Need help installing Windows XP Pro

[Caoster]

I am putting a brand new system together, i would like to install a fresh copy of win XP on it.

I have a:

DFI nf4 Ultra-D
Opty 165
10k Raptor HD
evga 7900GT
2x 1024 corsair ram ( CMX1024-3200C2PT)

I am able to start the installation process off the CD rom. I am able to add additional drivers, for the SATA controller, then it proceeds to go to "Setup Starting Windows" and it hangs there, right before I normally would get to the screen where I am choosing to install or repair.

I am out of ideas. I have tried swapping the sticks around, using only one, moving the voltage up to 2.7, and then 2.8.

Nothing seems to work.

Anyone have any ideas?

_Kevin

 

[Allanv]

if your not using raid dont add the sata drivers windows should pick it up without them..

give it a shot

 

[Parsnip1973]

Hi Kevin

I suffered a very similar problem recently - I thought it was a bad mobo (mobo was RMA'ed and was indeed faulty) but I still couldn't install with the replacement mobo. Eventually, I figure out my memory was bad too (it is currently being RMA'ed) - maybe you could run memtest or something to check it? You could try installing with just the one stick and seeing if it makes a difference.

Best regards

Richard

 

[Bluestealth]

One way to do it is use nLite to mod your windows disk, remove all default windows drivers, have SP2, and only have the sata raid drivers on your disk... btw its funny how you cant install some replacement ide drivers, even after you uninstall all the devices on that controller, and were only using it for a cdrom not windows... it has a kernel panic

 

[Caoster]

I tried it with one stick. No luck. It hangs at the "Setup is starting Windows"

 

[zebra14]

Do you have a PATA drive you can try to eliminate SATA as the culprit? Is the SATA drive correctly jumpered? (I recently got a OEM SATA drive from NewEgg and it had to be jumpered as it had none and one was needed to make it work).

 

[MeStinkBAD]

I am able to start the installation process off the CD rom. I am able to add additional drivers, for the SATA controller, then it proceeds to go to "Setup Starting Windows" and it hangs there, right before I normally would get to the screen where I am choosing to install or repair.

Why are you installing SATA drivers? They shouldn't be needed. If they are needed then boot from an ATA drive.

I am out of ideas. I have tried swapping the sticks around, using only one, moving the voltage up to 2.7, and then 2.8.

I'm not sure your reason how this would fix the problem. Unless one of the modules isn't correctly installed it should make no difference. And fidging with the voltage will get you nowhere. If either of these did fix the problem, well congratulate yourself you just got yourself a shotty mobo.

If you can not use SATA devices without drivers then DO NOT USE THEM TO BOOT. I can't see why they would ever need drivers, unless perhaps you were foolish enough to use a RAID Array as your boot drive.

 

[JSFLY]

-1 stick of ram in outer most orange slot
-secure all four power connectors (FDD, Molex, 4 &24 pin )
-clear bios -> load optimized settings -> try again.

 

[JSFLY]

Originally posted by: MeStinkBAD

I am able to start the installation process off the CD rom. I am able to add additional drivers, for the SATA controller, then it proceeds to go to "Setup Starting Windows" and it hangs there, right before I normally would get to the screen where I am choosing to install or repair.

Why are you installing SATA drivers? They shouldn't be needed. If they are needed then boot from an ATA drive.

I am out of ideas. I have tried swapping the sticks around, using only one, moving the voltage up to 2.7, and then 2.8.

I'm not sure your reason how this would fix the problem. Unless one of the modules isn't correctly installed it should make no difference. And fidging with the voltage will get you nowhere. If either of these did fix the problem, well congratulate yourself you just got yourself a shotty mobo.

DFI boards only work with 2x ram in the orange slots or 1x ram in the outer most orange ram slot.

Know whats funny? My friend and I spend 2 hours the other night trying to set up windows. He had the same problem you had. I never checked his ram because I didn't think he would have installed it wrong. Well guess what... he used the yellow slots... lol spent 2 hours for nothing.

Oh yeh; also, some corsair sticks dont work with dfi mobos. Check DFI's recommended ram for further details:
http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24719

 

[MadRat]

You can always underclock the rig for the installation, too. Cut out easiest potential problems first.

 

[JohnBernstein]

Here is some help getting windows installed with Linux:

http://linux.coconia.net/addingXP.htm

 

[mechBgon]

^ what they said. Don't try to load SATA drivers unless you're going to be using RAID, or using a PCI-based SATA controller (soldered-down or plug-in), or both. more hand-holding for SATA newbies

 

[pixelbaker]

I had a similar problemw ith my system on my DFI nF4 LP UT SLI-D mobo. Couldn't get XP to install for anything and right after saying "Setup Is Starting Windows" it would blue screen and reboot. Make sure you've got your SATA problems figured out first (no RAID drivers unless you need them, plug slot into a non-RAID SATA connector, etc...) and if you still have problems check a setting in the BIOS (Bios > GenieBios > Dram Configuration > Command Per Clock CPC = set DISABLE). No idea if this is what you're looking for, but it allowed me to install XP x64 when only 32bit would install successfully [and then crash randomly]. My solution came from DFI tech support in a single e-mail. They know their sh*t. E-mail em.

 

[rasczak]

have you read your mobo's manual on how to install windows with an sata drive?