Can't Reload Windows

McBainMcBain San Clemente, CA New
edited August 2003 in Hardware
Alright guys. For some reason I can't load either XP or 2000 onto a computer. It gets to 12-16% and just hangs, claiming it can;t load any file past some of these agentdplxxxx.dll files.

Few things that should be noted is this isn't mine, its a buddies.

When I first booted up, it just hung at the loading windows screen, forever. So I figure, ok, safe mode...no go,....last known good, no go. Everything I tried. No go.

I try to do everything possible and determine I need to do a repair install. Pop in xp and I get 14% in and it says can't load file.....yadda yadda yadda. Get another xp disk, same thing. Fine, reformat his partition, retry for clean install. Same thing. Both discs aren't scratched and are fully readable. Then try winders 2000, same thing. Hop over to his hardware monitor in his bios to check temps, just in case. 65 degrees C...YIKES I say, so I turn off and think for a minute. ok, side panel was off, in my basement in A/C cooled house. His comp. was upstairs with no ac, on a very hot day so I'm thinking temps got to like 70c.

Heres my question and answer period. Everything seems to be ok, i.e., not fried visibly, and most things seem to be in working order. It posts, but I still can't load ANY os. What could be the problem, and yes, I've fixed his cooling problem. What could have been fried that would prevent loading an os? Northbridge? Whole mobo? HDD? cpu? Any idea or suggestions?

Maybe nothings fried and I just need some help on loading XP....

~McBain

Comments

  • AMD-FanAMD-Fan Virginia Beach
    edited August 2003
    I think nothing is fried. It already has windows XP on it right?
    Windows XP may be keeping you from reload. (proprietory
    operating system)The other thought is to run a diagnostic on
    your hardrive find out who made them go to the web site and
    download thier hardrive diagnostic tool. (long shot there cant
    hurt though) I dont know XP but it has a repair funtion I believe
    so try and use it. Good luck
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited August 2003
    Bad memory

    Download www.memtest86.com memtest86 v3.0

    Make bootable floppy. Boot off it. Let it run all tests, takes a while....
  • McBainMcBain San Clemente, CA New
    edited August 2003
    thanks prime. Running it now. NO OS has been reinstalled, drive has been quick formatted AMD Fan.
  • a2jfreaka2jfreak Houston, TX Member
    edited August 2003
    I agree this is the most likely cause. I've had this happen recently. So annoying too because I tried 2 CPUs, 2 motherboards, 2 PSUs before thinking "wait, could it be the RAM." DUH! it was the RAM. Fortunately I had 3 identical CPUs and 2 identical motherboards lying around, so it isn't like I went and purchased more equipment nor did I RMA anything.
    Originally posted by primesuspect
    Bad memory

    Download www.memtest86.com memtest86 v3.0

    Make bootable floppy. Boot off it. Let it run all tests, takes a while....
  • edited August 2003
    This is an old thing but windows use to have a problem installing with certain Nividia video cards. If that's what's in there, switch the card with something else and try. It will work ok once installed.
  • McBainMcBain San Clemente, CA New
    edited August 2003
    welp, I've got an extra stick in my machine that I'll try later b/c the test is still running.

    just an FYI, they had a bootable CD image on their, so thats cool.

    Cool Canuck, he does have an Nvideo geforce 4 mx, but it was there when I loaded windows the first time so I doubt thats it. I do have another geforce 2 lyin around, so I might try that.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited August 2003
    I have had a couple times with the gforce mx's that I had to stick anothger card in to load... even when I was building 8 friggin identical boxs with EXACTLY teh same componets in the same slots etc.... Don't know why. Like the others I would suspect the ram first and the video a close second. Pull out or disable any non-essential componets if you have to and reinstall/enable them one at a time after the initial install is complete.

    I have had to diable serial ports and sound built in etc... and then install them one at a time. Run the bios at safe defaults also.

    Tex
  • McBainMcBain San Clemente, CA New
    edited August 2003
    Wholy cripes, you'd think these compatibility issues on common boards with common components and winders pride and joy XP would have been fixed. Bastahds.

    BTW, how long is memtest86 supposed to take, its been going for 20 hours thus far. :-/
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited August 2003
    lol.

    There are 7 tests. It'll keep going forever if you let it. Has it gone through all 7 tests? If it has, and it still says 0 errors, then maybe you have something else bad, like CPU or even mobo.
  • oktc123oktc123 Whitby, England
    edited August 2003
    Had exact same problem, thought it was new mobo so sent it back & they tested it with no problems, charged me £30 for the pleasure as well, also thought it was Win XP disc so tryed another. Anyway dont want to go into the long drawn out affair about how I pulled my hair out for 3 weeks trouble shooting PC, turned out to be the PSU. By the way PSU was a hiper 520w about 4 months old @ £77, give it a try. Hope this helps.
  • McBainMcBain San Clemente, CA New
    edited August 2003
    lol, well, I didn't know it ran a cont. loop. Oops, well, it was done and it quoted an official butt-load of errors. I'm gonna pop another shticky of ram in there right quick to see if I get better results.

    Then I'll try the vid card. Then the psu. I'll keep reporting back till I get this bugger going.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited August 2003
    I bet you got it covered with the ram.

    Tex
  • McBainMcBain San Clemente, CA New
    edited August 2003
    lol tex, it wasn't the ram. I popped in a stick of my stuff, same problem. Swapped the psu out, same problem. Swapped the vid. card, same problem. I'm down to the hdd, the proc, or my pick, the motherboard.
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited August 2003
    And the bios is at safe defaults? And the ram testsd fail still?

    Tex
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited August 2003
    Does your mobo have SATA or Raid controllers?

    If so, disable them and install WINXP with your HD on IDE1 and your CDRom on IDE2
  • McBainMcBain San Clemente, CA New
    edited August 2003
    haha, not that good of a mobo. ECS K7S5A, cheapie.

    Bios is at safe settings, and my ram I KNOW is good, so I'm thinkin its the mobo. Gonna toss in another CPU, and if that fails, I've pretty much determined its the mobo.
  • McBainMcBain San Clemente, CA New
    edited August 2003
    ooook I think I'm officially stumped. Tried to load windows onto his HDD with a diff. mobo, a diff. processor, different ram, different psu, better cooling, diff. video card, diff. windows discs. I can only deduce its his fuckin HDD. Grrrr, I'll have to slap in empty one to test. Grr.
  • ALiEN509ALiEN509 Ohio
    edited August 2003
    if it were me I would fdisk the disk to 1 whole partition and then format it
  • McBainMcBain San Clemente, CA New
    edited August 2003
    that is the plan
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