Windows XP: Cannot reload operating system. 100% totally frustrated!
Cannot reload operating system. 100% totally frustrated!
by billyfury - 2/10/06 5:10 PMCompaq Evo N180, windows xp pro.
The unit has been getting slower and slower. I am changing usage is going to change from my business to my college students computer. Up to date symantec, ad-aware, spybot, and spyware blaster. Have set the bios to boot from cd drive. I am using Compaq quick restore disks. In fact I have tried the disks that came with the unit and just to be safe have ordered (and paid for) two additional sets of disk from compaq. All behave exactly the same when I try to boot from them.
CD runs a bunch info flys by and the gets to this screen and stops.
CD-ROM = Q
CDR101: Not ready reading drive Q
Abort, Retry, Fail?
CD drive is not drive Q, It is E.
I have also reseated the memory, hard drive and CD drive.
I never thought it would be such a deal to reinstall the operating system. I am kind of a neophyte at this stuff but hate to give up and take the unit in. As I mentioned. The unit has been working fine just slow and I figured this would be a good way to hand unit off to my daughter with all my stuff gone and the operating system reinstalled as new. What shoudl I do next? Any tips greatly appreciated!!! Thanks C-Net!!
billy
I have not experienced the problem you are having
by retired - 2/10/06 6:46 PM In reply to: Cannot reload operating system. 100% totally frustrated! by billyfuryso I have no idea why the install is asking for "Q" instead of "E". My only guess would be that the CD/ROM is on the same ribbon as the HDD and may be causing some conflict. I would try with just one HDD, One CD/ROM, Floppy drive, Video, one stick of Ram, Keyboard/Mouse. If that fails You might try changing the boot order to the Floppy drive (Assuming you have one), make an EBD to get you to an "A" prompt, Change that to "E" and type "Setup", with the CD in the drive.
Failing CD-rom ?
by billzhills - 2/11/06 6:19 AM In reply to: Cannot reload operating system. 100% totally frustrated! by billyfuryDo try first placing the optical device on its own IDE channel. If the install fails replace the optical device.
Also if the system has a zip drive or USB card readers disconnect them before install attempt.
Luck
Bill
cannot reinstall xp pro
by billyfury - 2/12/06 8:28 PM In reply to: Failing CD-rom ? by billzhillsI finally took the unit in to Microcenter service department. I snickered to myself when the counter person said "You want us to simply reinstall the OS from the system resotore disks?" I said yes please. Well a couple of hours later they called and had the same problems I had. The tech suspects an issue on the mother board. He said a potential solution would be to install a copy of windows xp home that can be loaded from windows rather than dos. He had a couple of other things that could be tried that are above my pay scale. I dont want to spend $200 on xp home and have that not work. He also said that xp can compensate for errors on the hd but that it just has to work harder and harder to run. I think I am just going to buy a new machine. The hard part to accept is that the cd drive works fine. he hard drive works fine. I can add programs run prograns, delet programs, defrag ete etc. no problem The system is just getting slower all the time. by the way system restore does not work either. Bios was configured to look to the cd drive first. no other drives.
thanks for the advice.
The slower and slower
by Ray Harinec - 2/12/06 9:05 PM In reply to: cannot reinstall xp pro by billyfurysure sounds like you are having problems with malware, spyware, virus, trojan or such. This complaint is one of the most common in these forums and there are numerous posts/threads that give the many actions to use to clear up the problem.
Maybe try the Virus forum. Or simpl;y search the forums for the subject computer runs slower or some such phrase.
Microcenter service department
by billzhills - 2/13/06 10:43 AM In reply to: cannot reinstall xp pro by billyfuryFirst see Ray's post...You may not have to reinstall.
Second, see Edward's post
Third...if that fails try another optical device, by itself. You do not have to install the device in the bay, just attach it outside of the case. I've seen many systems fail to load due to a failing optical device.
Microcenter service department said...
''potential solution would be to install a copy of windows xp home that can be loaded from windows rather than dos.'''''' Windows cannot be installed in Windows..period. Nor does Windows XP use DOS.
''xp can compensate for errors on the hd but that it just has to work harder and harder to run.''
Was the drive checked for errors? Without checking the drive how can the Tech know the drive is runing hard?
Don't wait ..... run. Find a real Tech Center....
Bill
The error can mean...
by Edward ODaniel - 2/12/06 9:14 PM In reply to: Cannot reload operating system. 100% totally frustrated! by billyfurysomething wrong with either drive or CD (check the CD and make sure it is clean and not scratched) but since it starts to recover then indicates a much higher letter for the drive it probably indicates that you have more than one optical drive connected.
The QRCD must be run from the Drive that is the "first" Optical Drive on the IDE controller, (Example, if both D: and E: are Optical Drives, use D: to restore)
To correct this issue, remove all but one of the Optical Drives while performing the Quick Restore. Alternatively, determine which Optical Drive has the "lowest" ( alphabetic-ordered ) Drive Letter, mount the QRCD in that Drive and re-run the QRCD.
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