[lewist57]

Simple question: if you install windows xp from cd on a machine without a harddrive installed, would you expect the install routine to tell you that it can't find a hard drive? I have a new system that I have built, and the xp install routine runs to the "setup is starting windows" screen then reboots, with and without the hard drive installed (never get to the Welcome to Windows screen).

Edited by lewist57, 06 March 2008 - 11:16 AM.

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I believe if you don't have a harddrive installed, there's a step where you're suppose to choose on which partition you want windows to be installed, I would think that it would stop there since there are no partition to choose from. I may be wrong as I haven't done this before.

[kamille316]

I believe if you don't have a harddrive installed, there's a step where you're suppose to choose on which partition you want windows to be installed, I would think that it would stop there since there are no partition to choose from. I may be wrong as I haven't done this before.

[Neil Jones]

If the system reboots before you get past "setup is starting Windows" then a lack of a hard drive is the least of your worries. Some other issue is wrong.

[SOORENA]

Umm I might be wrong but there is no way to install windows without a hard drive since there will be no place to copy the files to , can you explain a little more of what you mean?

Soorena

[lewist57]

Sure, the problem is a new motherboard and quad CPU was either hanging or rebooting at the Windows XP blue text screen "Setup is starting Windows". The next screen is supposed to say "Welcome to Windows" and then you choose where to install windows. I was worried that my hard drive was bad, and wanted to know exactly when the windows setup routine would tell me it could not find a hard drive. So I unplugged the hard drive, and still have the hang/reboot problem - but that is not Windows fault, as it should have gone to the next screen and then told me that it could not find a hard drive. The hard drive was tested using the manufacturer's diagnostics for over an hour and passed with flying colors, and the motherboard is being sent back for an exchange.

Thanks to everyone for their input.

[james_8970]

Sure, the problem is a new motherboard and quad CPU was either hanging or rebooting at the Windows XP blue text screen "Setup is starting Windows". The next screen is supposed to say "Welcome to Windows" and then you choose where to install windows. I was worried that my hard drive was bad, and wanted to know exactly when the windows setup routine would tell me it could not find a hard drive. So I unplugged the hard drive, and still have the hang/reboot problem - but that is not Windows fault, as it should have gone to the next screen and then told me that it could not find a hard drive. The hard drive was tested using the manufacturer's diagnostics for over an hour and passed with flying colors, and the motherboard is being sent back for an exchange.

Thanks to everyone for their input.

What motherboard do you currently have?
Can you tell me what memory you have or give me a link, a link would be preferable.
Do you have more then 2 sticks of memory installed?
James

[lewist57]

Sure, it is a Tyan s2927 with one quad Opteron. Originally had full 4 1G sticks installed, took it down to 1 stick, no change. Turns out the motherboard model that I got is "not for sale to the public", but I wound up with it. Tried all the tricks (hitting F7 during setup, hitting f5 during setup, ACPI on, ACPI off, onboard peripherals on/off, nothing on the board but CPU and ram, DVD to load windows, CDROM to load windows, tried loading Win XP 32/64/Server 2003 [three diffent legal copies]) and it conistently does not make it beyond the Setup is starting Windows screen. The only changes that the BIOS makes (and yes I think I have turned almost everything on/off at some point) is a switch that has the options "PCI -> PCI-E" or "PCI-E -> PCI". One setting make the computer reboot at the setup screen, the other makes it reboot at the screen. Since I have something that is not fully supported by the manufactuer (and not very cheap either!), I'll just get the board that i originally asked for.

[james_8970]

I'll just get the board that i originally asked for.

Alright, if you have any other problems with that board, please let us know. If you do have any problems, please include a URL of the RAM you are currently using in your next post.
James

Edited by james_8970, 08 March 2008 - 11:15 AM.

[lewist57]

I don't have the ram with me, but it is HP server ram, 667/registered/ecc, which passed 2 hours of MEMTEST86+, and pulling and replacing sticks, all the way down to just one 1G stick. If I have problems again with new board, will provide more details.

Any ideas of what the PCI->PCI-X and PCI-X -> PCI options do?

[lewist57]

Problem was bad microprocessors (or a potential mismatch between the microprocesors and BIOS). Installation of a 2220 dual core works just great. Once I get the system updated, then we'll try another set of quad cores. Thanks for everyone's input.