I am trying to install a WesternDigital 120gb HDD on an old Compaq
DeskPro. It is currently running WinXP, which I would like to install
onto the new HDD. The problem is.. After the DOS-style portion of the
install finishes copying setup files and verifying integrity, the
system reboots to a blinking underscore cursor in the top left corner
and hangs. I think it is having problems with the Video card, which is
a S3 Virge 32 mb AGP. It should be noted that the computer does NOT
have onboard video, so this is the only option. I can't imagine what I
could do to get past this? Can I install XP on it by putting the HDD
into another system, then moving it back?

Any suggestions?

If it was already running WinXP, then it cannot be a video card issue.
Is your new disk set to auto in the BIOS?

I would not encourage you to use another system, unless is identical
to your original one.

Karridy <karridy@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1116261803.726101.314310@g43g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

If you are attempting a clean install of XP onto that 120G
drive in that DeskPro, that set of symptoms indicates that
XP doesnt like something about the hardware in the DeskPro.

That could be something as basic as you not installing
the hard drive in that system properly or something
else that XP doesnt like about the DeskPro.

That is quite possible. I certainly have had a problem
installing XP on systems with the PCI versions of that
particular video card, but the symptoms are quite
different, freezes later on when XP is saying its
installing and you get a progress bar on the screen.

That is readily fixable by installing using a different
video card and then replacing putting the S3 video
card in the system after the XP install has completed.
Its happy to use it, just not happy to install with it.

If its the same problem I have seen with those S3
video cards and the XP install, the fix is easy, just
install with a different video card and put the S3
back in the system after the install has completed.

Yes, tho you will normally need to repair the XP
install once you move the drive back to the DeskPro.
Cant say I have actually tried that with an S3 video
card, it might well cause the repair step to hang too.

See above.

How old is the DeskPro? Older Compaqs needs to have a SoftPaq
installed on track 0 before the software (O/S) is configured. Do not
use Dos partitions when installing XP as it slows down the performance
of the Operating System. No you should not install the hard drive on
another system, XP and Win2k are motherboard specific. XP is not a DOS
operating system, it is NT based. Does the older system see the larger
size drive in its full capacity? (Does it see 120 Gig?) Have you
flashed up your system bios to meet today's higher end technologies?
XP should have no problem seeing an older PCI video card unless it does
not support it (driver no longer made). Check the internet for an
updated driver for your video card. If your system is freezing before
the installation of your Operating System, this is a Hard Ware issue.
I would first try and flash your system up.