Error During Windows Installation

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unknownsidhu

Weaksauce
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Nov 30, 2006
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Hey guys, I need some help regarding a windows installation. Im trying to re-install windows on a WD HD, which already has Windows XP installed on it. Im booting from my CD-ROM, and have problems during the Setup. Once the setup completes loading installation files, all I get is a blank black screen. From there on, it goes no where. Any ideas as to what maybe wrong? Ive tryed booting from two different XP discs, both of which I have used in the past. Ive installed perviously on the drive before without any problems. Right now I have two partitions on it, one for OS, and one for documents. When I go into the BIOS, the drive shows up as a third IDE master. Drive is a 320GB WD Caviar (SATA). Any information will be appreciated.

Thanks!
 
Do you have some unpartitioned space on the drive already....assuming this is a Vista install and you are dual booting? If it is XP that you are trying to install, you should back up your data, wipe the drive clean and then boot from the XP disc.
 
An installation issue indicates a hardware problem, usually ram or harddrive. Did you get any beeps? Try loading with one stick, then try the other for troubleshooting. You may also have a bad dvd/cd rom. Consider swapping out the rom. The black screen indicates no boot device. I would look again in bios to see your boot order. If everything checks good, the next thing to consider is a bad windows disk.
 
Im trying to install Windows XP. This is what I have done so far. I decided to take a extra WD IDE Drive that Ive got lying around, and put it in the computer instead of the SATA one. I was able to install XP on it without any problems. I then reconnected my SATA one, and using the Drive Management tool, was able to format the partition on the SATA drive which contained the system files. I then removed the IDE drive, and kept the SATA in, so that it is now the Primary drive. I tryed booting from CD once again to install Windows on it, but I get the same problem. Maybe I should backup all the documents aswell and then format the partition containing the documents on it aswell?
 
Backup everything from the SATA drive and wipe it clean, using whatever tool you are used to. You can also do this using the XP CD, assuming it will find the drive when you boot from it. Check your BIOS to make sure your SATA ports are set to native or legacy. If they are set to RAID or AHCI, that would explain your issue.
 
Im trying to backup everything from the SATA, but only problem is I can't boot into windows using the IDE. I can get into windows when only the IDE drive is connected, but once I put the SATA in as well, it just goes to a blank black screen- Doesn't load Windows. Hopefully I can get that going some how. Once I do, would it be okay to just format the SATA drive using the XP Disk Management tool? Not sure about the SATA ports, but I think they should be okay, as I've never messed around with them.
 
You still should check their settings in the BIOS. Under XP, there's no reason to be using AHCI.

As for your data, it should have been backed up before you even started any of this process. However, you can still get to the data using BartPE or something like it, to copy the data off to an external USB drive, flash drive, DVD, etc.
 
Transfering data atm..Should take quite some time :p. Once thats complete, Im guessing I should just format the second partition of my SATA drive aswell. Would it be okay to leave the drive still partitioned, or would it be better to make it one big partition again - before trying to install Windows on it. Hopefully I will be able to get past the black screen this time around...I dont see why I shouldn't be able to :confused:.

Thanks for the replys!
 
I'd boot from the XP CD...again assuming that is working, and remove any and all partitions to blank the drive. Then, go in one of two ways.

If this is the only drive in the system, I'd create an OS/apps/games partition as C, and then a second, data storage only partition as D.

If this is one of two or more drives in the system, I'd leave it as one large partition for the OS/apps/games.
 
The problem was that I cannot boot up using the XP disc when the SATA drive was connected as a Primary drive. So what I decided to do was add another HD, install XP on that, and use it to boot up into Windows. The SATA drive I connected as a Slave, and once I trasfer all the data off of it, I'll format it through the Windows Disc Management Tool. As of now I couldn't boot through the XP CD when the SATA drive was connected as Slave (It would get stuck at a blank screen), which meant I couldnt format it that way. Im hoping once I format through the Windows tool that I will be able to connect the SATA drive once again as a Master, and hopefully it will get past the blank screen and install XP.
 
I think you might need to back away from this one, and take a look at the whole picture to find the problem. Aside from the fact you still haven't said anything about the BIOS configuration, SATA drivers don't have a master or slave designation. It is one drive per port.
 
Alright, so I finished formating the SATA drive, and now I'm left with two formated partitions. I disconnected the IDE drive, and connected the SATA in the first SATA port. I tryed booting once again from CD, and again, black screen after Setup loads up the files. Any ideas? Maybe delete the partition? I will post back BIOS settings.

Thanks
 
So I deleted the partion, and used a quick format. Tryed booting up using the XP disc, and still...same thing. Maybe do a full format of the drive again? :S
I also went went into the BIOS,and all I see is the drive shows up as Third Master when its connected. Under the IDE configuration menu, these are the following settings:
Configure SATA As - Standard IDE
Onboard IDE Operate Mode - Enhanced Mode
>Enhanced Mode Support On - S-ATA
IDE Detect Time Out (Sec) - 35
 
Windows XP cannot be booted with a SATA drive. Installing any OS Vista or XP cannot be on a SATA drive either. I've done many builds, and for some reason, it just doesn't work.
 
MrPobears said:
Windows XP cannot be booted with a SATA drive. Installing any OS Vista or XP cannot be on a SATA drive either. I've done many builds, and for some reason, it just doesn't work.
Click to expand...
I'm hoping that either this is meant as a joke, or that I'm grossly misreading it. :rolleyes:
 
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