Fresh install of XP Media Center is Slooooow

I've been trying to get this OS installed and running right on my laptop for a while. Once I get it installed system takes about 100% of the CPU resources. I can install XP Pro and it's fine. It should work, since Media Center is what came on it and I'm actually using the install disk from HP this time. I had downloaded an image from the net, but though it was corrupt when I was having problems.

Is this a common problem with Media Center? Anyone have any suggestions? I don't think it is laptop related since XP Pro works just fine. I just wanted to put it back to factory OS since I'm about to sell it. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Sam

 

You downloaded the image from the net, so you really have no idea exactly whats in the image. the person who made the image may have put a virus or some spyware in the image.

 

Yes, but the copy I have that came with my laptop from HP is doing the same thing. I've formatted the HD and been able to install XP Pro just fine. I just want to be able to put it back to factory specs.

 

Anyone have anymore ideas?

 

Did you try cleaning out temporary files & defragmenting?

I don't know how and why but a clean instal or recovery can be fragmented.

 

Well something I did forget to mention was the install itself takes hours for media center, where as xp pro takes an hour of less. Media center will hang during hardware detection with 34 minutes left, but xp pro flies right through all that. I just find this odd to have this happen with a system restore disk from HP.

 

That is odd.

Just thinking - HP wont help?

 

Out of warranty by two years.

 

Ouch - hmm...

Did you try the HP subforum?

 

It might help if you actually listed your laptop model.....

My first guess is that you are not installing a critical driver for your computer.

You say the CPU is at 100 percent, but you didn't mention what process was using so much of your processor

 

It's a Pavilion DV5030us and it is "system" that is using it. Yeah, that's helpful, huh? How many things use system, a gazillion? lol Thanks Microsoft.

Now something new I just did and it may or may not turn out to be hardware related. I have a usb device that isn't installed correctly or doesn't have a driver for it. I thought it was bluetooth, so I installed the drivers for that and it did it as soon as it finished. I did a system restore and it went back to normal. I then tried letting Windows find the appropriate driver and it set it up as a universal usb controller...I think. Well, same results. I did a system restore and have now just left it be as pretty much everything works.

Edit:

I just wanted to say thanks for you guys looking into this with me.

 

Try seeing what starting in msconfig, also have you installed all drivers?

 

did you download the latest video driver off of the HP website. While not a video problem, You have an ati chipset on that motherboard that controls the usb and other southbridge functions.

I believe that the chipset drivers are integrated with the video drivers on the hp downloads (they do not list a separate chipset download).

I seem to recall this with another HP product I worked on....

 

I downloaded all drivers from HP and installed them. I still haven't been able to get that one device working, but the laptop does seem to run nicely as long as I don't try to fix it. lol Unfortunately, when I tried plugging in my wireless mouse dongle, it didn't pick it up so that non-working device may very well be the USB ports. There are no drivers on HP for USB ports or controllers

 

I know I had the exact same problem with an old piece of crap emachine--and I am pretty sure it had the same piece of crap ati 200m chipset and the same piece of crap unknown device

This chipset was notorious for having poor usb performance--so much so most OEMs refused to use the chipset until ATI redesigned it and renamed it the ati 1150 chipset.

The only way I was able to make it functional was to find the original driver disks for the machine. Can't recall if it was an image or there were actually specific drivers on the disk that I had to install after the fact.

Maybe try these...?

http://driverscollection.com/?H=Radeon XPRESS 200&By=ATI

 

Gerry, I couldn't get those drivers to install. I also tried reinstalling all drivers from the system disk only to have it once again fall on its face and require a system restore.

It has one working USB port and I guess I'm ok with it like that for now. My neighbor wants it so I'll sell it to him for cheap. I'm their support guy anyway, so it should be no problem for some time. Not like I'm screwing them, they are aware it isn't perfect and are pleased with how well it works. They were still using a machine running Win95, so this is a huge upgrade! LOL

Unless someone can come up with something I haven't tried, I'll call it quits for now. I wish HP would have sent a system restore disk in this case.

Thank you all for your help in this matter!
Sam

 

This is another one of those laptop vs. componant maker issues. Laptop sellers like HP, Compaq, Dell, etc do not want the ODMs to supply drivers for the componants because they want laptop users to only have the out of the box experience--no updates unless officially sanctioned due to support issues.

The problem is that issues like this come up. I am certain it is a driver issue, and pretty certain it revolves around the ati south bridge. All I can remember when i ran into it last is it took me forever to find the drivers I needed.