When I copy files (especially executable ones) from the backup CD I made prior to XP installation to the HD, they often become currupt and unusable (at least that what XP tells me). However, they run fine off the CD itself so it seems the problem is in the copying process. Has anyone heard of this problem in XP? I could have sworn I read about something like this when reseaching my decision to upgrade to XP, and that it may require a driver/patch of some sort, but I can't find the web page again. Thnaks for any help.

How to prepare to Upgrade Windows98 and Windows ME to Windows XP: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q316639

I think I didn't explain the problem correctly. My problem isn't with installation, XP was sucessfully installed to my machine, there were no errors in the install file copying. The problem occurs now that XP is up and running when I try to copy files (just regular old files, but usually exectutable ones) from a CD to the HD in WinXP. For some reason, many of the files I copy become corrupt somewhere during to copy process. I can run or open them from the CD with no error, but when I copy them to the HD and try to access them, XP tells me that they are corrupt.

get a cd extractor that should fix your prob. Using a CDextractor will make digital copies of files onto your HD from the CD.

I'd like to know a little more about your system, Jack . . . especially the following: What chipset does your motherboard use? What brand/type of RAM do you have? Do you use an SB Live! soundcard or another PCI device incapable of sharing hardware IRQs? Is XP installed on a third-party RAID or IDE controller? My gut feeling is that you have a bit of device contention on your PCI bus, but I'd like to know more about your setup before I go out on a limb. Let us know . . . someone will probably have a solution for you.

If you are getting file corruption when transferring from CD to HD I would check the transfer mode you have selected from within the bios for the IDE device... try to force PIO mode and see if the corruption still exists.... also you can modify the transfer mode from within the XP device manager... go to atapi/ ide devices

Tropic, Off the top of my head, I have an Abit KT7A mother board with a VIA (don't remember which) chipset and a 800mhz AMD processor. I think the RAM is Crucial (128 MB, I believe). Yes, I do have a SB Live soundcard. I'm not sure which IRQ it is taking, but it is currently in PCI Slot 5. Since I don't think this motherboard has RAID, I think it is an IDE controller. I didn't have this problem when using WinME, and all cards are in the same slots, but I don't know if XP is assigning IRQs differently. I manually assigned IRQs in ME in order to get a USB printer to work, so maybe I accidentily avoided the problem then. I have some open slots, so maybe I will try to move to SB Live card to see what happens (if thats the conflict you are suspecting). I will also try changing the transfer mode as Andy suggested. I guess Windows still can't get the PnP and IRQ thing foolproof. Its the only thing I prefer about the Mac.