Well unfortunately I don't have that option yet, as I only has this one drive.
I believe this DVD drive works because I'm watching it copy items. I just seem to get different errors all the time:
"terminal servce driver made incorrect memory reference"
"IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL"
"Page fault in nonpaged area"
"The file fastfat.sys is corrupted. Press any key to continue" LOL this is getting ridiculous.
I'd like to reformat the hard drive and start over.... is there any easy way to do this without an operating system? Unfortunately I don't really have any backup computers around to reformat items. This computer i'm using now is a laptop.
OK Dan lets start at the top
There can be many reasons for the errors you are seeing, not just one, or a combination of reasons
1. CPU is overheating during the install
2. One or both sticks of memory are defective, or in the WRONG slots
3. Improper memory or CPU settings in the BIOS (Some motherboards do not read the memory SPD correctly) or the BIOS has set the wrong VOLTAGE for the sticks. Check with Corsair, verify the voltage and set it MANUALLY instead of AUTO, same with the timing.
4. Defective Windows CD or defective drives
5. Improper or corrupt driver for the SATA controller if you are using an onboard RAID or SATA (hit F-6 to install 3rd party driver)
6. The copy of Windows does not have SP2 on it and the drive is greater than 137GB and must be partitioned FIRST
7. Defective IDE controller if using an IDE drive
8. Improper BIOS settings for the hard drive (LBA support not enabled or other settings)
9. Defective motherboard
10. Defective SATA or IDE cable(s)
11. Defective PSU
Assuming you have the drivers for the SATA controller and they are correctly installing, I would have to ask if this version of WindowsXP is the full version WITH SP2 already slipstreamed into it. IF NOT, then you CAN NOT install WindowsXP on a partition larger than 137GB.
There are some versions of WindowsXP that can have XPSP2 in it and still be an issue if the Windows disk is from the time of the first release of SP2. If this is in doubt, I would use a DOS hard drive tools program to PREPARE the hard drive in the NTFS format with a partition size of 120GB @ 4K clusters. Some DOS HDD tools you can download from the drive manufacture have all that pre-programmed into it and all you have to do tell it which version of Windows you are installing (also with or without SP2).
When you install Windows, ONLY format in the NTFS file system and just to be sure, run the FULL NTFS FORMAT. That process takes much, much longer than the QUICK NTFS format because it runs a DISKSCAN as it is formatting. If it finds a defect it will probably tell you before it starts the Windows file copy process.
If all of the above is in order, many times you may have a defective stick of memory. It happens all the time. You can use Memtest86+ to check your memory for defects. Run the DOS floppy memory test for several hours and see if it halts with errors, if it does, you have a defective stick.
Another way to check is to REMOVE ONE stick of memory and retry the install with the disk properly prepared. If the problem does not occur you probably have a defective stick and you need to run memtest on EACH stick to see which one is bad.
Another possibility is the CPU is overheating after the install gets so far. It is VERY difficult to find this because one the system reboots the CPU will typically cool off far enough by the time you get into the BIOS to check it, it does not look like it is.
You do need to make sure that BIOS is not reading those memory sticks SPD charts wrong and not setting the timing or voltage correctly. I usually set all that manually, at least the voltage, to make sure the sticks are being run correctly.
I doubt a BIOS update is the issue and I would not try to flash BIOS unless you know exactly what you are doing. A BIOS update may fix problems but I can not see how they can sell the board of it doesn
