Installing OS help

[veggz]

I have a WinXP with SP1 install disk, but when I try to boot using it multiple errors are generated. I know the disk works because I have used it on three different machines in the past successfully. Because I am trying to install it to a new hard drive, what exactly do I have to do to prepare the drive so I can install Windows? I have already ran fdisk and am in the process of formatting the drive.

 

[PCNewb]

Does the drive have any partitions setup?

 

[veggz]

I set up a primary DOS partition or something using fdisk, I'm not exactly sure what that was.

 

[PCNewb]

Fat32/NTFS? A primary partition?

 

[veggz]

I think it was a fat32 primary partition. I used a win98 bootdisk.

 

[johnny1111]

Unless you need or want it, don't use fat 32. Just set your cdrom as first boot dev and then boot from your Win XP CD, then format with NTFS. This is not the only thing you can do, it is just the most simple. -john

BTW -good luck

 

[veggz]

Originally posted by: johnny1111
Unless you need or want it, don't use fat 32. Just set your cdrom as first boot dev and then boot from your Win XP CD, then format with NTFS. This is not the only thing you can do, it is just the most simple. -john

BTW -good luck

Well that is kind of my problem. The computer won't boot off the burned copy of XP. I have a feeling that the CD drives are not being recognized.

 

[veggz]

This is driving me crazy. This is what comes up when I try to boot from the CD drive:

Verifying DMI Pool Data.......
Boot from CD: [series of random symbols]

 

[veggz]

Anyone?

 

[UsandThem]

Originally posted by: veggz

Originally posted by: johnny1111
Unless you need or want it, don't use fat 32. Just set your cdrom as first boot dev and then boot from your Win XP CD, then format with NTFS. This is not the only thing you can do, it is just the most simple. -john

BTW -good luck

Well that is kind of my problem. The computer won't boot off the burned copy of XP. I have a feeling that the CD drives are not being recognized.

If it is a "burned" copy of XP, it might be corrupted. MS puts some technology into their products to prevent this anymore.

You will have to make boot disks. You can find out how to do that at microsoft.com.

 

[veggz]

I tried making XP Pro boot disks, they didn't work. Also, I tried my retail version of Win98, which also didn't work. Do I need to format my computer prior to installing an OS?

 

[UsandThem]

Originally posted by: veggz
I tried making XP Pro boot disks, they didn't work. Also, I tried my retail version of Win98, which also didn't work. Do I need to format my computer prior to installing an OS?

No, you can format once you boot off of your CD.

Maybe your CD or DVD drive has problems booting off of the CD. This "burned" Windows XP, is it legit or warez?

You might need to buy a legal OS.

 

[veggz]

The copy is legit, copied off a retail slipstreamed with SP1. I'm pretty sure it isn't bootable though.

 

[veggz]

Bump

 

[MrControversial]

Originally posted by: veggz
I tried making XP Pro boot disks, they didn't work. Also, I tried my retail version of Win98, which also didn't work. Do I need to format my computer prior to installing an OS?

How old is your CD-ROM?

Is the OS disc a burned copy? If it's slip-streamed did you be sure to burn it as a bootable CD with the boot image from the real CD?

Do you have your CD-ROM set as the first boot device in the BIOS?

 

[veggz]

Both optical drives are brand new.

Yes, the OS disk is a burned copy.

CD is set as the first (and only) boot device.

 

[MrControversial]

Was the burned copy slip-streamed and then burned?

 

[veggz]

Yes, it was slipstreamed with SP1

 

[MrControversial]

So did you burn the slip-streamed copy from the hard drive or did you copy from one disc to the other?

 

[veggz]

From the hard drive I believe. This same installation CD worked previously on a different brand new hard drive, so I don't understand why it isn't working now.

 

[MrControversial]

Well, I was thinking that the burned CD wasn't burned as a bootable disc which it needs to be. With slip-stream burning, that automatically doesn't make the disc bootable. You have to set your burning ROM to do a bootable copy and then use a program like IsoBuster to strip the boot image from the real CD.

But if it worked on another computer then, that's not the problem. Can you see your CD-ROM in the BIOS (where it shows the date and time).

 

[veggz]

Yeah I thought that at first too. I can't see my CD drive in BIOS for some reason, could this be the problem? The drives are a NEC 3520a and a Samsung 52-32-52 RW

Edit: Though the drives seem to be reading when I start up the computer

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: veggz
Yeah I thought that at first too. I can't see my CD drive in BIOS for some reason, could this be the problem?

Yes. Make sure they are plugged in and jumpered correctly, and/or try replacing the IDE cable. If your BIOS can't see the drives, they won't work.

 

[MrControversial]

That is the problem. If you can't see the CD-ROM in the BIOS, then you can't use it. Make sure that you:

1) Have the jumpers set correctly on the CD-ROM.

2) Have the cables in correctly on the back of the CD-ROM and in the mobo.

 

[veggz]

Ok I will check it out. I made sure I had the IDE cable and power supply hooked up properly, what exactly are the jumpers?