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Thread ID: 122938	2012-01-22 05:17:00	WinXP setup won't continue, blank screen	Vicx (11114)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1255474	2012-01-22 05:17:00	I'm trying to install WinXP SP3. I boot up with the disc in, it starts the blue screen setup process, I choose the HDD to install to, it copies the files as usual then reboots. Then, instead of continuing the setup, it just gives me a blank screen in dos with a flashing underscore at the top left corner of the screen. I tried booting the disc again, but it told me a Windows XP folder exists on the HDD I'm trying to install to, so it did copy the setup files ok, but it just won't continue installing. Could it be the HDD itself? It's a Momentus XT.	Vicx (11114)
1255475	2012-01-22 09:00:00	When you did the install, did you blow away the partition, and then allow it to do a full format ? Also have you got two or more sticks of RAM installed. May help a little if you can post the system spec's. You are basically getting what sounds like the Black Screen of Death -- many causes and fixes, hence the request for the system specs.	wainuitech (129)
1255476	2012-01-22 09:46:00	What do you mean by blow away? I formatted the drive using EASEUS to NTFS, 4k cluster size, in Win XP running off another HDD. I have 3 HDDs in this PC. In SATA1 a 320gb which this Windows is running off, in SATA2 a 1TB and in SATA3 the Momentus XT which I'm trying to install to. I set it to boot first but that gives me the blank screen, so I changed my 320gb back to the first boot device and now here I am. Win XP setup recognises the HDD and lets me install to it, but that's as far as it gets. yes 2 sticks of RAM installed, 2x 1GB. motherboard is Asus P5K SE. in BIOS, neither IDE 'enhanced' or 'compatibility' modes make a difference (it's set to enhanced by default).	Vicx (11114)
1255477	2012-01-22 09:58:00	Boot from the XP cd , then let it format the hdd then install windows on it. So, youre going to install XP on 2 hdd's?? Is XP on the 320 GB as well?? Why are you trying to install XP within windows onto another hdd?	Speedy Gonzales (78)
1255478	2012-01-22 10:05:00	What I mean by "blow away" when you install windows it gives you the option to delete the partition(s) if it already has had or has a OS on it. ( ignore EASEUS - use the XP CD) If you delete the partition, then its the same thing as if it were a new blank HDD and will create a new partition and format it, then install windows. (in simple non technical terms) Since you have multi drives, unless you are wanting to run some sort of RAID setup, disconnect all the HDD's apart from one you want to install Windows on. You may find that its getting the boot loader confused as to what HDD to actually boot to. Try installing to the single drive, then once its going, then reconnect the other drives. Also remove one of the RAM modules, try installing it from one only. Sometimes having to much RAM can cause XP to do stupid things when installing. To answer the question in the original post ---- "Could it be the HDD itself? It's a Momentus XT." Its possible, but from the way its been explained about the current setup, I'd say theres more of a chance its the way the setup is, not the drive itself.	wainuitech (129)
1255479	2012-01-22 10:06:00	No I'm only trying to install XP on the 3rd HDD only (momentus XT). It doesn't format because it's already formatted as NTFS, it just goes straight to copying the files then reboots. I'm not trying to install XP within windows, I'm doing it from DOS. I just came back to Windows on the 320gb to come back here.	Vicx (11114)
1255480	2012-01-22 10:11:00	Installing from DOS :illogical -- Doubt it, unless you are doing via command prompt, which would mean creating a partition, formating the drive, copying the i386 folder to C, then booting from a DOS capable boot disc, and typing in the commands to install..	wainuitech (129)
1255481	2012-01-22 10:12:00	. alright I'll try XP setup again but I'll delete the partition and let it create the partition in XP's setup. If that doesn't work I'll remove the other 2 drives and try again. btw I was just reading this article about Advanced Format drives and partition alignment. seagate.custkb.com I just checked using the Seagate utility, my HDD is offset 63. I think that might need to be fixed?	Vicx (11114)
1255482	2012-01-22 10:15:00	Keep it simple --- doing it with all the other drives attached can cause problems -- XP is not a smart as installing as W7 for example, doesn't take much to trip it up and cause all sorts of avoidable trouble.	wainuitech (129)
1255483	2012-01-22 10:49:00	Ok I tried deleting the old EASEUS created partition in Win setup, then let it create a new NTFS (quick) partition, then it copied the files over and rebooted. Booted the new HDD first but gave me an error "NTLDR is missing, press ctrl+alt+del to restart" so thought "hmm better google that" so I changed my 320gb to boot first, but then it gave me a boot menu to choose which Windows XP to load, it loaded the first one and that turned out to be the new HDD and it continued installation! I cancelled thinking I might have deleted the wrong partition, but no, I rebooted and chose the 2nd Windows XP and here I am back on the old HDD. very confusing. Why would the first Windows XP be the 2nd installation? I should also add, before I did any of this, my boot menu had 3 options: 1) windows debug mode, 2) console(?) and 3) windows XP. So it makes sense that my current Windows that I'm using now is the 2nd (3rd option) from the list.. anyway I'm going to disconnect both HDDs and resume the installation just to be safe. I think it's getting a bit confused.	Vicx (11114)
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