Compaq Presario
AMD Athlon 1200 (New)
512MB RAM (New)
20GB HD (New)

I am having trouble getting started with a clean install of Windows XP Pro Sp2. I have had Windows XP Pro installed on this PC in the past but after the CPU went out it sat in my closet untill recently. I purchased a New CPU, a New HD and some New RAM.

The problem I am having is with the initial setup in DOS mode when Windows is copying over the files for installation. Everytime I run the setup it stops about 59-60% of the way through. The disc spins down, stops and then nothing happens it just sits there.

I have tested this with two different copies of Windows Xp Pro SP2 and I get the same results.

I have been able to successfully install Windows 98 SE with no problem. I have tried running a Complete install of Windows XP Pro SP2 from Windows 98 SE but I still end up back at the same problem.

Any help would be much appreciated.

There is a a piece of hardware installed on your laptop that IS KNOWN to have issues with SP2. Untill it is disabled or removed you will not be able to just install SP2 version. You might work around this by reverting to SP1 and then updateing to SP2 after the most recent drivers are installed for that piece of hardware. Go here to compare what you have and see if it is listed. If it is not listed then that is your problem.

http://testedproducts.windowsmarketplace.com/

You may also try to update the bios. Sometimes updating the bios will allow the installation to proceed.

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I am trying to do a clean install with a WINDOWS XP PRO SP2 disc. I am not trying to update to SP2 therefore I can not revert to SP1.

I did not say that I had a Laptop. I have a Compaq Presario Desktop PC. I had to move everything into another case because the original case got damaged. So I do not have/remember the model number and I can not think of any other way that I can figure out how to find which bios update I need to get.

Also, I do not have any third party harware installed other then my cd-rom.

Your listing shows a Dell Dimension 8300 and an Athlon processor, which is impossible as Dell doesn't use AMD, so how would one know we were talking about a Compaq Presario?

Either be specific in your post or don't expect mindreaders to magically know your hardware.

I just want to say I appreciate all the help.

The Dell 8300 is another PC of mine. I entered this in my profile here and it uses it in my posts. I do not know how to remove it, I tried and it just comes back.

Aside from that if you look at my first post the very first words are "Compaq Presario".

I fixed the problem of my original post. My bios was corrupt and I was able to find a way to figure out what bios update I needed and the update was successfull. I was able to complete the install of Windows XP Pro SP2.

I have a new delema. The original CPU that burned out was an AMD Athlon 1200. After installing the new CPU (I ordered the same CPU that burned out) I noticed the bios was registering it as an AMD Athlon 1400. After finding out that my bios was corrupt I figured this may be why it was registering/displaying incorrectly.

After updating the bios and installing Windows XP it changed but not to what I expected (an AMD Athlon 1200). The bios is registering the CPU as an AMD Athlon XP 2100 and this is what is displayed in Windows, AMD Athlon XP 2100 500MHz.

Why would the CPU register so differently before and after? Everything is running OK but if the CPU is really an AMD Athlon XP 2100 do you think it will be safe to leave this CPU in there? Aslo Windows is displaying a 500MHz after AMD Athlon XP 2100 to my knowledge an AMD Athlon XP 2100 is a 1.7GHz CPU with 266MHz FSB so what would the 500MHz be for.