Resolved Set up is being restarted?.

Trying to reinstal Windows XP Pro, after losing defrag, Installation goes thru ok until 'Saving Settings' then it stalls at 8 minutes to go, eventualy after over 1 hour it comes up with 'Set up is being restarted' it then goes thru the full boot sequence back to 'Set up is being restarted' it continues to go round from boot up to set up being restarted.
Have tried Safe Mode but it goes back to the same sequence, Tried going back to 'Last Known Good Configeration that worked' it goes back to boot up/ set up being re started sequence.
Spanner

 

Format and start over. If it happens again, could be a bad HD or sectors at that poing. Run the Manufactures Diag. and check it.

 

With MrBill here, HD failure is most likely. Please run diagnostics and report back.

 

Thanks Mr Bill and Wildfire, tried your suggestions but cannot get into HD to format also unable to run a diagnostic test for same reason, keeps coming back to ' Set up being re-started' Have tried everything on the Windows Advanced Options Menu and CMOS Set up utility.
Questios:
1. How can I wipe the HD and start again.?
2 I have another HD that I use as a slave, stores photo's, Can I use this as master? I have tried but keep getting 'Disk Error, press Ctrl, Alt, Del '.
Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?
Can I download a Diognostic disc on this PC to diognose other PC?
Spanner

 

Ok, run the manufacturers diagnostics, they provide self booting media, no need for windows...

What HD is in the problem system?

 

Download and burn the Ultimate Boot CD to CD. It has all the hard drive manufacturer's diagnostic utilities, (plus much more). Simply boot your computer from this CD and select the utility you want to run.

If you aren't sure who made the hard drive in your computer, use Seagate's Seatools as it will work with most any make of drive.

You may find the following instructions helpful for burning the UBCD .iso file to disc:

How can I write (burn) ISO files to CD or DVD?​

 

Responce to Wildfire: Master HD (problem one) Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 40GB.
Model no 8 (or S) T340014A. Ser no 3JX5YQ33.
Slave HD Western Digital WD2500BB 250GB Mdl WD250BB-22RDA0
Date 14 Aug 2007 DCM DSBHCTJAHN
.Response to SpywareDr: The response to Wildfire will indicate Make of HD's, will now download diagnostic disc tomorrow, in case there is any come back from this reply.
And thanks to both for your help so far, will get there in the end. Spanner

 

40GB? You're talking pretty old. Hard drives do wear out. They're mechnical beasts, with moving parts. Moving parts rub against each other and eventually wear each other so bad that they can no longer perform their intended function reliably.

 

Thanks Doc, I know a thing or two about wearing out. But back to the plot, I will diognose the HD just to see what the problem is, it may come in useful later.Will let you know the results, will probably use the 250GB as Master.Thanks again.
Spanner.

 

<grin> Right? Welcome to the crowd.

No problem.

 

Situation so far,
Have Done:
Downloaded Seagate Diagnostic Disk from working PC.
Unable to get faulty PC to boot up from CD.
Tried changing Boot up sequence,
Next try will be to contact Seagate direct to see what they suggest.

As an interim measure I want to connect the Slave HD to be Master,
Have tried disconnecting existing Master and replacing with slave, 'get Disk Error, Press CTRL ALT DEL to continue' goes back to Disk Error.

 

OK can you quote the exact error message so we have an idea of what is happening.

 

Error message as requested.
I have disconnected the Master HD (Faulty) and connected the Slave in its place.
It boots up but the following comes on the screen.
'Verifying DMI Pool data'
"A Disk read error occured. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart "
Note: the slave has photo's only , no operating system, yet. Hoping to put XP Pro or 7 on it.

 

OK, did you make sure to adjust jumper settings so the slave drive now knows it's a master with no slave present?

 

Yes , The jumper settings for Master only is zero, no jumpers. this did not work,but I will try again, should I try cable select? ( and what does that do?).
Incidentally , I look after two Computer forums a week at our local Day Centre for the over 50's, we have one chap of 92 communicating with his family in other countries via the Internet( they are amused at the pseudonym's we use in Windows BBS.)
It is much appreciated. Spanner

 

Cable Select (CS) is an alternative method for setting Slave/Master on PATA devices. Basically the drive at the end of the cable is master whilst any connected to the inner connection would be slave. Although very reliable nowadays older drive combinations often caused compatibility issues so CS was rarely used.

Anyway, history lesson over Have you tried your original master on it's own (without the slave)?

 

I will do that when I am next on that PC and let you know results, Seagate have sent me details of how to trouble shoot their HD, will let you know results of that as well.
Thanks again for info,
Spanner.

 

The problem has been resolved, the dignostic test (Seagate) proved a faulty HD, not worth bothering about, so have replaced it with a 250GB Seagate Master, and 150 GB Western Slave. All is well, this is being transmitted from the upgraded pc.
My thanks to Widfire, SpywareDr, and MrBill, you have been of great help.
A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each of you, and Wildfire, have a dram on me.
Spanner.

 

Good to hear that it is fixed. Sorry about the bad HD though.