reinstall windows error: ftdisk.sys

[wiz329]

I am reinstalling windows on a computer, so I wiped the drive with DBAN, then used the windows disc that came with the computer. However, I got an error:

File ftdisk.sys caused an unexpected error (47872) at line 5897 in d:\xpsp1\base\boot\setup\setup.c.

I tried googling but didn't come up with much. Sounds like maybe a driver problem?

 

[phaZed]

Shouldn't be a driver problem... especially if it is the OEM disk that came with the computer.

I would consider swapping memory out and/or testing it.

Are you getting this error before Windows loads the installer, during the install, or upon reboot?

Does the installation see your hard drive?

 

[Tekko]

Format the drive with a boot disk and then re-try the install.

 

[wiz329]

I don't think it is a memory problem. It was running just fine before I wiped it. But I'm doing diagnostics to check for that now.

It gets past the BIOS screen, boots into a blue plaintext screen that says "Windows Setup Utility". At the bottom it says it starts loading various things (kernal debugger dll, windows setup, PCI bus driver ... various other drivers), then when it gets to "Mount Point Manager" it stalls, then gives me the error.

 

[Mr.Mike]

Problems with the OEM disk? Problems with CD/DVD ROM? Check for smudges on the disk. Something seems to be interfering with the data transfer from the disk.

 

[wiz329]

edit: I managed to reformat from GParted Live ... but still got the same error screen.

Could anything be causing this besides a bad DVD drive? Just broke the CD out of its shrink wrap, so I don't think it would be damaged.

 

[phaZed]

Some thing to try would be to change IDE/AHCI mode in BIOS and see if that helps.

How did that memory check come out?

It certainly is easy enough to swap out the DVD drive and see if that changes the situation as well.

Swap out the SATA/IDE cable; longshot.

Worst case scenario would be to install the OS on a different machine and transplant the drive back to the goofy machine.

 

[xxsilk109xx]

Do you have another install media that you can try? I use a universal windows xp cd that has all flavors, and just activate with key on customers computer.

 

[Mr.Mike]

Worst case scenario would be to install the OS on a different machine and transplant the drive back to the goofy machine.

So that would set the mode to what ever the native setting (IDE or AHCI) were originally there? Interesting.

 

[phaZed]

So that would set the mode to what ever the native setting (IDE or AHCI) were originally there? Interesting.

No, it wouldn't change the IDE/AHCI setting, rather it would install Windows using either IDE or AHCI depending on what your "install" computer is set on like usual. I offered this suggestion because you could at least get windows installed fully onto the drive and put it into the system that doesn't seem to want to install correctly.
What happens is that Windows disables the IDE or AHCI driver respectively depending on what it is installed on. You simply need to enable the driver via the registry.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976 <--MSFixIt here and manual edit info.

You will need to be able to boot Windows to change the registry key, you can use D7 (which is awesome! Props to FoolishIT) under the "Tweaks" section, and I suppose you could do an offline registry edit although I have never done it offline before for AHCI/IDE driver issue.

 

[wiz329]

Do you have another install media that you can try? I use a universal windows xp cd that has all flavors, and just activate with key on customers computer.

I'm rather new to computer repairs, and I've been mostly involved with Apple computers, since that is what I'm most familiar with, but the last 6 months I've been learning as much as I can about PC hardware and software.

So, forgive my inexperience ... do you need a special type of CD to reinstall computers from Dell or HP for example? From the reading I have done (and little experience I have), it seems you need a special disc from the computer manufacterer. Can you download such a disc, or what do you mean by universal xp CD?

Some thing to try would be to change IDE/AHCI mode in BIOS and see if that helps.

How did that memory check come out?

It certainly is easy enough to swap out the DVD drive and see if that changes the situation as well.

Swap out the SATA/IDE cable; longshot.

Worst case scenario would be to install the OS on a different machine and transplant the drive back to the goofy machine.

The memory check came out fine. I couldn't do much swapping or other testing, because I was home for the holidays and didn't bring hardly any computer equipment with me.

I'm really hoping its just a problem with the DVD drive. The thing is - it works to do some other things though. I was able to boot into GParted, for example, and reformat. Would this still be possible with a faulty drive?

 

[phaZed]

I'm rather new to computer repairs, and I've been mostly involved with Apple computers, since that is what I'm most familiar with, but the last 6 months I've been learning as much as I can about PC hardware and software.

So, forgive my inexperience ... do you need a special type of CD to reinstall computers from Dell or HP for example? From the reading I have done (and little experience I have), it seems you need a special disc from the computer manufacterer. Can you download such a disc, or what do you mean by universal xp CD?

There are basically two versions of Windows. The retail version and the OEM version. Nothing is different between the two except that the license key for the OEM version must be an OEM key, and vice versa for the Retail version.

You could use for example a Sony OEM installation CD on a Dell computer with the Dell OEM key... however, legally, you are not supposed to do this as it violates the MS TOS. Some people adhere to purchasing an OEM CD, and some don't and simply use the same OEM CD over and over. It's your call.

The memory check came out fine. I couldn't do much swapping or other testing, because I was home for the holidays and didn't bring hardly any computer equipment with me.

I'm really hoping its just a problem with the DVD drive. The thing is - it works to do some other things though. I was able to boot into GParted, for example, and reformat. Would this still be possible with a faulty drive?

It would be strange for the DVD drive to bad seeing as you are able to use GParted. However, it could still be bad. Perhaps it has a problem reading at a certain physical spot on a CD/DVD because the gear mechanism is flaky/broken, but works fine on a smaller CD (GParted) in which the drive is not forced to read beyond the "bad" gear part.. This is a long shot, but possible.

