a copy by using the executable and not just copying the executable onto the CD/Diskette (You'd be surprised what some people come up with...)

[starfillybaby]

I tried starting from a floppy, nothing, tried iso (memtest86) nothing.
Anything other then the windows install cd it seems to say disk read error. So I tried the recovery section from install and then ran chkdsk. It came on right away with The volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems.

Should I try pulling the hard drive from the computer and into the one I'm using now, setting it as slave?? or running as external drive??

I'm not sure of the next step without damaging the working computer somehow. I could also pull the memory and install on working one to look at it also?

Thanks you for everyones guidance!

[starfillybaby]

Sorry to keep bugging you (no computer pun intended). I pulled the HD and put it back in external case pluged thru USB on working computer. Shows as not being formatted so I'm formating thru working computer this time...

Is it possible to try and install windows with it being a USB plug-in?

[starfillybaby]

I just finished the format on the hard drive but it says unable to be formatted. I guess the drive is bad then, weird but ok whatever. Did find out its under warrenty so I'm going to RMA it with Seagate and try again. Guess this makes it an hardwear issue ans not an xp thing..
Thanks for trying to help!!