XP setup keeps restarting, failing to complete the installation

[Chryonn]

Hello, folks.
i have a problem on an older PC i'm resurrecting to make a server PC full of hard drives after finding enough pieces to get it working. the mobo is a gigabyte 8KNXP, the CPU is a 478 Prescott@ 3.0GHz with 2Gb generic RAM and an old 7600 GS GeForce w/512Mb. PSU is 450W EZCool. i must point out that i've kept these bits in storage and was only waiting for a time to set it up. it used to be fully operational some three/four years ago.
the installation CD i use is a fully unattended one, meaning i've put in all the required info in a file and the XP setup reads from this file, saves time and you don't have to be there with product codes etc.

so after it's done installing all the files for XP, it's time for its first reboot and it gets back up to the "applying windows settings" and then mysteriously reboots.

any ideas as to why it does this?

as i said, it's never done this before, and i have been installing PX for years now and it's never happened.
thanks for any help

EDIT: i forgot to mention that i've slipstreamed SP3 into the XP disc, i don't know if that makes any difference or not

[erocker]

Barring any hardware problem, I would say your disk of XP is the problem. It's the first (and cheapest) thing to look at.

[Black Panther]

I know it beats the purpose, but I would give a try using the original XP CD.

My old(er) P4 Willamette 1.6Ghz had a very similar problem. At first I thought it was the HDD but now I've seen suspicious corrosion on the mobo and narrowed it down to that... I had replaced HDD, tried other sticks of ram, and another PSU before I saw the mobo stuff. You could try that if you have parts available. Also, take a light and study the motherboard carefully, especially tops of the capacitors and beneath them, and check if there's any brownish discharge anywhere.

[Chryonn]

thanks for the very quick reply, guys. i'm trying another XP CD (with SP2 only) , i don't have the original to hand at the moment, and it's installing away right now. i had checked the mobo for any inconsistencies, but being an older mobo, and CPU, it could anything hardware related. i somehow doubt it as anything like that would've popped up during the boot up. it seems stable enough; it's just the XP installation that seems a little fishy. maybe it IS SP3. i'll find out in a few minutes

[sneekypeet]

I did have a HDD go bad with an ASUS install(939)....did the same thing as well(Black Panthers first thought may not be too far off). Is there a spare HDD around just to test it?

This HDD didnt have vista installed on it already did it?....That would lead me to guess MBR maybe?

[Chryonn]

yes, i'm installing it on a different HDD right now. at first i thought it might be a dodgy drive, so i changed it.


EDIT: i have success! using the older XP CD made it work, it looks like it was "SP3" i know MS never fully released it, but i got hold of it from an MS endorsed site.