Windows Installation Troubleshooting


If you encounter a problem while trying to install Windows XP, there are a few specific things you should look at in order to try to fix the problem and perform a successful installation.

Legacy/Unsupported Hardware Devices

A large number of problems encountered when installing Windows are due to incompatible hardware. This doesn't mean that the hardware device in question is defective, only that the Windows OS does not support it. Although Windows XP supports an impressive number of hardware devices, it would be impractical (if not impossible ) to support every third-party PC hardware product that exists (or has ever existed) on the market.

Legacy/unsupported hardware can cause Windows Setup to fail, resulting in a STOP error screen, a frozen computer, or a computer that continually reboots at the same point during the installation process.

Before beginning an installation of Windows XP, you should compile a list of your computer's hardware components and check this list against Microsoft's Windows Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). As of this writing, the Windows HCL is presented on the Microsoft website as a selection of catalogs. You can check hardware components against the appropriate Windows catalog to see whether the device is supported by the operating system. Microsoft is constantly updating these catalogs to include new components as they are tested and approved for Windows XP.

The Windows HCL Catalogs are located at

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hcl/default.mspx

Also, if you are unsure of the compatibility of a hardware device, you should check the support website of the company that produced it. Hardware manufacturers will often release updated driver software and/or information concerning their products' compatibility with Windows XP on their support sites.

Finally, I recommend that you remove nonessential hardware from your system before performing a Windows XP installation. This will minimize the chances of encountering an incompatible hardware device during setup, allowing you to later search for and install functional third-party drivers once the Windows installation is complete.

Windows XP Upgrade Advisor

If you are performing an upgrade installation of Windows XP (that is, installing it on a system that already has a previous version of Windows on it), there may be software programs or device drivers present on the system that are incompatible with Windows XP. These programs and drivers can cause the Windows upgrade procedure to fail, or can result in nonfunctioning devices or programs once Windows XP is installed. This is why I recommend that most users install Windows XP from scratch rather than perform an upgrade installation. However, should you need to perform an upgrade installation Windows XP provides some help.

In order to check the existing files and devices on a machine before you upgrade it to Windows XP, you can use the Windows XP Upgrade Advisor. This program is located on the Windows XP installation CD. To run this program, log on to the system you intend to upgrade, and place the installation CD into the CD-ROM drive. When the CD startup menu appears, select Check System Compatibility, and then select Check My System Automatically.

The Upgrade Advisor will scan your system, and then create a report that lists all potential software compatibility issues. It will also perform a scan of your hardware devices, and inform you of any possible upgrade issues with them. Use the created report as a guideline and a resource to check into possible problems before you perform an upgrade installation of Windows XP.

For more information on performing an upgrade installation of Windows XP refer to Chapter 3, "Upgrading Windows."

Updating Computer Firmware

One commonly overlooked aspect of a computer's internal " makeup " that can cause a Windows installation to fail is outdated firmware. As I discuss extensively in Upgrading and Repairing PCs , firmware is software that is written onto read-only memory (ROM) chips, which are then integrated into a piece of hardware. Every motherboard has a ROM chip that contains the basic input/output system, also known as the ROM BIOS. The ROM BIOS chip holds the startup programs and drivers that are used to get the computer running before the operating system is loaded. Think of the ROM BIOS as the starter engine for your PC; it gets your system firing so that it can start up the big enginethe operating system.

There are a number of different BIOS manufacturers. Companies that build motherboards collaborate with BIOS manufacturers to create a customized version of BIOS for specific models of motherboards. Currently, the most popular BIOS manufacturers are Award Software, Phoenix Technologies, and American Megatrends, Inc. (commonly abbreviated as AMI).

Most modern motherboards store the BIOS on a type of chip known as a flash ROM. The flash ROM gets its name from its ability to be erased and reprogrammed with a flash BIOS upgrade utility program. This procedure is known as flashing the BIOS. When BIOS manufacturers make improvements to their software, they release these updates as flash ROM upgrades. Motherboard manufacturers usually offer these upgrades as downloadable files from their websites . BIOS upgrades are primarily used to add functionality to your system's motherboard, or to fix a bug that was in the earlier version of the BIOS.

Before doing a new installation of Windows XP, you should check the version of the BIOS firmware on your motherboard. The BIOS version information is normally displayed when you first power on your computer. On most systems, you can press the Pause key on your keyboard to freeze the screen when the BIOS version is being shown, so that you have time to write down the information. After you have the information recorded, press any key to resume startup. If this method doesn't work on your computer, enter the BIOS setup and locate the BIOS version in the setup screen. This is done by pressing a certain key (usually the Delete key) after you have switched the power on.

To check whether you have the most recent version of your system BIOS, contact the tech support of the manufacturer of your motherboard, or look up the make and model of your motherboard on the manufacturer's website. Many motherboard companies have lists or tables that match up motherboard models with the most recent firmware version available for them. If necessary, update to the latest version of the firmware before installing Windows XP.

You should also note that the motherboard is not the only system hardware component that has a flash ROM. Video cards, sound cards, and optical drives also have flash ROMs integrated into them, and manufacturers of these components often create and release firmware upgrades for these devices. As with BIOS firmware, check for new versions by visiting the manufacturer's website.

Other Common Windows Installation Issues

If your system hardware is compatible with Windows XP, but the installation process cannot be completed successfully, there is a good chance that there is a fault with either a system component, or with the installation media itself.

Here are some of the more common causes of Windows Setup failures (that aren't related to hardware device incompatibilities):

  • Faulty RAM modules. A malfunctioning RAM module will create havoc with Windows Setup. RAM chips can malfunction because they are defective, or if you have overclocked your PC's processor in the system BIOS, causing it to run faster than its design specifications. There are third-party memory diagnostic programs available that will run from a bootable floppy or CD that you can use to test the integrity of the system's RAM. Microsoft has a free program called the Windows Memory Diagnostic, which you can download at http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp.

  • Defective hard drive. If the system hard drive has errors on it, it's possible that Windows Setup will be unable to copy critical operating system files to it in order to complete the installation. Again, there are a number of utilities you can use to test a hard drive's integrity; the website of the manufacturer of the drive is a good starting point to look for such a utility.

  • Overheating system. One common environmental issue that will cause a system to either freeze up or to reboot repeatedly is if the inside of the system is not being adequately cooled. This is of particular concern if you have overclocked any of your system's components (the CPU and GPU in particular). An overheated processor, RAM module, or hard drive can all lead to a locked up system or one that spontaneously reboots. Ensure that all case fans and the CPU cooling fan are installed correctly and are operational.

  • Defective installation media. Installation problems can be caused by something as simple as a damaged or otherwise defective Windows XP installation CD. Check the surface of the CD for scratches and other marks.

  • Improper power supply load. If your system hardware requires more power than the power supply is rated to provide, it can cause instability both during and after the installation process. The best short- term solution is to remove any unnecessary hardware from your PC, thus easing the load on the power supply. From there it's time to get yourself a more powerful, high-quality power supply unit, like those available from PC Power and Cooling.

Note

The Windows XP installation process will sometimes result in the creation of a STOP error screen, or Blue Screen of Death. You will take a look at how to interpret STOP errors later in this chapter.





Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows
Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows (2nd Edition)
ISBN: 0789736950
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 128

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