computer wont install windows - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: sony mavica
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2017, 10:19:21 am
content: hey guys so i wanted to upgrade my pc celaron d 4gb ram that i use for playing older pc games so i got a core 2 duo vpro today from a guy for $15 he said it works fine he just formatted the hdd to remove his stuff on it so i need to install windows back onto it the hdd is only 120gb and only 2gb ram so took the ram out installed my blu-ray dive in it and my and 1tb hdd and ram from my old computer i used the computer about 20mins before i put the ram hdd ect into this computer so i know it all works computer booted up and did a ram test and everything was fine i went to the bios and set it to boot of the usb and restarted the computer it booted the usb and said something like loading windows files bar fulls up and then it does nothing its windows 7 i restarted and tried again 2 more times with no luck so i got my old xp cd and booted it and after setup is loading files is done it ask me to insert the windows xp disc when i have it in the disc drive stilli already have chucked out the celeron d pc and would love to get this pc up and running its driving me crazy

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2017, 10:45:38 am
content: You're not making a lot of sense, and the TOTAL lack of punctuation isn't helping. Install a hard drive, but boot from USB? You want Windows 7, but grab an XP CD?In any case, you do realize that Windows customizes itself with the proper drivers for the core hardware at install time? You can't just move a boot drive between different flavors of machines without issues. A fresh install of the OS is the best way to fix it.

author: sony mavica
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2017, 10:57:32 am
content: Quote from: Nusa on April 23, 2017, 10:45:38 amthat is what i am trying to do i have the same usb stick i used on the old celaron d pc to install windows and i am using it on this pc and it when i boot it and it says something like loading windows files the bar fills up but after that it does nothing

author: BradC
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2017, 11:00:12 am
content: Quote from: sony mavica on April 23, 2017, 10:57:32 amSounds like its missing the USB drivers for that unit. Loading on legacy BIOS I/O and then shitting itself when it can't find the stick.

author: sony mavica
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2017, 11:03:20 am
content: i saw bios was way out of date updated that and it now seems to be loading the windows setup i guess old bios could not support 1tb hdd??

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2017, 11:16:28 am
content: Out of date bios, and a USB3 stick that needs a driver to work with XP, and a BD drive that also is not going to support a DVD natively without a driver or a later version of the kernel with support as well.

author: Landrew2390
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2017, 09:28:52 pm
content: I seriously doubt this is the problem, but the XP activation servers have been taken down. Because of this, there isn't a way to legally activate Windows XP unless you're a government agency. With this in mind, you're really locked in to Windows 7 unless you want to run one of the other operating systems like Vista or Windows 8.1.

author: FreddyVictor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2017, 10:12:33 pm
content: Quote from: Landrew2390 on April 23, 2017, 09:28:52 pmXP activation takes place after the install - allows you 30 days grace IIRC so unlikely to be the problemQuote from: Landrew2390 on April 23, 2017, 09:28:52 pminteresting info !

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2017, 11:24:13 pm
content: QuoteThe online servers may have been (can't tell), but I successfully activated an XP system, using the robotic ansaphone, about a month ago.

author: Landrew2390
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 23, 2017, 11:54:24 pm
content: I haven't actually checked to see if the servers are down, but I've had several colleagues tell me they can't activate any version of XP except a single copy of Server 2003. When my Windows 7 laptop died, I went to a Linux distro instead of Windows 10. Because of that, I don't actively keep up with Windows any more than necessary.Something was said at work about a version of XP that doesn't require Microsoft involvement to activate, but I can't remember which one it was.

author: ludzinc
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 24, 2017, 12:33:34 am
content: My in-laws desktop spat it's hard drive recently.So armed with a 'new' (from the spares pile) *IDE* drive and the original XP install media, I tried to rebuild it.This was a pre-SP3 install disc, but I thought "M'eh - it will just do a week of updates."But nope, wasn't to be. Can't download SP3 (legitimately) and all the help links back to microsoft are 404.So I gave up and chucked Win7 at it.Ah, XP, we will miss you....

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2017, 03:30:27 am
content: What?Somebody better tell Microsoft.https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/307890/how-to-activate-windows-xp

author: digsys
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 24, 2017, 04:06:55 am
content: Quote from: rdlYeah, I don't buy it either. I still run a few dozen XPs. As a precaution though - I have master fully Updated images, for a few M/B chipsets. I just drop them on anew M/Board (already validated) and manually insert a correct / different Lic#. Also keep syspreps. Also, out there, are master SP3 syspreps.If they really ever do pull the plug, we'll be ready :-) Besides, I'm sure there'll be plenty of patches / cracks IF that day ever comes.

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2017, 04:54:57 am
content: Use NT5/Win2K. It will run most of what WindowsXP and there are MANY compatibility layers and community projects to keep it afloat, FAR more than XP. It doesn't need online activation either. It's also a better operating system too.Use optical media. That is something everything supports and I use DVD+RWs more than I use flash drives.