System Fails to boot setup DVD - STOP ERROR 0x000000A5

Hi 2 Bunny & S1ip9

Try this:

SATA Driver - Load in Windows 7 or Vista Setup

S1ip9 said:

Yes the laptop is 5 - 6 years old. An emachine m6811. It's been through hell, but still runs nicely. I would defiantly try updating bios if at all possible.

Well, I may have a few options there. Here is the full story:
A while back (before the whole Windows 7 dilema) I decided to update the bios. The problem is, the installer requires a floppy drive, which the zt1250 does not have or support (even though the option is there in the bios). I ended up using a virtual floppy disk program, and then made an image of the disk and burned it to a disc. It booted up, but told me that a current or newer version was already installed (likely the current one), but I installed the update anyway. It went fine. Nothing seemed really different at the time, but in between time, I found that the Bios has this thing called "hp diagtools" that has a bios update button in there. It updates the bios as well, but that just doesn't make any sense. What version would that come with? Since it is in the bios, and a broken bios update would break the ability to do that, what is the point? I will try booting from the bios update cd again though and keep you guys posted.

Thanks for your help.

theog said:

Hi 2 Bunny & S1ip9

Try this:

SATA Driver - Load in Windows 7 or Vista Setup

Thats a good one. I wish I had this problem instead of my current dilema. No help at all, but thanks for the encouragement!

- 2 Bunny

Check with the Upgrade Advisor:

Download details: Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

MilesAhead said:

You could try this forum if you haven't already:

HP Business Support Center

It's named "business support" but it's not a paid support provided by HP. It's users of HP business machines who volunteer their answers. HP just hosts it on their servers. Sometimes you can get some info about HP machines you can't find anywhere else.

All it costs you to try is time to do the free registration. If you want to stay anonymous, hotmail addresses are accepted.

Actually, I am already registered there. Funny thing is, someone else on that board posted the same attempt at trying to install on that computer (zt1000 instead of zt1250, but they're still the same machine, just slightly different hardware configurations). I posted a long speech in a reply to that post (which was originally posted in the Windows 7 RC forums) and haven't received any replies since, but I still have yet to try that other bios cd I was talking about, and then I will try and post a new, different thread on that board. Thanks anyway!

theog said:

Check with the Upgrade Advisor:

Download details: Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

I don't think that it would say it would work anyway. Beside, the problem is that it is:

NOT BOOTING THE INSTALL DVD, which should boot anyway - haven't you seen the people do it on YouTube with Pentium 1s?!

This is not for a functional install, it is for an interesting YouTube video (and to awe friends and family). Basically, what I mean is that I don't think it would give me a "green light" anyway.


Keep the answers coming guys, I'll take a look at the BIOS adjustment.

- 2 Bunny

2 Bunny said:

MilesAhead said:

You could try this forum if you haven't already:

HP Business Support Center

It's named "business support" but it's not a paid support provided by HP. It's users of HP business machines who volunteer their answers. HP just hosts it on their servers. Sometimes you can get some info about HP machines you can't find anywhere else.

All it costs you to try is time to do the free registration. If you want to stay anonymous, hotmail addresses are accepted.

Actually, I am already registered there. Funny thing is, someone else on that board posted the same attempt at trying to install on that computer (zt1000 instead of zt1250, but they're still the same machine, just slightly different hardware configurations). I posted a long speech in a reply to that post (which was originally posted in the Windows 7 RC forums) and haven't received any replies since, but I still have yet to try that other bios cd I was talking about, and then I will try and post a new, different thread on that board. Thanks anyway!

theog said:

Check with the Upgrade Advisor:

Download details: Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

I don't think that it would say it would work anyway. Beside, the problem is that it is:

NOT BOOTING THE INSTALL DVD, which should boot anyway - haven't you seen the people do it on YouTube with Pentium 1s?!

This is not for a functional install, it is for an interesting YouTube video (and to awe friends and family). Basically, what I mean is that I don't think it would give me a "green light" anyway.


Keep the answers coming guys, I'll take a look at the BIOS adjustment.

- 2 Bunny

And as an update, the above status is all still all correct, except for now I have tried that other BIOS update CD and still no luck with the setup DVD.

Now that we've ruled out pretty much anything with the hardware that can be done, can the setup be modified in any way to bypass a certain check that would give me that error?

Thanks for all your help, friends of the community.

- 2 Bunny

I was dealing with this exact same problem for many many hours, and I came across an obscure article on the MSN knowledge base... Sorry I can´t find it anymore to post a link.
The problem it appears is to do with a conflicting driver or hardware (or most importantly) a boot file that the system cannot load correctly.
Anyway after many hours of playing with no result I found this solution.
1. resart into (F8) safe mode
2. Search for MSCONFIG
3. Right click and run as admininstrator
4. Click on the boot tab
5. on the tick box section check "NO GUI"
6. resart.

Wham thats it your into windows 7. Ok you don´t have the great boot up screen, but at least you got an OS that finally works.

Thanks for all your help guys.

JasRain said:

I was dealing with this exact same problem for many many hours, and I came across an obscure article on the MSN knowledge base... Sorry I can´t find it anymore to post a link.
The problem it appears is to do with a conflicting driver or hardware (or most importantly) a boot file that the system cannot load correctly.
Anyway after many hours of playing with no result I found this solution.
1. resart into (F8) safe mode
2. Search for MSCONFIG
3. Right click and run as admininstrator
4. Click on the boot tab
5. on the tick box section check "NO GUI"
6. resart.

Wham thats it your into windows 7. Ok you don´t have the great boot up screen, but at least you got an OS that finally works.

Thanks for all your help guys.

Where do I search for MSConfig? How can I right click before I even get to a screen with a mouse?

- 2 Bunny

As soon as the little BIOS flash screen disapear tap F8 the same as you would to enter safe mode in XP. As this mode only loads windows 7 core components it lets you boot and use the mouse and keyboard.

JasRain said:

As soon as the little BIOS flash screen disapear tap F8 the same as you would to enter safe mode in XP. As this mode only loads windows 7 core components it lets you boot and use the mouse and keyboard.

Yes, but the installer has not yet had a chance to start yet, so I cannot go into the start menu (you have to install an operating system first in order to use it, unless you can "live boot", which usually would require a USB drive or similar removable sizable storage, but USB booting is not supported by my bios).

Clever idea though, as I tried booting the installer in safe mode, and still got the same thing, even though the list made it down pretty far (if it would help, I could use a camera (ugh!) and take a video of the process, and then we can pause it where it fails, and perhaps make an adjustment from there. Good thinking, even though it was not the idea you intended! ☺

- 2 Bunny