BIZARRE Windows XP installation problems
panzerkw
New York City
First off, I've put together another computer. It has an Abit A8N Ultra with a AMD64 3500 Processor, a 160 GB SATA drive, and Gigabyte 6600GT card. After putting all the wires in and checking the jumpers, I hit the power button...
For several moments, nothing happen. Then the system suddenly sprang to life and started posting. I had my Windows XP Pro OEM CD in the drive to start installing windows.
Setup loads up after booting from the CD. After preloading some files, the computer must restart before starting Windows Setup in earnest. The system starts posting, but it won't detect the hard drive. The POST stops at that point. I hit the reset button, the same thing. I then hit the power button to turn off the computer. After a few moments, the computer turns back on on its own and starts posting, this time detecting the hard drive. The installation proceeds as normal, however, my Windows CD Key does not work after checking a 100 times and rentering a hundred times. Not being able to cancel the installation, I turn the computer back off.
I grabbed an older Windows XP CD (version 2002) that was an upgrade since I have the key for that one. I stick the CD in there and turn off the system (it turns on again on its own after a few moments). The Setup from this upgrade CD recognizes the previously incomplete windows installation as a previous version and allows me to proceed with "Repairing the existing Windows installation". I let it do that and Setup proceeds as it usually should.
The system reboots and I get into Windows. It tells me to finish the setup, where I set time zones and enter usernames. I enter a username for myself and hit next (I don't see a password field), and I get the login screen. I click the button with my username and I get a password text field, which I leave blank and hit next. I get an error, "Windows cannot locate the domain, please contact your system administrator". I cannot log on to Windows. I restarted in Safe Mode and tried to log in as Administrator with password field blank (Setup never gave me a chance to set the Admin password), but again I get the same "Cannot locate domain" error.
So then I restart the computer again with the Upgrade CD (Version 2002) in there. I have the system boot from the CD. Instead of repairing the existing, incomplete installation of Windows, I want setup to do a quick format so that I do a clean install from the upgrade CD (after it has detected the existing version). I start the format....and nothing happens. The progress bar goes to 20% and stays there.
I tried this with the original Win XP CD and it was able to format it without issue. But since the key doesn't work I cannot complete the setup using that CD.
I reinstalled Windows using the first method described above and I'm left with a system I cannot log into Windows with due to the "cannot locate domain" error. I tried hitting cntrl+alt+del at that login to get a real login screen and I get the same errors there.
Does ANYONG have ANY idea how the hell I can fix this?
For several moments, nothing happen. Then the system suddenly sprang to life and started posting. I had my Windows XP Pro OEM CD in the drive to start installing windows.
Setup loads up after booting from the CD. After preloading some files, the computer must restart before starting Windows Setup in earnest. The system starts posting, but it won't detect the hard drive. The POST stops at that point. I hit the reset button, the same thing. I then hit the power button to turn off the computer. After a few moments, the computer turns back on on its own and starts posting, this time detecting the hard drive. The installation proceeds as normal, however, my Windows CD Key does not work after checking a 100 times and rentering a hundred times. Not being able to cancel the installation, I turn the computer back off.
I grabbed an older Windows XP CD (version 2002) that was an upgrade since I have the key for that one. I stick the CD in there and turn off the system (it turns on again on its own after a few moments). The Setup from this upgrade CD recognizes the previously incomplete windows installation as a previous version and allows me to proceed with "Repairing the existing Windows installation". I let it do that and Setup proceeds as it usually should.
The system reboots and I get into Windows. It tells me to finish the setup, where I set time zones and enter usernames. I enter a username for myself and hit next (I don't see a password field), and I get the login screen. I click the button with my username and I get a password text field, which I leave blank and hit next. I get an error, "Windows cannot locate the domain, please contact your system administrator". I cannot log on to Windows. I restarted in Safe Mode and tried to log in as Administrator with password field blank (Setup never gave me a chance to set the Admin password), but again I get the same "Cannot locate domain" error.
So then I restart the computer again with the Upgrade CD (Version 2002) in there. I have the system boot from the CD. Instead of repairing the existing, incomplete installation of Windows, I want setup to do a quick format so that I do a clean install from the upgrade CD (after it has detected the existing version). I start the format....and nothing happens. The progress bar goes to 20% and stays there.
I tried this with the original Win XP CD and it was able to format it without issue. But since the key doesn't work I cannot complete the setup using that CD.
I reinstalled Windows using the first method described above and I'm left with a system I cannot log into Windows with due to the "cannot locate domain" error. I tried hitting cntrl+alt+del at that login to get a real login screen and I get the same errors there.
Does ANYONG have ANY idea how the hell I can fix this?
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