BSOD on install

[bonestonne]

ok, this afternoon, i left my computer on when i went with my parents on a walk. when we got back, i decided i would turn off the computer for a while. about 3:30 i go back to turn the computer on, it tells me NTLDR is missing.

i was very scared that i lost my homework and my music, because i have almost 16GB of music that i've gotten from my friends, and the chances i'll get that back is slim. luckily, using my sisters comp, i was able to get the music off the 80GB HDD onto a 40GB HDD. now, when i try to install windows XP Pro SP1, i get a BSOD after startup disk 6, before i get to the partitioning table.

whats wrong with my computer that it gives me a BSOD after the startup disks? is my BIOS corrupt?

tomorrow when i get home i'm gonna take the battery out of my computer and then put it back in after 5 minutes to see if that clears it, and i'll try again.

i tried to install Ubuntu linux v5.10, and at 15% of partitioning, it just stopped. im going to try installing PC-BSD now, i don't know how that will end, but i need an OS because i have to re-write two essays and they're due friday. the 40GB HDD that has all my music and pictures and homework on it isn't going anywhere right now.

please help, i really need my computer to work. i'll post the BSOD error later because my dad is messing with it.

[Hamins]

Hi bonestonne,

Blue screen errors while attempting to install Windows XP are generally caused by hardware or media problems. The most common being faulty memory chips.

First, check the WinXP installation CD, and clean or replace it if necessary.

If that does not help then test your system memory for errors with a diagnostic program such as MEMTEST.

If thers no problem with the memory, check the hard-disk. Almost every HDD manufacturer has a HDD diag utility.

If no errors were found in memory or with the hard disk, you need to ensure that your processor is not overheating. Make sure the fan on the heatsink is in working order and reboot the computer, pressing DEL repeatedly on startup to go into the BIOS setup screen.

Let your PC run on this screen for an hour or so, checking back to make sure it has not crashed. If a PC crashes on the BIOS screen, it generally means the processor is overheating for one reason or another.

I hope the above mentioned steps help you diagnose the exact problem.

[bonestonne]

i reseated the heatsync earlier, and right after that the problem started...i put on a small bit of thermal grease, after a few tries got the clip back on, plugged it in, and it failed to boot.

i took out the battery for 15 odd minutes, tomorrow i'll find out if it worked.

[nitroshift]

i reseated the heatsync earlier, and right after that the problem started...[snipped]

Make sure you seated the heatsink properly, modern CPU's heat up very quickly!