so, i have my dell inspiron 1526 that has ran windows vista before i went to the linux side. I eventually got into electronic music production, and FL studio, Reason, and other programs dont work in ubuntu studio. So i got my hands on a copy of Windows XP, and would like to run my music software in it, but problem is:

I put in the disk, it boots to disk, but the computer crashed about after the initial completion of loading files, or after you select a disk to install to.

I have also tried the vista recovery disk, same thing, Windows seven, Same exact issue

What irritates me is that i had planed to dual boot the computer, about half for linux, the other half for windows, but every time that i attempt to install windows, or TRY to debug the installation, it corrupts the master boot RECORD and linux (if installed at the time) will no longer boot, and i have to re-partition everything. This meaning, i can have no use of the computer unless i successfully install windows, or give up trying to install it.

What i see from windows (if it does not crash the system before the error message) Is that it failed to load a file. i cant tell what file, because it crashes after flashing the error.

I used gparted live to pre-partition the disks, into an ext4 for linux, and fat32 for XP, leaving some swap space for linux unpartitioned.

now what the confusing part is, is that linux installs just fine. and that any version of windows fails and crashes on the boot disk.2 questions::

Why not NTFS ? ?

Where is this copy of XP from ? ?I did use NFTS. its that i changed to fat32 to see if it was not installing because of the NFTS file system

The cd is the holographic windows OEM CD. The other CD's i've tried are the system restore disks of the actual computer.

I also tested out other CD's of windows, that were not restore disks for that computer, just to see if they would crash as well, and they did.

Linux CD's that ive installed from cononical all install fine, for some reason. Other live cd's run just fine. i still suspect the Windows cd's you are using because it doesn't make sense...Thats what i have been thinking as well, however, the disk is the Microsoft windows Professional version 2002, includes service pack two, the holographic print, with genuine printed on it, with the windows XP professional OEM software sticker with the 25 diget key.

the different CD's i have used to test all came from different sources. The only connection i see between the disks that dont work is that they are Microsoft windows.

The disk is not ALLOWING me to get to the point of entering the registration key, it crashes before thatAs i stated...it doesn't make sense...
Only thing i'd suggest if it is actually legit Win CD's would be to swap in another CD/DVD drive.

Also you may want to try the install with only 1 stik of RAM...Test the hard drive with the drive manufacturer's diagnostic:  http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287 Quote from: Computer_Commando on June 07, 2012, 05:42:30 PM

Test the hard drive with the drive manufacturer's diagnostic:  http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

Check this link from Microsoft - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314458

To install Windows XP on a computer on which Linux is currently installed (and assuming that you want to remove Linux), you must manually delete the partitions used by the Linux operating system. The Windows-compatible partition can be created automatically during the installation of Windows XP.

From the MS link.
The Linux partitions have to be removed.This has been mentioned before. Personally I have seen this problem, but I can not reproduce it on other machines. Just on one old  Dell computer I had.

Patio, you are not just contradicting me, but are contradicting Microsoft. Did you even read the KB artifice? You are the one giving lame  information. Read the article.