formatting problem

kanakos · 06-22-2008, 10:05 AM

well hello everybody i'm from greece so i'm asking you in advance sorry for all the mistakes that you'll see in this thread...

i should say that my problem is either serious or a bit stupid (you tell me..)

Here we go, i have an intel pentium 4 system with 1GB ram and a 40 GB hard disk...whith this disk recently my system show me the same error window (self-extracting problem telling me to download the file again) when i tried to setup a programm, not a particular but generally a programm it didn't let me to setup anything...i tried formatting this disk twice...but the problem was still there...
now i bought a new seagate 160GB ultra ata disk and i want to replace the old with the new one bymyself...as i've connected the new disk with the motherboard as the old one (power,black cable selecting it as single) i tried to install windows xp using the same method with formatting but the processure stops at 81%...

i couldn't explain that so i ask your help
thank you

**linderman** · 06-22-2008, 05:26 PM

Hello

I admire your use of english ........... its far better than my use of Greek

sounds to me like you have other issues ...... such as defective memory

I would download a bootable ISO file from MEMTEST (free)

http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

you will need to burn the ISO file to a blan cd-rom disk >>>> burning does not mean copy the file onto the disk ........ if you need help with how to burn an ISO file look here

http://cdburnerxp.se/

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolso...urnisofile.htm

then after you have made your memtest CD / remove all but one memory stick from your computer / install only ONE stick of memory into the memory slot closest to the CPU / then boot the computer up and run MEMTEST for at least two hours or until you see reported memory errors

if memory errors are reported you will need to replace the defective memory stick

run memtest on each stick of memory while they are SOLO in your computer until all sticks have been checked and verified as healthy

if you need help .......... we have a native greek hardware staff member Donefishin

who we can try to connect you with if needed ???

keep us posted on your testing

best regards

joe

kanakos · 06-22-2008, 11:21 PM

well, thank you for your suggestions and answers to my problem (and for my quality of my english

) but i forgot to say that when i changed the disk i changed memory too as my old memory was slow enough for me (256MB)...i put a transcend 1GB memory compatitible with my system...do you believe that the problem is still caused by the memory?

Thank you

p.s it would be easier for me to communicate in greek but i don't have such problem in english,however if your native greek staff member is available this would be handy for me

**linderman** · 06-23-2008, 03:36 AM

I suggest you run the Memtest to make sure we can rule out the memory as a suspect

I will look for our Spartan :)

**Done_Fishin** · 06-24-2008, 10:26 AM

Hi there Kanakos, I'm not native Greek but have been here 21 years .. wish my written Greek was as good as your English .,.. we do have a native Greek member but I am not the one

Can you tell me whether your original XP install was with the same Install CD and whether it was no SP , SP1, SP2 and also if you installed any service packs after you got your very first install on the OLD DRIVE up and going .. or even motherboard drivers

kanakos · 06-25-2008, 12:01 PM

hello done_fishin,

hmm, in this particular computer that we're talking about i've done format several times with the same xp cd (original xp SP1 cd

)...i must say that after formatting the disk i've never seen a problem like this...everytime after the format windows update installed automatically the SP2... of course i was "obliged" to install the main motherboard driver in order to ensure that every part was ok...if you ask me somthing different or something more tell me

Thanks

(btw, i've done the memtest and everything seemed to be ok...)

p.s i never thought that it would be so easy to communicate with the first certificate in english

**Done_Fishin** · 06-25-2008, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kanakos

p.s i never thought that it would be so easy to communicate with the first certificate in english

I failed English O'Level 3 times at school .. so it can't be that difficult cos I do it too

.. you're doing fantastic .. don't knock yourself !!

Quote:

Originally Posted by kanakos

hello done_fishin,
hmm, in this particular computer that we're talking about i've done format several times with the same xp cd (original xp SP1 cd

)...i must say that after formatting the disk i've never seen a problem like this...everytime after the format windows update installed automatically the SP2... of course i was "obliged" to install the main motherboard driver in order to ensure that every part was ok...if you ask me somthing different or something more tell me

Thanks

(btw, i've done the memtest and everything seemed to be ok...)

going by your first post where you say

Quote:

i tried to install windows xp using the same method with formatting but the process stops at 81%...

is this during the format or install stage ?

I don't know your Motherboard .. just how old is it .. will the BIOS support HDD's >137GB ? Have you checked the Mobo Website for a BIOS Update to allow use of larger size drives.

have you placed the drive on your PC as a standalone drive or with your old drive as a slave ? or perhaps a CD or DVD drive on the same cable ?

Are you using the new style cables, the ones with coloured connectors rather than 3 with all the same colour?

