Can't do a clean install

I'm trying to do a fresh install of Windows XP pro from a store bought
upgrade install disc onto a 3 year old Gateway laptop. Everything goes
well at first. I go through the usual install scripts, it asks for a
previous copy of Windows etc. The first time it does a required
reboot, however, it starts me back at square one, so I am going in
circles at this point. Any ideas please?

m_corbelli@juno.com wrote:
> I'm trying to do a fresh install of Windows XP pro from a store
> bought upgrade install disc onto a 3 year old Gateway laptop.
> Everything goes well at first. I go through the usual install
> scripts, it asks for a previous copy of Windows etc. The first
> time it does a required reboot, however, it starts me back at
> square one, so I am going in circles at this point. Any ideas
> please?

Are you "Pressing any key to boot from CD" each time?

If "yes" - don't do that.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

<m_corbelli@juno.com> wrote in message
news:22f3c114-98db-40e9-925e-53107fdce6be@g17g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
> I'm trying to do a fresh install of Windows XP pro from a store bought
> upgrade install disc onto a 3 year old Gateway laptop. Everything goes
> well at first. I go through the usual install scripts, it asks for a
> previous copy of Windows etc. The first time it does a required
> reboot, however, it starts me back at square one, so I am going in
> circles at this point. Any ideas please?

What do you mean by "etc."? Do you have a qualifying version of Windows
for the upgrade? If so, please describe the disk. Is it an actual XP
installation CD or a Gateway recovery/restore CD? Did you place the disk
in the CD tray?

If you don't have an installation CD, you won't be able to perform a
clean install. And if you can't obtain one, you will need to do a fresh
install of your old OS (laying down a fresh image of the hard drive the
way it was when it left the factory) and then an inplace upgrade.

When you reboot, you are not supposed boot off the CD-ROM drive. Make
sure you boot off the hard drive. That is, don't press the "anykey." :-)

On Oct 7, 4:40*pm, "Shenan Stanley" <newshel...@gmail.com> wrote:
> m_corbe...@juno.com wrote:
> > I'm trying to do a fresh install of Windows XP pro from a store
> > bought upgrade install disc onto a 3 year old Gateway laptop.
> > Everything goes well at first. I go through the usual install
> > scripts, it asks for a previous copy of Windows *etc. The first
> > time it does a required reboot, however, it starts me back at
> > square one, so I am going in circles at this point. Any ideas
> > please?
>
> Are you "Pressing any key to boot from CD" each time?
>
> If "yes" - don't do that.
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> * * *MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Wayhttp://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

Yes, that worked so far so good. But I have another related or maybe
unrelated problem. Perhaps someone can help. If I turn this computer
on while it's plugged in, it hangs with a black screen with a blinking
cursor in the upper left hand corner. If I unplug it before it reboots
so it's working off the battery, it boots OK. So I have to unplug it
right before a reboot during install, or I start over. Then, while
it's running I plug it back in as not to use up the battery. It's been
doing this for several months and we've just kept it plugged in all
the time and haven't shut it off. I was hoping a clean install would
solve this but now I'm not so sure.

<snipped>

m_corbelli@juno.com wrote:
> Yes, that worked so far so good. But I have another related or maybe
> unrelated problem. Perhaps someone can help. If I turn this computer
> on while it's plugged in, it hangs with a black screen with a
> blinking
> cursor in the upper left hand corner. If I unplug it before it
> reboots
> so it's working off the battery, it boots OK. So I have to unplug it
> right before a reboot during install, or I start over. Then, while
> it's running I plug it back in as not to use up the battery. It's
> been
> doing this for several months and we've just kept it plugged in all
> the time and haven't shut it off. I was hoping a clean install would
> solve this but now I'm not so sure.

Sounds like defective hardware. Either bad battery or a bad component on
the mainboard that regulates the charging/usage of the battery vs. the usage
of 'from the wall' power.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

If it is if fact you are using a CD that is a "Retail Version" of XP,
(upgrade or full version) then after you start the Clean Install of XP and
during the install process when XP reboots the computer "Do Not" press any
keys on the keyboard to "Boot from CD", let XP reboot without any
intervention on your part.

JS
http://www.pagestart.com


<m_corbelli@juno.com> wrote in message
news:22f3c114-98db-40e9-925e-53107fdce6be@g17g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
> I'm trying to do a fresh install of Windows XP pro from a store bought
> upgrade install disc onto a 3 year old Gateway laptop. Everything goes
> well at first. I go through the usual install scripts, it asks for a
> previous copy of Windows etc. The first time it does a required
> reboot, however, it starts me back at square one, so I am going in
> circles at this point. Any ideas please?

