WXP Pro Dilema

Hi

I recently bought a new Jetway Pm800BMS Socket 775, Intel P4 2800 mhz PC with an 128mb GeForce FX 5500 graphics card onboard. I tried to load the old version of WXP Pro that i had onto the new HD but after numerous attempts it kept coming up with the error message that it couldn't read the volume license, so i bought an OEM version of Windows XP Pro version 2002 SP2 as it's cheaper to buy with a piece of hardware than to purchase normally. I reformatted and repartioned the HD with Fdisk and then tried to install the new WXP disk. I had to try several times as each time i went through the installation process it would come up with various files that couldn't be loaded. Eventually, i got through the whole process with all files loaded.

The problems i'm having now are when i come to load software from the cd drive. If i load software like MS Office then i can't use it, it comes up with the message that it's encountered a problem and needs to close. This also happens when i try to download updates from websites. Yes, i did manage to load the drivers for the modem but only after numerous attempts. Also, when i go to the Start menu and try to open, say Help and Support, 5 times out of 10 it'll not open saying that the programme has encountered a problem. And the Start menu and Tool bar freeze and i have to log off to get back into the PC.

I'm sure that i'm missing some driver or something, and if anyone can help in any way it'd be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Andy

My first guess would be the source of XP. OEM versions are usually tailored by specific manufacturers. There are many issues using OEM disks.
Did you have any issues in Activation? Did you use the Product Key off your machine or did the OEM have a key?

When you say you tried to load an old version of XP but "it couldn't read the volume license"; was this also an OEM disk?

Can you download anything from Windows Update?

In installing XP there is no reason to do any manual formatting. XP takes care of that the way it wants to. Here is a good install guide:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/index.html

I would try installing from scratch.

HI Jephree

When i finally loaded the OEM disc i put in the product key and registered it with Microsoft to give me peace of mind that it was genuine. It is.

I had various problems whilst loading it, messages coming up that it can't load such and such a file, please hit ENTER to try again. Every retry loaded the files and i eventually got through the whole process.

I have WXP Pro SP1 also which i tried to load onto the HD, i also encountered the same, files cannot be loaded scenario. I eventually got through all that and tried to update to the SP2 but it wouldn't let me, and then at log in it kept coming up with the "volume license message". I could get in but only after 3 or 4 tries.

So, i thought i'd be clever and buy XP with Sp2 already on the disc. How naive i was.

I have downloaded files from MS Updates but it won't let me download anymore, and it won't let me update MS Office 2003 either.

Also, some times it won't open, say My Computer or My Documents from the Start Menu and if i've got Internet Explorer open and i try to open something from Start, the Start Menu and Tool Bar disappear for a few seconds and the IE page will close leaving me with a screensaver.
??

Your installation & download issues are very symptomatic of an un-validated version of XP.
There is a tool at the following page if you want to check your status:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Your symptoms of start menu/ IE errors are very symptomatic of the Sasser & or Blaster worm.

Here are two tools that might help there:

http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

http://www.microsoft.com/security/ma...e/default.mspx

Thanks for the info jephree.

i have sent the disc back for the second time and have received a refund. i am going to bite the bullet and buy a copy off the shelf, as it were, and hope that everything goes okay with the install.

thanks once again

andy