okay.  so i downloaded a website template program from limewire.  opened it up, and all the sudden, screen went blank, my graphics on dektop became grainy, and all my folder and file icons on desktop were "highlighted" as if someone highlighted them to open them.  additionally, the computer ran slow etc etc.  i figured i had a virus and decided it was time to upgrade my 12 gig HD anyway.

so, i went out and bought a 120 g HD and went to install WIN XP PRO.  the cd booted up fine, but when it comes to loading the "acpi files," it keeps stopping and saying "acpi.sys file corrupted" must REBOOT.  i thought a new hard drive wouldn't have problems?  is something wrong with the motherboard perhaps??

 so next i decided to run the win 98 bootdisk, then ran fdisk, then created FAT32, and am now in the process of FORMATTING the HD.  can anyone help me get passed this ACPI.sys problem?  i've read in other forums that it could be bad memory.  if that's the case, why would the memory have ran great before the web template download, then now all the sudden not be runnig properly?

i'm up in arms and a student who doesn't have the money to pay to get this fixed.

any help is much appreciated.Try going  into the computer BIOS and disabling ACPI there. The key to get there should be displayed on start up. What are the details of the machine-make/model, etc.

You should be able to boot with the XP CD and install from there.

FAT32 with the standard Win98SE boot disk is limited to 32 gigs per partition so you may end up with needing multiple drive letters to use the full hard drive space. you can work around this with the updated fdisk file. Other BIOS'es can limit the maximum hard drive usablel space. again, details of your machine would be helpful.

Here is a good link to read;

http://www.aumha.org/win4/a/shtdwnse.phpmy machine is a compaq pentium lll 550.  how do i edit from my bios?

thanksupdate:

i've pulled out each memory stick and tried installing then with no luck.  now i've resorted to loading win 98 on the system and it's loading just fine?  i guess next i'll try to run fdisk, then format the drive after a successful win 98 install and see if it takes the win xp?So would that be a Deskpro EP or an EN or what?

You do not need to load WIndows 98 first to load XP, even with the upgrade version. But I guess you are already going down that path.

On that vintage model of Compaq F10 when you see the Compaq logo will get you into the Setup screens.

The memory sticks are probably not an issue here, unless they are  a new PURCHASE. How much memory total do you have installed?Have a Good look at your XP CD, is it Damaged

I might be The File IS Corrupt, and you need a Fresh CD , or maby use a CD Doctor on to remove scratcheshey guys.  thanks for the help.  okay so to answer a few of the questions.

here is the belarc for my computer:

Operating System   System Model
Windows 98 SE (build 4.10.2222)   Compaq Deskpro EP/SB Series
System Serial Number: 6006CS82A133
Asset Tag: 6006CS82A133
Chassis Serial Number: 6006CS82A133
Processor a   Main Circuit Board b
550 megahertz Intel Pentium III
32 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache  
Board: Compaq 041Ch
Serial Number: 6006CS82A133
Bus Clock: 100 megahertz
BIOS: Compaq 686T2 07/02/99
Drives   Memory Modules c,d
120.00 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
119.66 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

COMPAQ CD-ROM LTN323
Generic floppy disk drive (3.5")

Generic IDE hard disk drive (120.00 GB) -- drive 0, No SMART Driver   256 Megabytes Installed Memory

Slot 'DIMM #1:J1' has 64 MB
Slot 'DIMM #2:J2' has 64 MB
Slot 'DIMM #3:J3' has 128 MB
  Local Drive Volumes
    
c: (FAT32 on drive 0) 120.00 GB 119.66 GB free
 
  Network Drives
  None detected
Users (mouse over user name for details)   Printers
No details available     None detected  
Controllers   Display
Standard Floppy Disk Controller
Intel 82371AB/EB PCI Bus Master IDE Controller
Primary IDE controller (dual fifo)
Secondary IDE controller (dual fifo)   Standard PCI Graphics Adapter (VGA) [Display adapter]
Default Monitor
Bus Adapters   Multimedia
Adaptec AHA-150X/1510/152X/AIC-6X60 SCSI Host Adapter
Intel 82371AB/EB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller   Creative Sound Blaster 16 Plug and Play
Gameport Joystick (no joystick connected)
Communications   Other Devices
  
Intel(R) PRO/100+ Management Adapter
 primary   Auto IP Address:  
 Gateway:  
 Dhcp Server:  
 Physical Address:  00:D0:B7:2E:1A:
  
Networking Dns Servers:  64.
64.
   Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural Keyboard
USB Root Hub
Virus PROTECTION [Back to Top]  
No details available  
Missing Microsoft Security Hotfixes [Back to Top]  
No details available
Installed Microsoft Hotfixes [Back to Top]  
None detected

  
Software Licenses [Back to Top]  
  
Belarc - Advisor 5593ac32  
Microsoft - Windows 98 SE 50578-029-2009012-05102 (Key: KPCPW-T86T8-G3XPT-KQWDX-Y2JH3)
 
Software Versions (mouse over * for details, click * for location) [Back to Top]  
Belarc, Inc. - Advisor Version 7.1h *
Eastman Software, Inc., A Kodak Business - Imaging for Windows® Version 1.01.1311 *
Microsoft Corporation - DirectShow Version 6.01.05.0130 *
Microsoft Corporation - Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 5.00.2614.3500 *  Microsoft Corporation - Windows Telephony Version 4.10.2000 *
Microsoft Corporation - Windows® NetMeeting® Version 3.0 *
Microsoft imgstart Version 1, 0, 0, 1 *
Microsoft Windows Scripting Host Version 5.0.531.7 *  




at this point, i've installed taken out memory then tried install  without success.  ran the memsomething86 at bootup and it just ran and ran never stopping.  then tried installing xp from the cd fresh.  then tried installing it over fresh win 98 at which point it freezes.  now the computer is running win98 for which i can't even locate the *censored* video drivers and am now stuck with only 16 colors.  what a day!

one mentioned booting from the f10 screen.  that's cool, except once i boot there, i have not the first clue about what i need to do?  any help is much appreciated.  thanks.
i forgot to say that i doubt it's the cd because this:

when i run the win98 bootup disk and it's trying to install the necessary files, i get quick messages that fill the screen saying it "failed to install" a handfull of files, one being acpi.sys a few that are like acpi2dos.sys and acpi4dos, 8dos??  and a couple others.  i've read these all relate to cd-roms.  i've also tried installing the xp using three different cd-rom drives as well upon encountering this acpi.sys problem.

could the scpi problem be related to my previous problem with the 12 gig HD?  could it carry over to a new HD?Let's just get Windows 98 on there first and running. Download and run Everest Home and identify the video adapter, and then we can get drivers for that and anything else with an exclamation mark in Device Manager.

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html

Belarc identifies what it knows is there (that is what drivers are installed) but Everest can tell you about the devices whether drivers are loaded or not.

The model number is a big TIP off for getting things from the HP/Compaq web site.thanks for the help.  i'm out of town for the weekend.  i'll try what you've mentioned when i get back in town tuesday.  thanks again for your help.OK. Let us know.  ok gx1, i got the video drivers working correctly.  the system still seems to be unstable.  it keeps crashing.  nevertheless, i keep rebooting and trying to get through this.  

i last tried to install xp from the cd, but the "set up" program doesn't respond.  so that's where i'm stuck.  i guess i have an unstable install of 98, trying to unstably install xp?

any thoughts or ideas are appreciated.

thx