I am using the disk that came with my PC when bought new. I have reinstalled a few times over the past 4 and a half years with no problems. And it doesn't always lock up at the same time. Sometimes it does it when I am just starting or half way finished typing in my license code, sometimes it is locking up immediately after seeing the mouse cursor appear for the first time after the Windows splash screen, and sometimes it is locking up during the Windows splash screen.
But yes, it is able to format the drive and copy all Windows files during the first stage of Windows setup. It is only after the first self reboot when I am seeing the problems -- and the second stage is also the first time during the install when a mouse cursor is seen. So maybe whatever other hardware Windows is activating at this point is causing the PC to lock up. Or maybe the power supply is failing when the extra hardware is being activated by Windows??? I have also tried using different mice. But why when it locks up does the video signal completely drop off (wether using the built-in motherboard video processor or using the AGP video card) and all of my drives activity lights come on solid? Did somethig on the motherboard die? I have also tried using different memory... On Oct 31, 2:31 pm, Daleeh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Are you using a retail copy of Windows XP, an OEM copy, or some other > "distribution"? It sounds like you are saying you can actually get > all of windows to install from the CD, but when you get to that point > where a license code is required, things go south, but I'm not sure if > that is exactly how you are doing it. Let us know. > > Dale > > On Oct 31, 9:59 am, Stang1 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > My desktop PC is locking up while starting Windows. I have even > > formatted the drive and reinstalled Windows, but the absolute furthest > > point I can get to before it locks up is when I am in the middle of > > entering my Windows XP license code (and other times it locks up much > > sooner, like while the Windows XP splash screen is being displayed). > > When it locks up, the display blacks out (the monitor gives a "No > > Signal Input" message), the hard drive activity light on the front of > > the PC as well as the activity light on the DVD drive both turn on > > solid, and the keyboard doesn't even respond to the Caps Lock key. > > On the other hand, if I boot from the Windows XP CD and do a Windows > > Repair to get into the DOS screen, it doesn't lock up -- even while > > doing a 'Format C:' or 'ChkDsk /R', which takes quite a while on my > > 120GB hard drive. > > So I can not get past 1-5 minutes while starting Windows setup from > > the hard drive, but I can run DOS from the CD/DVD drive and > > continuously access the hard drive for more than 45 minutes without > > ever seeing it lock up... > > > Because the display was blacking out, I first thought it might be > > the Video Card -- so I set the BIOS to use the motherboard's built-in > > video instead and removed the ATI card -- but it is STILL blacking out > > the display when it locks up. > > I have also tried disconnecting the DVD drive (and even trying a > > different drive) thinking that was the cause, but it is still locking > > up. > > Lastly, I had installed the hard drive into an older PC to back up > > its files before formatting and didn't have any problems with it so it > > seems that the hard drive is fine. And I even tried using an older > > 4GB hard drive I had lying around -- I formatted it, installed > > Windows, and just like before it locks up when rebooting into Windows > > (before the license code screen). > > > What could be causing this? Could this be a power supply or > > motherboard problem? It is a Velocity Micro Voyager Ultra Compact > > (cube case) system with a P4 2.8 GHz processor which I bought new in > > 2004. So it isn't THAT old... --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Computer Tech Support" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/computer-tech-support?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