On Oct 7, 5:38*pm, "JS" <@> wrote:
> If it is if fact you are using a CD that is a "Retail Version" of XP,
> (upgrade or full version) then after you start the Clean Install of XP and
> during the install process when XP reboots the computer "Do Not" press any
> keys on the keyboard to "Boot from CD", let XP reboot without any
> intervention on your part.
>
> JShttp://www.pagestart.com
>
> <m_corbe...@juno.com> wrote in message
>
> news:22f3c114-98db-40e9-925e-53107fdce6be@g17g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> > I'm trying to do a fresh install of Windows XP pro from a store bought
> > upgrade install disc onto a 3 year old Gateway laptop. Everything goes
> > well at first. I go through the usual install scripts, it asks for a
> > previous copy of Windows *etc. The first time it does a required
> > reboot, however, it starts me back at square one, so I am going in
> > circles at this point. Any ideas please?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

My install went OK but there is now a screen that comes up during
every boot asking which of two windows xp OS's to boot with (there
should only be one). I can hit enter or it counts down 30 seconds and
does it for me. This has never happened to me before when doing a
clean install. I would prefer it not do that. Anyone know how to fix
that?

Start/Run/msconfig (this open the System Configuration Utility.
Select the BOOT.INI tab
Click on the 'Check All Boot Paths' button.
If Msconfig finds an invalid path (you indicated you have two) it will ask
you to delete the invalid path.

JS
http://www.pagestart.com


<m_corbelli@juno.com> wrote in message
news:d2ad85b7-eaa3-45ed-8844-d4a73b083545@z72g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
On Oct 7, 5:38 pm, "JS" <@> wrote:
> If it is if fact you are using a CD that is a "Retail Version" of XP,
> (upgrade or full version) then after you start the Clean Install of XP and
> during the install process when XP reboots the computer "Do Not" press any
> keys on the keyboard to "Boot from CD", let XP reboot without any
> intervention on your part.
>
> JShttp://www.pagestart.com
>
> <m_corbe...@juno.com> wrote in message
>
> news:22f3c114-98db-40e9-925e-53107fdce6be@g17g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> > I'm trying to do a fresh install of Windows XP pro from a store bought
> > upgrade install disc onto a 3 year old Gateway laptop. Everything goes
> > well at first. I go through the usual install scripts, it asks for a
> > previous copy of Windows etc. The first time it does a required
> > reboot, however, it starts me back at square one, so I am going in
> > circles at this point. Any ideas please?- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

My install went OK but there is now a screen that comes up during
every boot asking which of two windows xp OS's to boot with (there
should only be one). I can hit enter or it counts down 30 seconds and
does it for me. This has never happened to me before when doing a
clean install. I would prefer it not do that. Anyone know how to fix
that?

> On Oct 7, 5:38 pm, "JS" <@> wrote:
>> If it is if fact you are using a CD that is a "Retail Version" of XP,
>> (upgrade or full version) then after you start the Clean Install of
>> XP and during the install process when XP reboots the computer "Do
>> Not" press any keys on the keyboard to "Boot from CD", let XP reboot
>> without any intervention on your part.
>>
>> JShttp://www.pagestart.com
>>
>> <m_corbe...@juno.com> wrote in message
>>
>> news:22f3c114-98db-40e9-925e-53107fdce6be@g17g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
>>
>>
>>
>>> I'm trying to do a fresh install of Windows XP pro from a store
>>> bought upgrade install disc onto a 3 year old Gateway laptop.
>>> Everything goes well at first. I go through the usual install
>>> scripts, it asks for a previous copy of Windows etc. The first time
>>> it does a required reboot, however, it starts me back at square
>>> one, so I am going in circles at this point. Any ideas please?-
>>> Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> My install went OK but there is now a screen that comes up during
> every boot asking which of two windows xp OS's to boot with (there
> should only be one). I can hit enter or it counts down 30 seconds and
> does it for me. This has never happened to me before when doing a
> clean install. I would prefer it not do that. Anyone know how to fix
> that?

You ended up with two installs of XP on the drive. That can cause
problems and confusion down the road, so the best thing to do is to
start over: This time when you boot from the CD, delete the partition/s
and recreate it/them, and continue on with the format, etc as instructed
on the screen.
Now that you know what to (or not do) you won't accidentally get a
second install of XP again.
And, play close attention to the screen instructions. In one place,
it tells you not to touch the keyboard again - you must have missed that
which is why you got misdirected and confused.

OR, live with it until you get the install completed, and then if/when
everything works, edit boot.ini to stop the problem.
OR, you could even do that now as long as you delete the right one.
The line in boot.ini to keep will be the one with the lowest numbers in
it; as in, 0 vs 1. Delete the other one. But be sure before you do it;
if in doubt, ask. Boot.ini I believe is also a hidden system file so
you can't initially see it with explorer, but you CAN search for it, and
edit it with Notepad once Search locates it. It lives in the C:\ root
directory.

HTH

Twayne

m_corbelli@juno.com wrote:
> My install went OK but there is now a screen that comes up during
> every boot asking which of two windows xp OS's to boot with (there
> should only be one). I can hit enter or it counts down 30 seconds
> and does it for me. This has never happened to me before when doing
> a clean install. I would prefer it not do that. Anyone know how to
> fix that?

That means you did a parallel installation instead of a clean installation.
If you had backed everything up and your intention was to truly start from
scratch with a clean slate - you would be better off actually performing a
clean installation now before you continue (IMHO).

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html