CompTIA A_ Certification All-In-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition - Michael Meyers [234]
Figure 14-39 Sysprep, the System Preparation Tool
Troubleshooting Installation Problems
The term “installation problem” is rather deceptive. The installation process itself almost never fails. Usually, something else fails during the process that is generally interpreted as an “install failure.” Let’s look at some typical installation problems and how to correct them.
Text Mode Errors
If you’re going to have a problem with a Windows installation, this is the place to get one. It’s always better to have the error right off the bat as opposed to when the installation is nearly complete. Text mode errors most often take place during clean installations and usually point to one of the following problems:
No Boot Device Present When Booting Off the Startup Disk
Either the startup disk is bad or the CMOS is not set to look at that disk drive first.
Windows Setup Requires XXXX Amount of Available Drive Space
You forgot to format the C: drive, or there’s a bunch of stuff on the drive already.
Not Ready Error on Optical Drive
You probably just need to give the optical drive a moment to catch up. Press R for retry a few times. You may also have a damaged installation disc, or the optical drive may be too slow for the system.
A Stop Error (Blue Screen of Death) After the Reboot at the End of Text Mode
This may mean you didn’t do your homework in checking hardware compatibility, especially the BIOS. I’ll tell you more about stop errors in Chapter 17, “Maintaining and Troubleshooting Windows,” but if you encounter one of these errors during installation, check out the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
Graphical Mode Errors
Once the installation passes the text mode and moves into graphical mode, a whole new crop of problems may arise.
Hardware Detection Errors
Failure to detect hardware properly by any version of Windows Setup can be avoided by simply researching compatibility beforehand. Or, if you decided to skip that step, you might be lucky and only have a hardware detection error involving a noncritical hardware device. You can troubleshoot this problem at your leisure. In a sense, you are handing in your homework late, checking out compatibility and finding a proper driver after Windows is installed.
Every Windows installation depends on Windows Setup properly detecting the computer type (motherboard and BIOS stuff, in particular) and installing the correct hardware support. Microsoft designed Windows to run on several hardware platforms using a layer of software tailored specifically for the hardware, called the hardware abstraction layer (HAL).
Can’t Read CAB Files
This is probably the most common of all installation errors. CAB files (as in cabinet) are special compressed files, recognizable by their .CAB file extension, that Microsoft uses to distribute copies of Windows. If your system can’t read them, first check the installation disc for scratches. Then try copying all of the files from the source directory on the disc (\i386) into a directory on your local hard drive. Then run Windows Setup from there, remembering to use the correct program (WINNT32.EXE). If you can’t read any of the files on the installation disc, you may have a defective drive.
Lockups During Installation
Lockups are one of the most challenging problems that can take place during installation, because they don’t give you a clue as to what’s causing the problem. Here are a few things to check if you get a lockup during installation.
Smart Recovery, Repair Installation
Most system lockups occur when Windows Setup queries the hardware. If a system locks up once during setup, turn off the computer—literally. Unplug the system! Do not press CTRL-ALT-DEL. Do not click Reset. Unplug it! Then turn the system back on, boot into Setup, and rerun the Setup program. Windows will see the partial installation and either restart the installation process automatically