At this time I would ask you to double check ..

drive configurations .. Master , Slave & Cable Select positions.
either put both drives in CS (cable select) position if you have the proper cable or your 160GB drive as Master and the other drive slave.
This is done by adjusting the "jumper" on the pins between the power supply connector and the IDE connector. There should be a legend on the drive for guidance. Quite frequently but not always the pins right next to the IDE cable are for Master. Since Drives are normally de4livered set to Master and your ols drive was also a Master .. there might be a conflict, if you didn't move one already to slave

the cable will be orientated so that the single colour ( frequently blue) goes to the board .. the other connectors go to your drives. If you can see a cut out in the cable near the blue connector then the cable supports "Cable Select" mode should you wish to use it.

let me know how you fare and we'll go o from there .. but be aware that I am a tad busy at the moment with an important exam looming early next week .. so I might not be concentrating on my threads as much as usual

06-22-2008, 10:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
kanakos Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: greece Posts: 3 OS: windows xp SP2 My System	formatting problem well hello everybody i'm from greece so i'm asking you in advance sorry for all the mistakes that you'll see in this thread... i should say that my problem is either serious or a bit stupid (you tell me..) Here we go, i have an intel pentium 4 system with 1GB ram and a 40 GB hard disk...whith this disk recently my system show me the same error window (self-extracting problem telling me to download the file again) when i tried to setup a programm, not a particular but generally a programm it didn't let me to setup anything...i tried formatting this disk twice...but the problem was still there... now i bought a new seagate 160GB ultra ata disk and i want to replace the old with the new one bymyself...as i've connected the new disk with the motherboard as the old one (power,black cable selecting it as single) i tried to install windows xp using the same method with formatting but the processure stops at 81%... i couldn't explain that so i ask your help thank you __________________ this getting worse... this getting better... who cares? it's the same

06-22-2008, 05:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 14,037 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: formatting problem Hello I admire your use of english ........... its far better than my use of Greek sounds to me like you have other issues ...... such as defective memory I would download a bootable ISO file from MEMTEST (free) http://www.memtest.org/#downiso you will need to burn the ISO file to a blan cd-rom disk >>>> burning does not mean copy the file onto the disk ........ if you need help with how to burn an ISO file look here http://cdburnerxp.se/ http://pcsupport.about.com/od/toolso...urnisofile.htm then after you have made your memtest CD / remove all but one memory stick from your computer / install only ONE stick of memory into the memory slot closest to the CPU / then boot the computer up and run MEMTEST for at least two hours or until you see reported memory errors if memory errors are reported you will need to replace the defective memory stick run memtest on each stick of memory while they are SOLO in your computer until all sticks have been checked and verified as healthy if you need help .......... we have a native greek hardware staff member Donefishin who we can try to connect you with if needed ??? keep us posted on your testing best regards joe __________________ If you cant be polite and friendly; then please be silent.

06-22-2008, 11:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
kanakos Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: greece Posts: 3 OS: windows xp SP2 My System	Re: formatting problem well, thank you for your suggestions and answers to my problem (and for my quality of my english) but i forgot to say that when i changed the disk i changed memory too as my old memory was slow enough for me (256MB)...i put a transcend 1GB memory compatitible with my system...do you believe that the problem is still caused by the memory? Thank you p.s it would be easier for me to communicate in greek but i don't have such problem in english,however if your native greek staff member is available this would be handy for me __________________ this getting worse... this getting better... who cares? it's the same

06-23-2008, 03:36 AM	#4 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 14,037 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: formatting problem I suggest you run the Memtest to make sure we can rule out the memory as a suspect I will look for our Spartan :) __________________ If you cant be polite and friendly; then please be silent.

06-24-2008, 10:26 AM	#5 (permalink)
Done_Fishin Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brit living in Greece Posts: 5,039 OS: Win ME, Win XP Pro SP3, Ubuntu 7.04, Mepis 6.5 My System	Re: formatting problem Hi there Kanakos, I'm not native Greek but have been here 21 years .. wish my written Greek was as good as your English .,.. we do have a native Greek member but I am not the one Can you tell me whether your original XP install was with the same Install CD and whether it was no SP , SP1, SP2 and also if you installed any service packs after you got your very first install on the OLD DRIVE up and going .. or even motherboard drivers __________________ D_F How to mark your thread as solved

06-25-2008, 12:01 PM	#6 (permalink)
kanakos Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: greece Posts: 3 OS: windows xp SP2 My System	Re: formatting problem hello done_fishin, hmm, in this particular computer that we're talking about i've done format several times with the same xp cd (original xp SP1 cd)...i must say that after formatting the disk i've never seen a problem like this...everytime after the format windows update installed automatically the SP2... of course i was "obliged" to install the main motherboard driver in order to ensure that every part was ok...if you ask me somthing different or something more tell me Thanks (btw, i've done the memtest and everything seemed to be ok...) p.s i never thought that it would be so easy to communicate with the first certificate in english __________________ this getting worse... this getting better... who cares? it's the same