I would recommend trying a different DVD drive to see if that helps out.

The thing that is suspect is that you are getting the ftdisk.sys error which stands for "fault tolerance" as seen here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/129038

So, during the installation you are getting some garbage data in which ftdisk.sys is unable to rectify, and the installer fails.

I have personally seen this type of problem occur because of:
Bad CD
Bad Drive
Bad SATA/IDE Cable
Failing Northbridge/Southbridge on motherboard (Replace MOBO)
and Faulty Memory.

I usually see faulty memory which is why I originally suggested the MemTest.

What brand/type of system is this anyways?

 

[Mr.Mike]

No, it wouldn't change the IDE/AHCI setting, rather it would install Windows using either IDE or AHCI depending on what your "install" computer is set on like usual. I offered this suggestion because you could at least get windows installed fully onto the drive and put it into the system that doesn't seem to want to install correctly.
What happens is that Windows disables the IDE or AHCI driver respectively depending on what it is installed on. You simply need to enable the driver via the registry.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/922976 <--MSFixIt here and manual edit info.

You will need to be able to boot Windows to change the registry key, you can use D7 (which is awesome! Props to FoolishIT) under the "Tweaks" section, and I suppose you could do an offline registry edit although I have never done it offline before for AHCI/IDE driver issue.

Got it. I have D7 and will check it out. Thank you for the MSFixIt info as well.

 

[wiz329]

It would be strange for the DVD drive to bad seeing as you are able to use GParted. However, it could still be bad. Perhaps it has a problem reading at a certain physical spot on a CD/DVD because the gear mechanism is flaky/broken, but works fine on a smaller CD (GParted) in which the drive is not forced to read beyond the "bad" gear part.. This is a long shot, but possible.

I would recommend trying a different DVD drive to see if that helps out.

The thing that is suspect is that you are getting the ftdisk.sys error which stands for "fault tolerance" as seen here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/129038

So, during the installation you are getting some garbage data in which ftdisk.sys is unable to rectify, and the installer fails.

I have personally seen this type of problem occur because of:
Bad CD
Bad Drive
Bad SATA/IDE Cable
Failing Northbridge/Southbridge on motherboard (Replace MOBO)
and Faulty Memory.

I usually see faulty memory which is why I originally suggested the MemTest.

What brand/type of system is this anyways?

The memory seems to be good based on the memory test I did. It wasn't a hour+ test, but usually memory errors serious enough to cause this type of thing should be revealed rather quickly, right?

The system was working fine before I wiped the HDD and tried to reinstall windows, so I'd be surprised if it was a bad HDD or bad mobo.

It could be a bad OEM CD, but it was brand new, just out of the package, so that seems surprising as well.

If it were a bad IDE cable, wouldn't it affect more than just this error tho? (gparted for example, or the system before I wiped it).

Its a Dell Dimension 4600, originally purchased back in 2004 I believe. Not a great computer by any means, but my mom just wanted to give it to my grandma, who would barely use it. So i offered to wipe it and reinstall windows, which i didn't think would take too much time ... psych.


One more question:when I get back to the computer, and can put in a new DVD drive, will I need to install different drivers for it? If so, how do I do that with no OS?

 

[Mr.Mike]

The memory seems to be good based on the memory test I did. It wasn't a hour+ test, but usually memory errors serious enough to cause this type of thing should be revealed rather quickly, right?

The system was working fine before I wiped the HDD and tried to reinstall windows, so I'd be surprised if it was a bad HDD or bad mobo.

It could be a bad OEM CD, but it was brand new, just out of the package, so that seems surprising as well.

If it were a bad IDE cable, wouldn't it affect more than just this error tho? (gparted for example, or the system before I wiped it).

Its a Dell Dimension 4600, originally purchased back in 2004 I believe. Not a great computer by any means, but my mom just wanted to give it to my grandma, who would barely use it. So i offered to wipe it and reinstall windows, which i didn't think would take too much time ... psych.


One more question:when I get back to the computer, and can put in a new DVD drive, will I need to install different drivers for it? If so, how do I do that with no OS?

Regarding the memory, I usually allow the full test for RAM before checking it off the list. Memory fails don't necessarily show up right away.

When you say "wiped" the HDD, what method/software did you use?

OK. Let's rule out the OEM disk as a problem. Did you install a different CD/DVD ROM drive as suggested by PhaZed? Depending on what version of OEM windows you have, later versions come with generic drivers that may work and spin up the CD/DVD ROM.

I agree the IDE cable is a (very) long shot, but would change it out anyway.

Good Luck.

 

[phaZed]

One more question:when I get back to the computer, and can put in a new DVD drive, will I need to install different drivers for it? If so, how do I do that with no OS?

You will not need any drivers. The BIOS should recognize and use *virtually* any CD/DVD drive you install. The basic I/O functions are built into the BIOS to allow booting to CD, just like a hard drive.

One question on the memory... are you testing with MemTest86+? http://www.memtest.org/

It performs very well and has been the standard for years. If you did use MemTest, or other program.. I would allow the test to run a minimum of 2 passes, but no more than 5-6 passes. I say no more than 5-6 only because anything more is overkill IMO.

On another note, being a Dell Dimension 4600 (stock setup) there should be no special steps or requirements... so I hardly think that you are doing anything wrong yourself.

Just for Poops and Giggles, have you re-seated the RAM? Probably won't help, but hey, you never know.