Disk Boot Failure, Insert System Disk and Press Enter --- Help?

[CmdrTallon009]

I am receiving this particular message attempting to install Windows ME on my machine, an ABIT KT7, Thunderbird 900, 128MB PC133 RAM, Maxtor 20GB HDD, Philips CD-RW, Misc. 32x CD-ROM, Voodoo3 2000 PCI, SB PCI512 Sound Card, NIC.

I'm attempting to boot the system into an operating for the first time. I've tried the Windows ME startup disk, the Maxtor disk, as well as the WinME CD in the CD-ROM. I'm pretty sure I need to format and partition the HDD before I can install Windows onto it, however this is my first custom built computer. I've never installed an OS from scratch, always from a recovery disk.

Just need a little help as it seems I've nearly exhausted all of my ideas...

-Tallon

 

[flippo]

Don't you know that win ME is very unstable and well I would prefer using win98 SE than win ME.
Well I don't have much experience with ME yet so good luck solving your problem.
and BTW, do you set your first boot order in the BIOS for CD-ROM, then diskette then HD-01?
and does your win ME cd is bootable ?

 

[XL]

Go into the Bios,go to the boot section make sure your hard drive is not disabled.If it is select it as a bootable device.(enable it) should start up.Infact make sure all the devices are enabled

 

[TumBO]

You NEED to format the drive before installing Windows. First, make a boot disk from a Win98 computer if you can. Boot using the win98 boot disk. Once you get to the DOS promt, type in fdisk. Choose option 4 to see if the drive is already partitioned. If it is you'll see Fat32 under the system column. If you don't... go back to the main menu and choose option 1 twice. Choose to use the entire size of the drive for the partition and reboot when it tells you.

THEN... you need to format the HD. To do this, boot with the boot disk again. From the DOS prompt, type format c: /s and let it run. After that you can install the OS.

Good luck and let me know if you get stuck