Unknown Hard Error when installing Windows XP?

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Level 1

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Unknown Hard Error when installing Windows XP?

Ok first off I tried installing Windows Vista Home Premium on my new 24in iMac and after installation had problems installing drivers. Found out it was because I had a 64 bit version of Vista and the iMacs dont support that. Then I got a copy of XP Home Service Pack 3 from a friend to try. Im not sure if it is 32 or 64 bit but I was going to try it anyways. Its starts to extract the files and get ready for the install but not long after it does that it gives me an unknown error and the blue screen of death.

"STOP: c0000221 Unknown Hard Error
\SystemRoot\System32\ntdll.dll"

Does anyone know what this means? I would really like to get one of them installed. I dont care which one...if anyone knows how I can put a 64bit version of Vista on my iMac that would probably be best since it installed fine and just messed up when installing the drivers. Otherwise can anyone tell me what to do about this unknown error? Or do I need to search around for yet another operating system cd?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

24in iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.1), 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3, 640 GB HD

Posted on Sep 21, 2009 8:09 PM

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Answer 1

Fortuny

Level 7

21,455 points

Sep 21, 2009 8:43 PM in response to KadeP

Hi and welcome to Discussions,

have a look here for explanation of that error: http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B314474&x=12&y=6

Sincce you are getting that error during installation, it sounds to me that the XP CD has some kind of problem.
From easy ones, like dirt, dust and the like to serious ones, like a scratch or something which seems to make it difficult (if not impossible) to read from that CD properly.

As for 64bit Vista on an iMac have a look at the hatters post here http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9731688&#9731688

Hope it helps

Stefan

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Answer 2

KadeP Author

Level 1

0 points

Sep 21, 2009 11:11 PM in response to Fortuny

Ok thanks for the quick reply. The first link you give explains why Im getting the error but doesnt really have a solution for me. It just says to reinstall it, but Ive done it 2-3 times and get the same thing every time. Im guessing the file got corrupted on the dvd..? When looking over the disk I dont see any scratches or anything that should affect how the computer reads the disk.

As for the second link about 64 bit Vista on my iMac, Im not really understanding what exactly I need to do. It says to create the folders and download this and modify that but Im kinda confused about how to go about doing that. Is that after you install vista while your on the windows side or before you start the installation? Is there anyone that can kinda dumb down the instructions? Im a noob and dont really know what Im doing when it comes to modifying and making it work.

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Answer 3

KadeP Author

Level 1

0 points

Sep 22, 2009 1:06 AM in response to KadeP

Found an old XP disk around my house and decided to try it to see if it would work this time but when it comes to the screen where you choose which partitioned disk to install it on, it doesnt give me any options but one. When I tried vista and the other xp disk it listed off 3 options: 1. my original hardrive, 2. an unpartitioned one, 3. the bootcamp partitioned one. This time it just shows one: "Partition1 [Unknown]" with 131072 MB. I worried about choosing to install it on that one because Idk if it is the hard drive with OSX on it and I read that it would be bad if you selected that one and installed XP over OSX. Anyone have any suggestions?

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Answer 4

Fortuny

Level 7

21,455 points

Sep 22, 2009 4:44 AM in response to KadeP

Hi KadeP,

there is indeed not a solution for that CD-problem, since you are getting it when installing from the CD not after the installation, when there is a problem with that specific file on your harddisk.
So, apart from the checking of the CD for physical problems (dirt, dust, scratches) the only other solution would be the use of another CD and maybe doing a full disc-copy of that CD onto a CD-R or CD-RW and hoping the best.

As for the Vista procedures the hatter described, all these has to be done before even installing Vista and also on a Windows PC.
The outcome of that would be a modified Vista Installation DVD, which seems to be installing even on iMacs not really supported.
Since I don't have Vista I never tried it myself, though.
But the hatter is 'our local Vista/Windows 7 genius' 😉

As for the 'old XP CD' you found:
such behaviour/error is usually a sign that the XP CD is not at Service Pack level 2 (SP2) which is a must for XP CDs.
However, you can use these instructions http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxpsp2slipstream.asp to 'slipstream' yourself a XP SP2 installation CD.
But again, you have to do it on a running Windows PC.

Regards

Stefan

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