"Setup cannot set the required Windows XP configuration information. This indicates an Internal Setup Error. Contact system administrator."
Hello, all tech advisors. Thank you for any assistance, i am Very Lost.
I've read the "read this first" and tried the search method too.
Only got one hit and it didn't seem like my problem.
I'll do my best on this - and will answer to all things asked on further needed information. Just let me know what you need and where to find it - and what it looks like, etc.....
Probably this will be more info than needed in some ways-
and nowhere near enough info where it matters most.
I barely know enough to be dangerous at best.
Dell model 8200 Desktop
Windows XP Home Edition
256 ram/ 1.8 processer/ 80 gig hard drive - with tons of room left - like about 70-80% still open i think, from last defrag results.
No service packs that i can remember, always heard they were just more problems - so don't 'think' i ever did any.
Online Armor firewall
AVG anti-virus
Has 15" flat screen, optical mouse, soft touch keyboard - all came with it new.
No printers or other things attached. But have had a HP 4-in-1 used with it when needed in past.
It was in regular daily use from Feb 2002 - June 2004.
Went in storage until August 2008.
Has been in regular daily use since then, until Sunday.
Here is what happened Sunday - went to use computer and as it booted up - it stopped doing anything right after the "Windows XP Home Edition" page posted. Normally it would go from there - to the page where i clicked my user account and entered my password. But this time it didn't, screen just went dark. But pointer was still present on screen and pointer would move.
Tried to restart many times - same thing. Except the pointer was gone from screen. So tried to start in safe mode from F8, it would post about 20+ lines similar to this:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS\system 32\ntoskrnl.exe
Followed by many more lines similar, but with different endings.
Then it would do the exact same thing as mentioned before, stopping on a dark screen - doing nothing.
The "partition(2)" part looked scary and has me worried.
But idunno ...
So i tried every option from F8 and F12 and nothing helped or gave different results. Same thing in the end.
Decided to give Recovery Console a try, but it wanted administrator password. This was my grandfathers computer originally for a short time. My account is supposed to have administrator privilege - but it wouldn't accept my password. He has Alzhiemers and has no idea what his password was - but i tried 100 different things until ran out of ideas.
So i read in the solutions guide some more about a password jumper that clears forgotten passwords. Did that method - but it didnt help on password.
So then i go to the internet and google some stuff today with a laptop i got a hold of.
Read that it was probably best i didn't get into the recovery console.
And read that a Windows file repair option with XP disc was a good choice.
I tried going in from "R" selection - but it wanted admin password again.
Read some more and found way to go another couple of steps beyond "R" like going to do a Reinstall - but it would give a Repair Files option in addition to Reinstall. So did it that way. And went with File Repair.
It went through the motions and i had high hopes.
But after it auto rebooted - same thing. Stopped on a dark screen after Window XP Home edition page.
So i did it again ! (yeh - i haven't a clue, buying a vowel would be no hope either)
After it finished this time - it gave this message:
"Setup cannot set the required Windows XP configuration information. This indicates an Internal Setup Error. Contact system administrator."
Found a Microsoft page that says this error is from improper or incompatible hardware. But everything about the system is still the same as it has always been.
Now when i start the system, it makes it to the Windows XP Home Edition page, then goes to a blue page that says "Setup is being restarted ............" (exactly like that). Then it goes to the dark page as it had been doing before.
F8 Directory Services Restore Mode - says the volume is clean.
F8 Debugging Mode - just ends up back on the dark page.
F8 Enable VGA Mode - ends on dark page.
F8 Enable Boot Logging - ends on dark page.
The Windows XP disc i have is what came from Dell.
Reinstallation CD - Operating System.
Its not a Microsoft copy.
But the product key is on side of cabinet.
My hopes and dreams are to get into this system again - without losing all my pictures and data saved to notepads.
Thank you for your time, and efforts.
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