getting this error message

[biffo1]

hi can any 1 help , im getting this error message when trying to install a genuwine copy of windows which i havn`t come acroos before ,

"ERROR INSTALLATION FAILED D:\1386\ams
error the parameter is incorrect
any help is much appreciated , im working on a hp compaq s5200uk
thanks
biffo

 

[MH]

it could be a duff disk...

is it always the same file?

 

[biffo1]

yea mate but the disk is ok as ive tried a few , but also just sorted my other machine with the disk so i know its working ok , ive even tried another hard drive in the machine , but still getting the same message, in all the years ive been doing pc`s ive never come across this before

 

[MH]

Could be a memory handling issue, do you have another compaq about you can swap the memory on?

HP's, Compaqs and toshibas do work slightly different...as dells used to be.

 

[wasnotwasD]

Found this if its any help, as I noticed it should be I386 & not 1386
If you have a 98 bootdisk??
**************************************************

Actually, that's d:\i386\ams (note the "i", not "1".) You could try
copying all the files in the CD's i386 folder to your C: drive and
install from there by running WINNT.EXE. This was borrowed from TweakXP.com:

Boot with a Windows 98 Start Up disk
Insert the Windows 98 CD into the CD reader
Run smartdrv.exe from the Win98 directory on the windows 98 CD (file
caching)
Type cd.. to back up to the root directory
Insert Windows XP CD into the CD reader
Copy the i386 folder to C:\
Go into C:\i386 folder on C: and type winnt.exe to launch the setup from
the hard drive.

******************************************************

 

[biffo1]

thanks i will try what u said , ive also posted with compaq see what they come up with

 

[jrg]

To me it looks like either some of your RAM may've gone kaput or its the disc, good luck sorting it

 

[biffo1]

hi guys thanks for your comments , i fixed the problem with a 98 boot disc and a 2nd edition of windows installed that then upgarded to xp , pain in the arse but worked , thanks again for the help
regards biffo