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Can't Install W2K?

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by pc link

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I am building a workstation to with all individually purchased parts. The system is an AMD XP1600 w/Biostar MB. I am trying to install W2K on the workstation and it fails at the same point each time. It will format the H/D and after that it begins to copy the system files to appropriate directories. This fails at the same place each time on a dll called compstui.dll. I can force to retry and it eventually goes but then it fails at 10 other dll's and then gets to shell32.dll and goes no further.The same thing happens if I try to install W2k Advanced Server. All hardware is brand new. Any ideas on why this fails. The cd is a copied cd, but since it happens on Server install it leads me to think that it is not the software. Any help would begreatly appreciated.

9 replies

by ewgny

It may or may not be your problem, but I have had this exact problem happen with a bad stick of Ram. If it is not bad, make sure ram timing is correct in Bios.

by cg it

First, [mostly likely] is that it's the copied CD. Second, dont' have Windows format. Use a W9X boot disk with Fdisk. Format, make active the primary partition in FAT32. Install the O/S using FAT32 not NTFS. Once installed use the convert C:/FS:NTFScommand line syntax at the command prompt to convert the primary drive/partition to NTFS. [for a logical drive in the extended partition,you can use the management in admin tools to convert the drive or again use the convert command at the command line].

{note: I've had trouble installing with a genuine CD when I have W2K or W2K Reg/Advanced server format a drive.

by bohicam1

I've been through this enough times to know it is bad ram. With the low quality cheapo ram out there it happens alot.
Good luck!

Mike

by bb11772

Well I have been through this as well nearly made me go insane. I think both answers are right. I have literally fried memeory chips becuase they were bad specs or had bad chips on them.

But, also WinXP states in the manual that even on a blankdrive it can't be loaded. You must boot from a Win9x bootable media first. I couldn't get that through my head for a long time. The disk might be bad, but I will bet more on the previous OS required to install a clean copy of XP.

Also, be 100% sure the CDROM drive is 100% compatible with XP. One of my machines had a CDROM drive that was compatible with 2k but not XP. It also kept erroring out during installation roughly around the same place and giving can't find file xxxx.xxx or filexxxx.xxx is missing or corrupted. XP is a really pain in the butt when it comes to home built machines.

It's like I'm back in the good old days of Win 3.x and you couldn't install anything extra to the computer without a lot of swearing and sweating and fist poundings.

Anyone else feel that way?

Ben

by pc link

I am using W2k not XP. After much troubleshooting, I discovered that there is something either wrong with the motherboard or the chipset because once I put the drive in another workstation, I was able to install W2K using the same disk with no problem. Will be sending the boards back for refund.

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