XP setup

Hello:

I am trying to get an older Compaq computer going again for a friend with
few needs (word processing, Internet). It kept cycling off and on from and
to the XP screen. I reformatted the HD, tried to re-install XP Pro, but keep
getting the message: "setup is being restarted", and the cycle repeats
itself. I would be grateful for any ideas about this (issues with CMOS?
heat? bad HD? bad memory? bad MoBo?)
Thank you very much in advance.
Petrus

Petrus Tax wrote:

I am trying to get an older Compaq computer going again for a friend with
few needs (word processing, Internet). It kept cycling off and on from and
to the XP screen. I reformatted the HD, tried to re-install XP Pro, but keep
getting the message: "setup is being restarted", and the cycle repeats
itself. I would be grateful for any ideas about this (issues with CMOS?
heat? bad HD? bad memory? bad MoBo?)

Problems like this are almost never due to hardware defects, but once
in a while a Windows installation goes better if you switch to the
motherboard's built-in video or use a fairly plain video card, even a
PCI one, and later install the desired video card.

In a friend's case similar to yours, he found the problem was with the
boot.ini file, as described he

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827324

and he

http://forums.techarena.in/windows-x...ort/710154.htm

Also for SATA hard drives, boot problems are sometimes solved by
changing the BIOS setup for AHCI vs. IDE mode or turn off RAID.

"Petrus Tax" wrote in message
m...
Hello:

I am trying to get an older Compaq computer going again for a friend with
few needs (word processing, Internet). It kept cycling off and on from and
to the XP screen. I reformatted the HD, tried to re-install XP Pro, but
keep getting the message: "setup is being restarted", and the cycle
repeats itself. I would be grateful for any ideas about this (issues with
CMOS? heat? bad HD? bad memory? bad MoBo?)
Thank you very much in advance.
Petrus


To me, your message is not very clear.
You're talking about: "It kept cycling off and on from and to the XP
screen", where I should think XP is installed, but later you say: "tried to
re-install XP Pro, but keep
getting the message: setup is being restarted", which assumes the XP
installation is not completed.
In the last case, and if the error appears during the installation process,
my first idea should be a corrupted installation disk.

"larry moe 'n curly" wrote in message
...

Petrus Tax wrote:

I am trying to get an older Compaq computer going again for a friend with
few needs (word processing, Internet). It kept cycling off and on from
and
to the XP screen. I reformatted the HD, tried to re-install XP Pro, but
keep
getting the message: "setup is being restarted", and the cycle repeats
itself. I would be grateful for any ideas about this (issues with CMOS?
heat? bad HD? bad memory? bad MoBo?)

Problems like this are almost never due to hardware defects, but once
in a while a Windows installation goes better if you switch to the
motherboard's built-in video or use a fairly plain video card, even a
PCI one, and later install the desired video card.

In a friend's case similar to yours, he found the problem was with the
boot.ini file, as described he

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827324

and he

http://forums.techarena.in/windows-x...ort/710154.htm

Also for SATA hard drives, boot problems are sometimes solved by
changing the BIOS setup for AHCI vs. IDE mode or turn off RAID.

.... or sometimes by using the drivers that came with the motherboard not the
drivers that come with windows. (I had an install which would get 60% of the
way through and then hang - so different symptoms - but that was solved by
using the drivers on the cd which came with the motherboard, which
fortunatly I still had.)
--
Brian Cryer
http://www.cryer.co.uk/brian

On Sat, 2 Jul 2011 18:59:57 -0400, "Petrus Tax"
wrote:

Hello:

I am trying to get an older Compaq computer going again for a friend with
few needs (word processing, Internet). It kept cycling off and on from and
to the XP screen. I reformatted the HD, tried to re-install XP Pro, but keep
getting the message: "setup is being restarted", and the cycle repeats
itself. I would be grateful for any ideas about this (issues with CMOS?
heat? bad HD? bad memory? bad MoBo?)
Thank you very much in advance.
Petrus


If installationis causing problems because disc is not being read
correctly I suggest attaching a different DVD/CD Rom Player and see if
that solves it. From past experience.

km

On 07/02/2011 05:59 PM, Petrus Tax wrote:
Hello:

I am trying to get an older Compaq computer going again for a friend with
few needs (word processing, Internet). It kept cycling off and on from and
to the XP screen. I reformatted the HD, tried to re-install XP Pro, but keep
getting the message: "setup is being restarted", and the cycle repeats
itself. I would be grateful for any ideas about this (issues with CMOS?
heat? bad HD? bad memory? bad MoBo?)
Thank you very much in advance.
Petrus





Hardware problem is quite possible

run a RAM test


if RAM is ok, the run the mfg's diagnostic on the hard drive

Hello:

Thank you all for your suggestions. I will try them out and report back.
During the initial case of cycling I never got to the screen with the icons.
After reformatting the HD, Windows started installing but soon cycled back
to the screen with "setup being restarted" and restaring the XP files
loading process, then immediately returning to "setup being restarted". I
couldn't get out of the loop.
Thus, for instance, I couldn't get to the ini. file at all. I will test the
RAM first, then also the CD-ROM drive, which may be getting too old and
"spotty".

Petrus

"Petrus Tax" wrote in message
m...
Hello:

I am trying to get an older Compaq computer going again for a friend with
few needs (word processing, Internet). It kept cycling off and on from and
to the XP screen. I reformatted the HD, tried to re-install XP Pro, but
keep getting the message: "setup is being restarted", and the cycle
repeats itself. I would be grateful for any ideas about this (issues with
CMOS? heat? bad HD? bad memory? bad MoBo?)
Thank you very much in advance.
Petrus

On 7/2/2011 5:59 PM, Petrus Tax wrote:
Hello:

I am trying to get an older Compaq computer going again for a friend with
few needs (word processing, Internet). It kept cycling off and on from and
to the XP screen. I reformatted the HD, tried to re-install XP Pro, but keep
getting the message: "setup is being restarted", and the cycle repeats
itself. I would be grateful for any ideas about this (issues with CMOS?
heat? bad HD? bad memory? bad MoBo?)
Thank you very much in advance.
Petrus



The CMOS battery is usually rated for just 5 years from date of
manufacturer. If it is the common CR2032 battery I'd replace it and
tell the CMOS to go back to factory or failsafe settings and see if that
helps things.

Here is a link showing common battery examples and how to replace one.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/81