Need help installing o.s.

A

adamussg

New Member
I have a compaq presario 5000 that formerly had windows ME on it. I used windows xp install disk and wiped out the ME and started installing XP on it. I got thru most of installation and told me to reboot and remove disk. I did this and then it would only boot to a black screen with a gray bar across the bottom and it would freeze. I try to use compaq me recovery disk and since Me is is obviously gone it cannot restore it. I am now stuck with an empty box that won't do anything. Can anyone help me or give me any suggestions?
 
try grabbing a utility that will totally wipe out your HD, then try installing XP clean. Remember the first time you reboot it is copying set up files to your HD and still needst he disk to finish the install, you just choose to NOT boot off the CD instead.
 
Any suggestions on what utility to use? After the install disk told me to reboot and remove disk, I changed the boot order so it would boot from hardrive first. Everything should have worked and it should have unpacked and installed files on hard drive correct? Instead it freezes.
 
I tried reinstalling with win xp and leaving disk in when it tells me to remove it. Just in case it still needed files off the cd. I want to wipe evrything off my hard drive now and then try it. Any free progarms out there that will work?
 
thanks anyway but
#1 no o.s. will boot.
#2 Have installed buku o.s. on other com. before and have never had a problem.
#3 xp disc will not complete installation.
Are there any free programs out there that will wipe my hard drive completly clean? Then I can try fresh install. I recieved this com. from a friend and he had a pirated version of xp on it. He wiped me clean, installed xp and used some sp 2 activator code that wiped out the activation message. He said after thirty days, xp stopped working. I called him an idiot and told him not to pirate cuz he might have destroyed the computer. Anyway, now no o.s. will load or install without freezing. I think this file he downloaded may still be on hard drive somewhere and conflicting with my install. Any suggestions?
 
failed installation

If your HD happens to come with an installation disk try low level formatting then reinstall windows XP. Maxtor HDs have a great installation program called Maxblast. If all fails find an old copy of DOS 6 and load that first. DOS is like a steamroller, it'll wipe out everything. Incidentally, did you set up BIOS for CD booting? Another thing, recently microsoft has been playing hard ball. If you fail to register upon installation they do great harm to your installation and sometimes even the entire system. I have 4 maxtor 80 gig hard drives that failed when my modem refused to activate in time and I was unable to register. Maxblast gives an error reading of DE66C471 on all 4.
 
trying low level format now . Yes boot order has been changed in bios. Hopefully this does something. Already wiped hard drive clean with dban but maybe it missed something. I'll check how low level format went after work.
 
adamussg said:
trying low level format now . Yes boot order has been changed in bios. Hopefully this does something. Already wiped hard drive clean with dban but maybe it missed something. I'll check how low level format went after work.
Click to expand...


It depends. How long have you had the HD? Average life of an HD is about 6 years. I'm also wanting to know who made it. I've had a similar problem so if you could just answer those questions I could probably help you.
 
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