[btour99]

Hey guys, I have been reading ans searching through these forums and others, but have come up with nothing to match my needs. I hope someone out there can help with this problem.

I have a Dell 8300 running XP with 1GB of RAM and a 40GM HD. Yesterday, I received an error message stataing something to the tune of "Some Windows components are missing. Please insert your Windows XP disc". Doing so resulted in a reinstall that stopped about halfway through (Setup will complete in approximately 39 minutes), and then I get:

Fatal Error: An error has been encountered that prevents Setup from continuing. Setup failed to install the product catalogs. This is a fatal error. the setup log files should contain more information. Press OK to view the Setup log file.


Hitting OK (only option) gives me this:

System Setup Log - (C:\Windows\setuperr.log)
Error:
The signarture for Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade is invalid. the error code is fffffdda.
The system cannot find message text for message number 0xfffffdda in the message file for syssetup.dll
***
Fatal Error:
Setup failed to install product catalogs. This is a fatal error. The setup log files should contain more inforation.

This information is repeated numerous times in the same dialogue box. When I hit close on the box (only option), the system restarts and does the same thing beginning right where it left off (39 minutes remaining). It will say "Setup is being restarted..." and then show the fatal error message again.


*I have tried restarting in Safe Mode, and it will not let me ("Windows XP Setup cannot run under Safemode. Setup will restart soon.") and goes back into the never ending loop of restart->setup fatal error->restart.

*I have tried restarting without the Windows XP CD in the drive and its still the same result.

*I have tried hitting the "Pause/Break" key at the very onset of a booting up, but it just sits there.

*I have tried doing a restore from the "Last Known Good Configuration" option but it says:
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or ocrrupt:
<Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe.
Please reinstall a copy of the above file

Has anyone seen this before? I tried Googling the error code of "fffffdda", but the MS support site says it is Windows 2000 related, but I am running XP.

[Advertisements]

Does your Windows XP Cd boot give you an opportunity for recovery console?

You need to rename or delete (easier to rename), the following directory
C;\windows\System32\Catroot2

To do this, boot with CD to gain access to the recovery console, choose the windows installation (should be choice 1) andyou will be at a
c:\windows> prompt

type
cd system32
rename catroot2 bakcatrt2

try the repair you were doing again

[gerryf]

Does your Windows XP Cd boot give you an opportunity for recovery console?

You need to rename or delete (easier to rename), the following directory
C;\windows\System32\Catroot2

To do this, boot with CD to gain access to the recovery console, choose the windows installation (should be choice 1) andyou will be at a
c:\windows> prompt

type
cd system32
rename catroot2 bakcatrt2

try the repair you were doing again

[btour99]

GerryF, thank you soooo mcuh for your expertise and advice. It would not let me boot from the CD all day. Then I tried rebooting from the MBA (option 6 on my DELL), and I was able to get into the recovery console and changed the name of the directory you specificied above. The reinstall has now bypassed the snag it was running into earlier thanks to your solution. Its got a while to go before (34 mins) its finished, but I'll let you know if that solved all problems I was encountering. So far so good.

Thanks for your quick response, I really appreciate it.

Edited by btour99, 23 January 2006 - 06:11 PM.

[jay222]

I have basically the exact same problem and its driving me ablsolutely nuts.

i put the cd in and it says press any key to boot so i pressed a key and got these 3 choices

1. to continue current upgrade press enter
2. to cancel the current upgrade and install new version of microsoft windows , press f10
3. To exit setup without installing Microsoft Windows press f3

(when i choose one of these options eg. cancel installation it says it canceled, restarts then brings me back to the installation that was supposed to be canceled and the error comes up again in a cycle form)

are these the choices you were talking about or are they elsewhere?

i dont know which one to choose or wat exactly to do and where to go to be able to rename the directories you mentioned.

could you please tell me exact step by step instructions.

please help

thank you

Edited by jay222, 08 February 2006 - 02:07 AM.

[jay222]

alright i found the console and i typed in everything
system 32

rename etc.

i press enter after renaming catroot2 and it goes along fine with no messages coming up

then

i continue the installation and the same problem happend with the fatal error . it didnt fix anything please help