BAD POOL CALLER on Nlited XP w/SP3 on Install

[NLited]

Hi there, I've been using Nlite for quite sometime and recently purchased a Compaq Presario. I have done a lot of reading and testing on my PC and have concluded that there is nothing wrong with any Hardware Settings. I have successfully NLited and Installed Windows XP on this computer Slipstreamed with Service Pack 3 along with some tweaks. My first 5 installs consisted of tweaking and fine tuning and I have finally developed a Slipstream with Tweaks that installs successfully. However, my most refined copy, with tweaks (visual/GUI) never seems to work. It goes into the Install process, completes the process, then all of a sudden just reboots into an infinite loop.

I was able to identify the issue but this error is extremely Vague. As I've said, I have had no problems installing XP or NLited versions of XP as I have a few that work just fine. I have been very careful with the setup but one or two tweaks and it just hangs. I have wasted about 10 CD-Rs and have since switched to CD-RW to create these setup discs, but I am now at a point where I am running out of patience.

I presume that this is neither NLite, nor my PC, but a bug in Windows XP itself. To test this presumption, I booted and installed from the Original XP CD without any service packs and the install process went fine until it was ready to get to the deskop, then all of a sudden a Blue Screen stating the error BAD_POOL_CALLER

This has happend on both of my PCs. A Dell Dimension and Compaq Presario. Both are top notch computers, and all hardware settings have been scrutinized to a point where it is just not logical to think hardware trouble anymore.

My question is, has anyone experienced an Infinite Loop upon XP install? If so, what are the ways to defeat it? Are there any fixes available?

Also, does the Active Partition have to be a certain size? I'm installing on a 4GB Partition with the PageFile on a seperate Drive. The Successful XP Install takes care of that. It is at the end of the install process where it says "Applying Settings" where the computer reboots and fails to log in. From there its an endless cycle where XP keeps on trying to restart.

If anyone has a solid fix to this XP bug, please contact me asap. Thank you very much!

NLited

[cluberti]

I presume that this is neither NLite, nor my PC, but a bug in Windows XP itself. To test this presumption, I booted and installed from the Original XP CD without any service packs and the install process went fine until it was ready to get to the deskop, then all of a sudden a Blue Screen stating the error BAD_POOL_CALLER

This has happend on both of my PCs. A Dell Dimension and Compaq Presario. Both are top notch computers, and all hardware settings have been scrutinized to a point where it is just not logical to think hardware trouble anymore.

From what you state, install problems on multiple PCs (in the same way, BAD_POOL_CALLER on two different machines, from a "gold" XP disc unmodified) I'd say it sounds like bad install medium. See if you can get yourself another known-good install disc, because that one is likely bad.

[NLited]

Thanks for your reply. I've actually tried various mediums including both Sony and Fujifilm CD-Rs. I have also beeng googling on reboot issues with Service Pack 3 and HPCompaq PCs which seem to have this issue with AMD based processors but not limited to AMD. My HP Compaq SR5350F is Intel Based. I have searched for a fix which I can integrate into Nlite so it is done during the install but have not been able to find any such fix.

This seems to be an ongoing issue with Service Pack 3. Do I actually need SP3? SP2 seemed to work just fine however. This Compaq is also built to work on Vista but as is the case with many others, I prefer XP Pro to do all my work and have been using XP for years. At the moment I am very frustrated that HP has not made a fix available for intel based processors which can be integrated into Nlite install. Again by some stroke of luck, I was able to create an Nlite Slipstream SP3 installation which somehow bypassed this mysterious HP/M$ bug but I fear that it may rear it's ugly head sooner or later.

Also note that I downloaded the HP/Compaq update to this problem from their site, but it simply does not install and prompts that this update does not apply to my system.

I somehow got very lucky with this one Semi-Tweaked installation, however, any other tweak seems to not work. This has also happened on a Fresh Windows XP installation CD just yesterday (BAD_POOL_CALLER and BAD_POOL_HEADER), definitely an error in HP which M$ did not know about before hand.

If there is a hot fix which can be integrated BEFORE XP is installed via NLite, I would like to know. It makes no sense to apply an update when XP is already installed, as it still will not fix the Infinite Reboot loop upon Installation.

If anyone here knows what HP/Compaq intends to do, please email me. HP/Compaq has refused to help due to the fact that my computer originally came with Vista and they refuse to support Windows XP. I apologize for stating that it could not have been the hardware. What I meant to say is that physically, there is nothing wrong with the hardware, however HP/Compaq has admitted to this flaw but points at Microsoft, and Microsoft is doing the same to HP. What is missing is a hotfix or a patch that can be installed from within NLite which will tell the OS that it is an Intel based system and apply the appropriate power management settings.

So far the system is running great, and again it was just some pure stroke of luck that it worked this time out of the last 20 or so Test Discs I've made making sure the media is indeed brand new (CD-RW, and CD-R). No read errors have occurred during install process.

I presume that this is neither NLite, nor my PC, but a bug in Windows XP itself. To test this presumption, I booted and installed from the Original XP CD without any service packs and the install process went fine until it was ready to get to the deskop, then all of a sudden a Blue Screen stating the error BAD_POOL_CALLER

This has happend on both of my PCs. A Dell Dimension and Compaq Presario. Both are top notch computers, and all hardware settings have been scrutinized to a point where it is just not logical to think hardware trouble anymore.

From what you state, install problems on multiple PCs (in the same way, BAD_POOL_CALLER on two different machines, from a "gold" XP disc unmodified) I'd say it sounds like bad install medium. See if you can get yourself another known-good install disc, because that one is likely bad.

Edited August 6, 2008 by NLited

[cluberti]

The HP/Compaq AMD SP3 issues revolved around them using Intel-based systems to do their original OEM images, and then later using them on their AMD-based machines. It has nothing to do with a "clean" XP CD nor SP3 specifically.

I've not experienced these problems with XP or SP3, and I'd wager from the forums that almost no one else does either - whatever it is, it is specific to either your machines or your original media you used. That is my suggestion - get a CD from someone else and try it, before blaming the OS or the service pack, or even HP/Compaq or Dell. The situation seems to all stem from the actual install media (not the blank CDs, but the XP source).

[NLited]

You're absolutely right, as this has happened. The source I'm using is a second source. The first XP CD source failed when it failed to copy certain files and stopped at the error. However, my installation of XP Completes all the way until it has to restart the computer.

-The computer Restarts

-Then it shows "Applying System Settings" --- (CD is not running at this point as the installation has been fully completed)

-System Restarts

Using the same Source CD, I have created another Slipstreamed XP, Semi-Tweaked (Using only GUI Tweaks, and leaving all the necessary drivers and OS Options), which worked. The same configuration again did not work when all I changed were some GUI options for Windows Media Player.

I have thoroughly tested the source CD and have kept 5 backups of 2 Source CDs in ISO Images. I have money invested in XP so I am not ready to switch to Vista, as HP/Compaq wants to force me to. Please help me with this installation problem.

Questions: Will integrating Intel Chipset and Media Accelerator drivers for my Compaq Presario help with this installation?

The HP/Compaq AMD SP3 issues revolved around them using Intel-based systems to do their original OEM images, and then later using them on their AMD-based machines. It has nothing to do with a "clean" XP CD nor SP3 specifically.

I've not experienced these problems with XP or SP3, and I'd wager from the forums that almost no one else does either - whatever it is, it is specific to either your machines or your original media you used. That is my suggestion - get a CD from someone else and try it, before blaming the OS or the service pack, or even HP/Compaq or Dell. The situation seems to all stem from the actual install media (not the blank CDs, but the XP source).