I have a dell inspiron 1520 that start freezing up so, thinking that i had a virus, i attempted to reload the os. It came with vista so i tried vista, when it gets to the setup is starting it just freezes, so i tried xp, it copies the files get to the point where it says windows setup is starting and it freezes. I removed and reseated the ram same, result. i replaced the hard drive and got the same result, so i had a windows 98 cd around and tried it, it installed. i figured that some how i had solved the problem and attempted to install xp again and it froze at the windows is starting setup. I am lost at this point. When xp and vista would not install i told the owner that i thought the motherboard was bad, but after the successful install of 98 i am not sure

Where are you getting these OS discs at? Did the old HDD have a recovery partition? If it does...put that ****** back in there and upon booting press Ctrl + F11...it may take a couple times of doing this but you should still be able to get to the recovery screen to do a full system restore. **hope you didn't delete the recovery partition while trying to install all those OS's** Where are you getting these OS discs at? Did the old HDD have a recovery partition? If it does...put that ****** back in there and upon booting press Ctrl + F11...it may take a couple times of doing this but you should still be able to get to the recovery screen to do a full system restore. **hope you didn't delete the recovery partition while trying to install all those OS's**

Does not have a recovery part. However i do have the os recovery disk shipped for this cpu from dell it does the same thing Does not have a recovery part. However i do have the os recovery disk shipped for this cpu from dell it does the same thing

Sounds like something could be overheating, but it doesn't make sense that it would install W98...unless it was much less of a load for it to take on. Could it be anything in BIOS keeping it from completing the install? Sounds like something could be overheating, but it doesn't make sense that it would install W98...unless it was much less of a load for it to take on. Could it be anything in BIOS keeping it from completing the install?

Apparently this is a pretty common issue...This might help

FROM DEHART @http://forums.techarena.in/vista-setup-i...
I borrowed this fix from another posting and it worked for me! I tried
for 3 days to fix this issue until I found this. I was using a Dell
Inspiron 1720. The drivers on Dell's site gave me what I needed during
the install process. I do not know how originally posted the fix below
but they are a life saver!

-------------------------------------------
REAL SOLUTION FOUND

Your solution was an inventive one, however understanding why the error
is happening might shed some light.

The problem is caused because you need to load your correct sata diver
during the installation proccess. But there is a glitch here that traps
alot of people:

After you load the driver from the setup, Vista continues to install,
but later it needs to go back to the installation disk to get the
drivers again (for whatever reason), it will *NOT* prompt you when it
tries to do this, instead it just hangs, especially because people load
the driver from the same DVDROM that they are loading Vista from.

After Vista copies files and reboots, put the Driver disk back in the
DVDROM and during the "Completing Installation" It will search it
automatically and get the drivers and continue with the install.

If you used a floppy (for whatever reason) for the drivers, after
rebooting from the initial coping files part, put the floppy back in.

It is regrettable that MS doesn't handle this better, but alas that is
the case. Follow this and your error will disapear.

I have seen many posts about this on the internet and people suggesting
all sorts of crazy solutions. I feel sorry for the people that have
tried them all and have become so frustrated at Vista over such an easy
(yet unintuitive) resolution. Apparently this is a pretty common issue...This might help FROM DEHART @ http://forums.techarena.in/vista-setup-install/880059.htm I borrowed this fix from another posting and it worked for me! I tried for 3 days to fix this issue until I found this. I was using a Dell Inspiron 1720. The drivers on Dell's site gave me what I needed during the install process. I do not know how originally posted the fix below but they are a life saver! ------------------------------------------- REAL SOLUTION FOUND Your solution was an inventive one, however understanding why the error is happening might shed some light. The problem is caused because you need to load your correct sata diver during the installation proccess. But there is a glitch here that traps alot of people: After you load the driver from the setup, Vista continues to install, but later it needs to go back to the installation disk to get the drivers again (for whatever reason), it will *NOT* prompt you when it tries to do this, instead it just hangs, especially because people load the driver from the same DVDROM that they are loading Vista from. After Vista copies files and reboots, put the Driver disk back in the DVDROM and during the "Completing Installation" It will search it automatically and get the drivers and continue with the install. If you used a floppy (for whatever reason) for the drivers, after rebooting from the initial coping files part, put the floppy back in. It is regrettable that MS doesn't handle this better, but alas that is the case. Follow this and your error will disapear. I have seen many posts about this on the internet and people suggesting all sorts of crazy solutions. I feel sorry for the people that have tried them all and have become so frustrated at Vista over such an easy (yet unintuitive) resolution.

