Errors installing XP Home Edition.

[AussieRodney]

I have actually solved this one, but I thought I'd share the drama anyway. Might even help someone else too.

A friend's laptop was producing some very obscure errors.  After a bit of stuffing around, I decided to re-install Windows. Dug out my generic OEM XP Home CD & forged ahead. As has happened to me on previous occasions, the install process would randomly report that it couldn't copy a file. The end result was that the install was corrupted & wouldn't behave. For example, it wanted to be authenticated before I could even log in & it had skipped the bit where I could nominate the login name(s).

Then I noticed a post in one of the many forums that often bad RAM can make other components appear to be corrupted. Swapped out all but one RAM stick & suddenly, everything started installing & working as it should.

Wish I'd though of that in the first place, as I had only just put new RAM in that machine.

[lanux128]

what brand is the RAM? normally cheap RAM sticks are more prone to errors.

[AussieRodney]

Genuine Kingston. Now THAT's a worry.

[Lashiec]

Download MemTest86+, create a bootable disk, put one of the failing sticks back in and let the test run. Usually, if the stick is really damaged, it will warn you of errors after a while, otherwise let it complete a couple of runs. Repeat that for all the remaining sticks.

Kingston (as prolly most memory manufacturers) has a lifetime guarantee on their RAM, so send them back the damaged sticks in exchange for new ones.