Hey guys, I am in some serious need of help here - this is my problem.

I am trying to re-install windows xp pro I have had it installed and working since it came out but it's time for me to format and re-install windows.

When I try and boot from the cd through my bios, the cd boots up fine and installs what it needs right up until it's time to load windows and pick what file system I want to use, right before it formats my drive and installs windows. It just stays on the blue screen saying "set up loading windows" and that's it. It wont go any further - I have left it for half an hour and it didnt go anywhere.

Now I installed the new Service Pack but I dont see how this would have any effect on my fresh install. I have also disconnected everything except for my video card, on board sound mouse, keyboard and monitor to make sure it wasnt something else - but it still freezes at the same spot. And lastly I used the new 6 disk windows boot disk for xp to see if that would work and it still hangs at the exact same spot - that's why I dont think it's my disk.

Any help guys? I really need to get this done right now and I have no idea where to go from here... Thanks so much for your help in advance.

Originally posted by Sure Shot
Now I installed the new Service Pack but I dont see how this would have any effect on my fresh install.

It wouldn't suprise me if M$ haven't put something in the service pack to stop you doing a re-install. You could try getting a Win98 CD, booting to DOS and formating the disk, then try re-installing XP.

Might work...

Try flashing the BIOS - its worked for me a few times in the past!

Well bluemilk, you hit it right on the head!! But I had to figure it out for myself - I was too inpatient to wait for replys after the first hour on here :)

I had formatted the hard drive and thought that might be the problem - that there was still an operating system on the drive, but it wasnt and it still hung. I was pissed.

So I installed windows ME, figured what the hell and went and flashed my bios with the newest updates, reset it to "optimal settings" and bam! it worked! But once again, thanks for the ideas and I really appreciate it!

Well i had the same problem.. what you need to do is boot up from a windows 98 boot floppy, then get a low level format utility, slap that in the floppy drive and run the exe, which will get rid of absolutly everything on your HDD.. then do a fresh install...