I thought about that so i removed the bios bat and normal bat and unplugged for 4 days i would think that would reset the bios? I seen the problems with the overheating so i paced a fan under ( its a small 110v fan that i set up because i was running in to the vista overheating thing controlling when the fan comes on) not luck still freezing on anything but 98. I just dont see how the board could be bad if it installed 98.

It is a intel chip set dual 2 with 3 gigs of ram. I ran diagnostics out of the bios and everything passed. I hate dells. I even tried installing 7 and got to the windows is starting and froze.

Do you think it could be that for some reason it will not or can not read the ntsf files but can read the fat32? Could it be a virus in bios i have never seen one but have heard of it. I thought about that so i removed the bios bat and normal bat and unplugged for 4 days i would think that would reset the bios? I seen the problems with the overheating so i paced a fan under ( its a small 110v fan that i set up because i was running in to the vista overheating thing controlling when the fan comes on) not luck still freezing on anything but 98. I just dont see how the board could be bad if it installed 98. It is a intel chip set dual 2 with 3 gigs of ram. I ran diagnostics out of the bios and everything passed. I hate dells. I even tried installing 7 and got to the windows is starting and froze. Do you think it could be that for some reason it will not or can not read the ntsf files but can read the fat32? Could it be a virus in bios i have never seen one but have heard of it.

I thought about that so i removed the bios bat and normal bat and unplugged for 4 days i would think that would reset the bios? I seen the problems with the overheating so i paced a fan under ( its a small 110v fan that i set up because i was running in to the vista overheating thing controlling when the fan comes on) not luck still freezing on anything but 98. I just dont see how the board could be bad if it installed 98.

It is a intel chip set dual 2 with 3 gigs of ram. I ran diagnostics out of the bios and everything passed. I hate dells. I even tried installing 7 and got to the windows is starting and froze.

Do you think it could be that for some reason it will not or can not read the ntsf files but can read the fat32? Could it be a virus in bios i have never seen one but have heard of it. I thought about that so i removed the bios bat and normal bat and unplugged for 4 days i would think that would reset the bios? I seen the problems with the overheating so i paced a fan under ( its a small 110v fan that i set up because i was running in to the vista overheating thing controlling when the fan comes on) not luck still freezing on anything but 98. I just dont see how the board could be bad if it installed 98. It is a intel chip set dual 2 with 3 gigs of ram. I ran diagnostics out of the bios and everything passed. I hate dells. I even tried installing 7 and got to the windows is starting and froze. Do you think it could be that for some reason it will not or can not read the ntsf files but can read the fat32? Could it be a virus in bios i have never seen one but have heard of it.

ok that sound good, but 98 does not even have a sata drive on the disk. any ideas ok that sound good, but 98 does not even have a sata drive on the disk. any ideas

Seems like you've put quite a bit of time into this...I'm not too fond of Dell either, but can't be any worse than an HP "Code Purple" I just got today...either way, I would try my last suggestion and see where that goes. The mobo is always suspect but I don't think it's the problem in this case. I think it's that SATA driver that needs to be loaded. I'll run it by a couple guys at work tomorrow and see what suggestions they have...I'll get back to you. Seems like you've put quite a bit of time into this...I'm not too fond of Dell either, but can't be any worse than an HP "Code Purple" I just got today...either way, I would try my last suggestion and see where that goes. The mobo is always suspect but I don't think it's the problem in this case. I think it's that SATA driver that needs to be loaded. I'll run it by a couple guys at work tomorrow and see what suggestions they have...I'll get back to you.

I see where you're going with that...doesn't quite make sense to me either but maybe the 98 install had everything it needed...I'd try it with the vista disc again to see if it works. I'm confident you'll figure it out. I see where you're going with that...doesn't quite make sense to me either but maybe the 98 install had everything it needed...I'd try it with the vista disc again to see if it works. I'm confident you'll figure it out.

thanks pnky_14 i will try it but at this point i am at a loss right now its a 5 lbs paper weight(lol) thanks pnky_14 i will try it but at this point i am at a loss right now its a 5 lbs paper weight(lol)