My PC will not boot from the CD drive?

[hoyteamx]

Hi,

I recently bought a new Hard Drive for my PC but I can't install Windows XP on it. I switch on the PC and get the message 'OS not installed, insert OS set up disk and press any key'. I do as it says and just get the same message.

I've been into set up and changed the boot order of the different drives but still no luck (what's PXE? It's listed with the other boot devices - CD, HD, floppy).

Can any one help with this or point me in the right direction?

Thanks,

Ashley

[demon9k]

I take it the CD drive/DVD drive is detected by the motherboard?

If not here are a few simple ways to maybe fix it:

• Jumper settings are wrong (No jumpers are needed on SATA drives)
  IDE cable is plugged into the motherboard or the drive the wrong way round
  No power connected to the drive

[hoyteamx]

Yeah, the CD drive is detected by the mother board. When I put the old HDD back into the PC everything works perfectly. I've also tried using a windows XP start up floppy disk and after inserting the sixth disk it sayd to put the windows XP CD in the drive and press the button. When i do this, nothing happens.

[demon9k]

Is the CD even spinning? Lights flashing or blinking on the CD drive? Any signs of life?

[hoyteamx]

Yep. The CD spins when you first put it in and lights are flashing but when it comes to detecting it in the drive...nothing.

[Evil Dan]

have u put the cd drive as primary boot in the bios?

and the cd should go into ur master cd drive

[Lyris]

Really fast booting computers and slower screens that don't lock onto the refresh rates quickly enough might be preventing you from seeing an on screen prompt to press a button (usually space) to boot from the CD, is that a possibility?

[hoyteamx]

I get the prompt screen, and I've tried setting the bios to boot from the CD drive but that doesn't seem to solve the problem. Its the damdest thing. It seems like the CD drive isn't working but when I put the old HDD back in the PC everything works fine.

[demon9k]

Does the CD that you are using work in the CD drive when you have your old hard disc in? Does it autorun and everything?

[hoyteamx]

Yes it does.

[?pint]

You need to use a Win XP install disk, which you can download from microsoft.com. Your PC doesn't have the drivers to work your CD drive, and therefore you need the boot disk to start the installation program and install necessary drivers. Then you'll be prompted for the CD, and it can install it from there.

[hoyteamx]

Thats exactly what thought, and thats exactly the problem I'm now having!

I downloaded the boot disk from microsoft.com (for my version of XP) and when I'm prompted to insert the CD I do so. At which point I press a key to continue and nothing happens. It just stays on the prompt screen.

[Ginger Tosser]

I had an odd problem once trying to install XP, my cd drive didn't like the XP disk, i made a copy of it and the copy booted fine.