winxp pro keeps failing on install... help please, hardware issue? no clue

MizugoriMizugori NYC
edited July 2004 in Hardware
i have no idea how to proceed...the hard drive and the windows cd are both fine afaik, seeing as i JUST installed windows on a dif pc with the cd, and the hdd has been running in a system up until a week ago when i pulled it! it always formats and starts copying setup files, but it stops at some percentage of the way through, usually around 30%, and says that a file can not be copied; retry or cancel installation.

what could this be? help please!

Comments

  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited July 2004
    Try another stick of memory. You might have a marginal memory stick

    I had this same problem 2 weeks ago.
  • MizugoriMizugori NYC
    edited July 2004
    its kingston valueram pc2700 512mb ... but it worked fine before, and has made it through winxp pro installs lol...also i don't have another stick or the money to replace it...i hope its not the ram...if i swapped it for the duration of the install and then later popped it back in, think it would be fine?
  • MJOMJO Denmark New
    edited July 2004
    Isn't this where you suggest running Memtest86?
    I'd better do it before prime gets here. ;D

    Link:
    http://www.memtest.org/
    Download this and make a bootable floppy
    http://www.memtest.org/download/1.20/memtest86+-1.20.floppy.zip
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited July 2004
    What He said! :D
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    beaten to it!
  • Omatic810Omatic810 Gainesville, FL
    edited July 2004
    I had the same problem. It would get to 86% and say something about a windows file not copying.

    My suggestion would be to burn the WinXP cd, and retry it. I know the CD worked before, but maybe it got scratched ever-so-slighly, and that tipped the scales. =\

    OR you could make a small partition on your HD, and try installing in either of those. If it's a HD problem, then the error area might end up in one of those partitions, but not the other (hopefully).
  • JimboraeJimborae Newbury, Berks, UK New
    edited July 2004
    What about the actual cd/dvd drive thats reading the installation cd. I was having similar error's when trying to install sus 9.1 and it turned out to be my laptop dvd drive which didn't like that brand of dvd media. Installed fine on my desk top pc's.

    Justa thought

    Jim
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    Quite possible-- and a CD Drive laser lense cleaner might help fix THAT. But, at 86% complete adn then failure, more likely to be the media (CD itself) has a scratch or fingerprint on it, or RAM is failing, or the RAM socket connectors are getting corroded and reseating RAM 3-4 times (and thus ending up scraping minor corrosion off of the finger contacts in socket and possibly the contact pads on RAM stick) might restore good RAM contact also. Blow socket for RAM out with an air can also, if the first seems to help some, that corrosion junk has to go somewhere and dust can cause opens in socketed contacts also.
  • MJOMJO Denmark New
    edited July 2004
    Once I was installing Windows ME (don't laugh I do not use it anymore)
    It failed during installation if my rig was OC'ed.
    At default speed it installed fine.

    Note: The rig was 100% stable at the OC'ed speed, Win ME installation just didn't like it.
    I have seen other ME users with the same problem.
    Haven't seen any Windows XP users though?
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