Problem reinstalling windows

[Szat]

One of my coworker's computer has been messed up for quite some time now. A few months ago I tried fixing it, but I would get BSODed every time I tried to do something. I told him if he could get his Window's disk from Dell I'd be able to reinstall Windows and he should be fine. He received a Windows XP Media Center Edition SP2 instead of the XP Pro he had installed on his computer. He isn't tech savvy so he doesn't care which version he has. The problem I'm running into is when I try to install Windows it keeps asking me for the XP Pro SP2 disk. It shouldn't matter which version of Windows I'm installing so why does it keep asking me for the XP Pro SP2 disk? It also said there was a "cyclical redundancy error" the first time I tried to install. Anyone have an idea on what's going on here?

 

[SiGn]

the cyclical redundancy error usually means the disk is damaged. If you haven't reformatted yet I would do so before trying to install the disk, though i'm pretty sure you already have which is why your trying to install xp again.

 

[jmacavali]

Are you booting from the CD or are you starting Windows and then loading the disk?

Did you format the drive and repartition it correctly?

 

[Gshift]

Yea disk is damaged or the drive is going bad. Replace the disk and see if you can get it installed that way.

 

[Szat]

I haven't been able to reformat the HDD. It doesn't give me an option to when I put in the Windows install disk. It just starts trying to repair. I've installed and reinstalled Windows and Linux OSes before and I never had this much trouble. Do you suggest installing Ubuntu to format the HDD and then installing Windows? I've actually had to do that in the past when I've had trouble installing Windows OSes!

 

[jmacavali]

Yes. You need to get the HDD formatted so you can do a fresh Windows install. The CD you're using might be bad. It should boot up to the Install Windows screen and from there give you the option to repair or reinstall. If it is going right to repair, I'd say the CD is the culprit. Try a different Windows CD if you have one, or try installing Ubuntu to format the drive and then install Windows and see what happens.

 

[Szat]

Yep, I formatted the HDD with an Ubuntu install. Now when I start the comp. up with the CD-rom first in the boot sequence it goes straight to the desktop. Now I can't get Windows back on his pc!

 

[jmacavali]

The CD must be bad. You'll have to *cough* aquire *cough* another copy of the XP CD.

 

[Grantofhell]

The reason it is asking for the XP Sp2 disk is because of the Media Center apps. The first disk contains XP pro and the second disk has the files that make it Media Center Edition. It's likely that the disk Dell sent you just has repair instructions and cannot install fresh.

I would take the drive, put it in another computer with windows, and format it in NTFS through disk management. Take it out, put it back in the original computer and install XP with any other installation medium you can find, then use the repair disk on the fresh installation.

Much luck.

 

[Szat]

I'm just going to tell my coworker to call Dell and ask for XP Pro. I don't know why they sent him Media Center Edition. All I can say now is I hope he likes Ubuntu!