PC keeps rebooting during Windows xp install.. help please!

[LightingBird]

So I'm trying to reinstall windows xp on an employees laptop. It had a working version of windows xp on it before with sp3. It was having extensive problems so I used KillDisk and erased it. Now when I get into the installation with the windows xp disk it gets to the format phase and just cuts off. Not a reboot but it cuts off. I have nothing hooked up to it but the AC pack. Here is the thing, I put in a windows vista disk and it loads up fine! Ha, sadly we can't have vista on employees machines. It is a Acer 4400 Travelmate and we do not have the former boot disk and I can't seem to locate one online.

Any ideas?

 

[KSoD]

Can you use another Partitioning tool like GParted to already format the machine to NTFS so that you dont have to worry about that step?

It could be that using KillDisk doesnt allow Windows Setup to format. I mean the name implies something rather harsh.

I would try something like GParted to see if that helps.

 

[Hampton]

It could be that using KillDisk doesnt allow Windows Setup to format. I mean the name implies something rather harsh.

.

LOL, just what I was thinking

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Killdisk will allow someone to still format the disk. I use killdisk on a weekly basis to wipe drives out before a reinstall...

 

[Hampton]

Killdisk will allow someone to still format the disk. I use killdisk on a weekly basis to wipe drives out before a reinstall...

It's just the irony of his situation

to: LightingBird

Try what Mak said, GParted or try using the Vista disk to reformat and then install XP.. what version Disc are you using for the XP install?

 

[carnageX]

Could be a heat issue as well. Happened to a laptop i was working on a few weeks ago. Would reboot part way through eitehr formatting or installing, depending on how long I had let it sit off. Tried a couple different discs, and by chance had touched the area by the CPU fan when I was going to take the RAM panel off to try different RAM. Was hot; so I propped it up on a book, and all went fine.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Well he said it flat out shuts down, so that rules out a BSOD during install.... So... BTW a normal PC would shut down if it was heat related.... Dunno why carnages restarted...

 

[carnageX]

Oops, I didn't mean reboot. I meant shutoff. Don't know why I said reboot... Long day :laughing: