Multiple problems

My first problem was a virus that stealthly came in my pc and right before my eyes I got the [BSOD] blue screen of death, announcing "your hard drive is now being erased". I thought it was a joke. No. So as I was waiting for a new HD to arrive I had another one [small one (8GB) I switched out for a larger one] to use as I wait for the new one. Then while using the pc with the 8GB, yesterday, Iit shut down with a DCOM server process launcher error. I can't keep it up and running for longer than a few minutes before the DCOM error shuts it down. Just in time because my new HD arrived, and that is my second problem- after hooking it up and trying to install WINXP Home, it gets just so far and the computer stops at verifying dmi pool data. Suggestions?

Hi becky,

First off I'd remove the 8GB drive from your system.

Next you need to verify that the new drive is properly configured in the BIOS as well as mechanically.

Is it an ATA or a SATA drive? Does the BIOS detect it? Does the XP Setup actually detect it?

If ATA is it set as the Master drive and located at the end (black) of the ATA cable?

If SATA does it correspond to your motherboard as to SATA I or SATA II?

First off I'd remove the 8GB drive from your system.[Yes, I did that when my new HD arrived]

Next you need to verify that the new drive is properly configured in the BIOS as well as mechanically.

Is it an ATA or a SATA drive? [SATA]
Does the BIOS detect it? [YES]
Does the XP Setup actually detect it? [IT NEVER GETS TO THE POINT OF INSTALLING THE WIN XP OS]

If ATA is it set as the Master drive and located at the end (black) of the ATA cable?

If SATA does it correspond to your motherboard as to SATA I or SATA II?
When it gets just so far and the computer stalls at verifying dmi pool data………..it does say "sucessful" but it's still stalled at that point.
I am using another pc at the moment.

If the BIOS detects it it is most likely a SATA II motherboard as the drive would be default set to SATA II. You do need drivers for it in order that XP can see and use it. Do you have the motherboard driver CD? If not do you know the ID of the motherboard? You will need to put the motherboard SATA/RAID drivers on a floppy or USB drive then press F6 when prompted by the XP Setup to install drivers.

Do you have the motherboard driver CD? [MOTHERBOARD CD? IT WAS A CUSTOM BUILD, I DON'T THINK I DO] If not do you know the ID of the motherboard?[ITS A GIGABYTE] You will need to put the motherboard SATA/RAID drivers on a floppy [NO FLOPPY DRIVE] or USB drive [CAN'T BURN TO A CD??] [NO PORTABLE USB DEVICES] then press F6 when prompted by the XP Setup to install drivers.

We need the exact Gigabyte model. This is usually stenciled below the CPU & Northbridge above the first graphics card slot. A CD would only work if you had two CD drives as the XP CD needs to be prompting and receiving the drivers. Without two CD drives getting a USB stick would be best. You could also slipstream your XP CD with the drivers on another computer. If you choose to do the latter we can pull up some details for you.

This is the driver you need to load at F6:

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Support/Motherb…?ProductID=1711

SATA RAID

VIA VT8237 SATA RAID(Preinstall driver, press F6 during Windows setup to read from floppy)

Without a floppy you will need a USB drive or else slipstream these drivers into a new XP CD.

Explain slipstream /

You mentioned " two CD drives as the XP CD needs to be prompting and receiving the drivers." I do have 2 CD drives, how can we do this?

Here is a good guide on how to slipstream an XP CD:

http://www.msfn.org/articles.php?action=sh…;showarticle=49

The same process can add the needed drivers to the CD.

Basically you put all the data on a working hard drive and then nLite merges it all into a new ISO to burn to a new CD.

However since you do have two CD drives you can burn these drivers to a CD and simply use the second CD drive.

Within the first few minutes of booting the XP CD for Install you will see a prompt on the lower screen to "Press F6 to load drivers".

Press F6 then setup will run for about another minute before prompting you to "insert driver disk".

Insert the driver CD into the second CD drive and point setup to that drive.

If there is more than one driver they will install one at a time and XP setup will prompt if you have loaded all or load more etc.

Give it a try and let us know if we can explain the process in more detail if required.


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sorry…new proble, This was solved. I started a new thread HD Assistance. Is that proper? Sorry if not.

The rule of thumb is if the current problem is resolved, which from your message it appears it is, and assuming the problem is not related to the old problem, which in this case I don't think it is, at least not directly, then a new thread is the way to go. But should the issue be related, then it is best to stay in the same thread so people have a full history of what is going on, and the chances of being asked to do certain procedure etc are not repeated and therefore taking longer to resolve the problem. Now the situation you have here is loosely connected, so it can be worth quickly mentioning the previous issue with maybe a link to that previous thread, obviously there are going to be times when your not sure about this, so again if you start a new thread and your worried it could be related, either quickly ask in the old thread if a new one is best, or again give a quick note and link to the previous help. Then those who help can quickly check what may be happening, and if need be merge the threads together if it is deemed they are related to keep the full history in the 1 place. Sorry for a long reply to what should be a quick answer, but I figured others may be in the same quandary, so by explaining it in detail, I hope it helps others as well as you for future use.