SLOW windows XP install

[Slinks]

Hardware listed below using onboard SATA raid set up in raid 0... Installing windows xp takes a very very very long time... I press f6 to load the sata raid drivers put the floppy in it installs them then starts copying the files over from the xp cd this takes forever its like im loading the files from a billion floppies or somthing. the whole windows install takes like an hour and a half to do.. is there a driver or somthing that can be loaded with the sata raid drivers to speed things up a bit.. i did the install a while ago and once that was done its fast as hell but id just like to know if there is anything that can be done for future reference.

[Slinks]

Turns out it was because i was installing off the secondary ide channel mixed up my ide cables.... still wouldnt think that it would make a differece.

[deadflowers72]

Very slow or extremely slow windows xp home or pro installation sp1, sp2 or sp3. When it gets to the "installing windows" step the installation process gets extremely slow and hangs or stalls at 1 to 39 minutes remaining. Installation can take anywhere from several hours to several days - SOLVED

I have installed windows xp hundreds of times and have run into this issue several times. There are many possible causes - here's the list of possible causes - one of them should work for you - in order starting with the simplest fixes first.

1. Check for dirt, scratches, fingerprints on the installation disc. Make sure that the optical reader in your cd drive is clean.

2. Reset BIOS to factory default settings. Any variation from factory default can cause this issue - typically, updated cpu settings, cpu clocking or modified cooling fan settings. Modified cooling fan settings can cause the cpu to overheat and throttle down. Most BIOS settings have a "restore defaults" feature - search online to find instructions for your make/model of pc - or remove the cmos battery from the mobo for a few minutes then replace. If the battery is 6 years old, or older, replace with fresh battery.

3. Disconnect / reconnect harnesses from CD drive to mobo and HD to mobo. Inspect harnesses and connectors - replace as needed. If cd drive is known to be working properly go to step 4 - otherwise, verify cd drive working properly by installing in another pc - or replace cd drive.

4. RAM sticks not seated or have gone bad. Remove and reinstall RAM sticks to ensure proper seating - if that doesn't work, replace RAM stick(s).

5. Faulty hardware. During installation hang, remove install disc - restart - when prompted to insert disc, enter cmd mode instead - at the command prompt type "setupapi.log" then enter - the installation log will open in a text document. Scroll to the very bottom - find the last ".inf" file referenced - this tells you where the install is hanging. Check the hardware associated with that file, check connections, verify proper operation or replace. For example, "msport.inf" is the serial port connector. Search online for the file name to find out what the associated hardware is.

6. Replace hard drive

7. Replace mobo

So many possible causes - each one i ran into was a little different but i've been able to solve every time with one or more of these fixes. Hope this helps!