PC hardrive reformat gone wrong

[wanderer]

so im using WinXP to format a drive full of crap and revive it.

the format goes great, but the install stops becuase of a bad joystick controller .sys file

after attempting a couple more times, the computer just boots up to a black screen saying "no operating system"

i go to microsoft website to download boot disks for the WinXP home edition, and the program keeps writing disk 5 of 6 as corrupt.

my next solution is to find somebody with a copy of Win98 diskettes and just load that to get it running, and after that do WinXP.

does anybody else think this is a good idea, or do you have a better idea?

 

[rotary]

Go into the BIOS, which is usually done by holding down the DEL key on your keyboard when the computer starts. You may have to check the manual as to which key to hold down, sometimes it's F12.

When you're in, look around for something that says "boot order" or "boot sequence." Change the boot order so that your computer boots the CD drive first. Restart the computer.

With your Windows XP CD in, it'll ask if you want to format or repair your current install of windows, you can just format the drive again from that screen.

Don't forget to change the boot sequence back to normal once you're finished. Good luck.

 

[mike_n_herrin]

do you have a windows xp CD or are you trying to do this from the hard drive. that "special" place that MS put the OS in some cases rather than giving people a CD?

 

[icefan]

Rotary gave a great tip, that should work...another similar idea is if you have one of those cd-bootable drive washers, you could try that instead of the XP disk

 

[provenlogic]

have you tried just unplugging the joystick while you install windows??? Or do you mean the windows installer cannot read a .sys file on the install disc and that is causing the problem? If so, get another install disk. Otherwise, just unplug/uninstall the joystick.

 

[wanderer]

hi again,

im still having trouble. but i will tell you what i have done so far:
i downloaded boot disks for the appropriate win xp version,
i ran boot disks to get the cd installation going.
the installation goes fine, but then a navy blue screen comes up saying the installation processess has been interrupted because of some bad file called CTRJYSTK.SYS (or some similar spelling of the file) and then the computer starts up again, and tries to continue installation of the OS, and this happens a couple more times until i really need to use the boot disks....
i find no option after hitting F12 or any Fkey to edit BIOS settings....is there any way to make a boot disk with altered BIOS settings?
no joystick is plugged into the computer.

next week i guy i know may be able to find me a copy of Win98 or 95 on disk, and then i hope that installs nicely, which after that i will use a winXP upgrade to get where i want to go. i really hope that works.

i received 2 computers of the same model (Dell Inspirons) from 2 people because they bought newer ones. these computers are still awsome, they just need some hard drive cleaning and reinstallation because of all the viruses and spyware on them. i did the exact same thing to both computers, one came out great and fast, the other one is haveing the problems. i am doing all this work cause im giving the computers to 2 families that cant afford one, so im going to keep trying anything i can.

thank you all for help, you guys are the greatest

 

[BoiIntrigue]

Hey Wanderer,

If your still looking for some help...

First off, could you be more specific as to what point in the installation process the error occurs. From what you're describing it sounds like this is happening during the first-run of Windows after the operating system files are copied to the hard drive.

If so, this could be due to a driver conflict with the Microsoft provided joystick driver and the actual hardware you have installed in the computer.

I'll be happy to go into further detail if you want...

 

[wanderer]

problem occurs with 34 minutes left in the installation. files have been copied to the hard drive, but you are correct in that there is a faulty driver. i have no idea how to go about fixing this, becuase if i F12 or anything like that, i dont have the option of doing anything else but either continueing the futile installation, or messing up the process and the screen just boots to blank saying only the words "no operating system installed".

thank you for the help

 

[wanderer]

I couldn't just repeat myself could I?

Are you getting the option to skip the problem files?

If yes then do it and keep doing it and see if the install finishes.

hi again,

no option to skip problem files,

and i have tried a "homemade XP cd" and an actual Win XP cd.

im wondering if there is some way to modify BIOS settings with a boot disk, and delete the damn joystick system file.

thanks again for the continued help everyone

 

[BoiIntrigue]

After thinking about your scenarios and your response to Noelie... I think it would be best if you could get the exact wording of the error message that you are receiving (including any error codes and options).

By coincidence, I was creating a testing environment at work today and I noticed that around the 30 minute mark, windows is attempting to install devices on the PC during the install process (noted that the time remaining varies depending on your machine). Is this case for you? I am hoping to figure out where you are experiencing the error during the install...

Good Luck

 

[provenlogic]

Actually i'm still a bit unclear about the whole situation, maybe it's because i'm misunderstanding you. But if you could just answer these for me (again if you've ALREADY answered them).

What kind of computer are you trying to Install Windows on? Brand new? Old? Did you have to Format it prior to doing this?

Is this a production model computer? Like a Dell or HP? Or is it homebuilt?

What kind of XP CD are you using? A generic one? Or one that came with a proprietary computer, such as a Dell or HP? Is the disc damaged? Are there any scratches?

What is the EXACT process you have gone through to reinstall XP on this computer? Did you format the HDD prior to the windows installation process? Or are you using windows setup to format it?

Have you tried disconnecting ALL of your peripheral hardware, and tried installing windows with only the tower, monitor, and a keyboard and mouse hooked up?

The normal installation process would be

Turn PC off
Turn PC on
Insert XP CD
Choose to format HDD
Format HDD (choose full format, not quick)
Windows critical files are installed (still on blue screen)
Setup Reboots
Windows GUI install begins
Setup asks configuration questions, etc...
Installation completes

Where EXACTLY are you getting the error, and what exactly word for word does the error message state? Does it occur at the same time every time (and by time i mean point in the process, not XX minutes left, that doesn't mean anything).

Can you try using another Windows XP disc? Have you had this problem reinstalling on any other computer?




I know we're kinda being anal about specifics, but it's hard to diagnose these specific types of problems without being there in the room with you. A lot of these types of problems are diagnosed (at leas by me) by intuition, by how the computer is reacting i can think, hey you know i bet it's this or that.

Just off the top of my head, the thing that's screaming to me is a bad XP disc (Or one made only for a proprietary system). Or you have a joystick attached during install, and may be able to avoid the problem by detaching it.