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UK_Widowmaker

Computer tech problem

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Hi Guys

 

wondered if anyone has a solution to this?

 

Installing XP on a machine here...it hangs at 34 minutes...traced it down to a faulty Network Card...trouble is...it's onboard, and although I've disabled it in the BIOS...Windows installation still hangs at 34 mins.

 

Anyway of NOT installing the driver for it?...I'm stumped

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.

 

Wish I knew what to tell you on this one WM. You've done exactly what I would have in the situation. Are you sure the OS install disc is still good? Haven't been storing it in the microwave or next to large electromagnets? JK. :grin:

 

.

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How did you traced it? Besides you've disabled in the BIOS.

Are you sure it's the network card?

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Do you still have your motherboard's drivers and features CD? You might try finding out whether your m'board has had some updates or has a more recent set of drivers that might address this issue. Actually Lou a CD shouldn't be affected by magnetic sources, A floppy disc on the other hand, yes.

 

Widowmaker, are you installing from a complete C:/ format or is this a repatch?

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Do you still have your motherboard's drivers and features CD? You might try finding out whether your m'board has had some updates or has a more recent set of drivers that might address this issue. Actually Lou a CD shouldn't be affected by magnetic sources, A floppy disc on the other hand, yes.

 

Widowmaker, are you installing from a complete C:/ format or is this a repatch?

 

Hi Lewie

 

it's a Packard Hell...and due to the guy losing his HDD...I have replaced it..but obviously lost the recovery partition..so, it's a fresh install of XP

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Hi Lewie

 

it's a Packard Hell...and due to the guy losing his HDD...I have replaced it..but obviously lost the recovery partition..so, it's a fresh install of XP

 

I'm going to make some generalizations here.. Generally, XP should have enough of the right type, and most types of motherboard drivers and such to make it through getting the OS installed enough to run the system. This is if the hardware doesn't have any of it's own problems.

 

I'm taking a stretch here, but, could it be the onboard network card is toasted? Is XP identifying the problem as the network card? Would installing a network card into an expansion slot fix this? Is there a BIOS update or patch that might have a fix for this? BTW BIOS update s are the route of last resort and best left to an expert, BIOS updates are a scary thing, sometimes you can make it much worse than the original problem

 

Sorry for the litany of questions but it might help to narrow it down some.

Edited by Lewie

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UKW,

 

Just a random thought, but do you have a copy of vista or win7 you could install (and then wipe), just to see if it is a problem with the network card. I am assuming that vista or win7 will have newer motherboard drivers than the copy of xp you are trying to install.

 

I know it is not a legitimate workaround, but providing you only try once to install either of the above and then format the hard drive if the installation works (assuming he does not want to keep vista or win7), you will at least know if it is a hardware or software fault.

 

Please keep us posted on how you do with this and also the fix (if any).

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Rugby might be on to something here. :good: That said, my installation of an old XP 32 bit OS on my new M'board went without a hitch, but I followed the Gigabyte users manual to the letter for the installation. My techie wife reminds me that Packard Bell have set a precedence for being somewhat proprietory and a bit cheapish in their hardware implementation. Most computer techies have a jaded view of PB products.

 

I'm also wondering if the original Packard Bell OS software was a bit proprietorial unto itself. Do you have the original PB Windows OS discs?

Edited by Lewie

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I'd have thought a faulty network card would not have stopped a clean Windows install; stopped the network connection working afterwards yes but not the install. The suggestion that it's something to do with the proprietary nature of the PC seems a likely one.

 

Are you trying to do a clean install, onto a formatted HDD? That oughta work on anything that doesn't have a serious H/W prob like faulty HDD or RAM, unless the BIOS is locked into the maker. If you're trying to install on top of anything left that's proprietary, as in a repair, that could be the prob. IIRC one of the XP install options wipes the HDD first. If you have it/them, and if you haven't formatted the HDD and wiped the hidden partition I believe is usually used to do a factory reset, I'd agree using the PB restore CD.

 

Another issue is whether your XP CD is an OEM version that might be for a different make of PC and is 'objecting' to a different brand.

 

You might try eBay for a suitable Packard B Windows XP O/S CD (possibly not factory restore CD, if you've wiped the HDD and lost the ghost partition) they can be got cheaply IIRC.

 

I remember once having a similar prob with a hanging XP install after a mobo upgrade, hung at 19 or was it 21% repeatedly, darned if I can recall exactly how I got past the 'kill zone', it may just have been a matter of trying repeatedly and tediously, but it did work in the end so it can be done.

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well, slapped another HDD in...formatted...sorted!....weird things computers!...thanks Guys :drinks:

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well, slapped another HDD in...formatted...sorted!....weird things computers!...thanks Guys :drinks:

 

Good to hear, sometimes Windows can be a bugger to troubleshoot

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