Loading XP Pro onto Abit AI7

[cwucky]

Am building a new system.... ABIT AI7, Crucial pc3200 512 (single dimm), ATI AllinWonder radeon 9800. 2 SATA drives (will set to RAID1). I had a false start with a bad MB, but that's now fixed. I have a BASIC (well, basic for you, perplexing for me) problem

Here's the problem: I cannot figure out how to load XP. I'm guessing it has something to do with the CDRW drive.

I can POST, and I've set BIOS, etc. so, it runs through the bootup and it looks for the software, but there is none. I have no floppy (my first system without one.... makin' the change), but I can attach a USB floppy. Using the USB floppy, with a boot diskette made on another system, I can get it to a dos a: prompt. BUT, I cannot get it to recognize the CDRW where I have the XP Pro CD.

If it helps, in the bios I have it set to boot first from HD, then from CD, then from USB. In the BIOS it did auto detect and recognize the CDRW (which is a Lite-on)

IDEAS??? Thx in advance !

 

[Jayczar]

is there any data on the HD? does it ask you to press any key to boot from CD
when it is posting? I would set the system to boot from CD first.

 

[Gerbil333]

Originally posted by: cwucky
If it helps, in the bios I have it set to boot first from HD, then from CD, then from USB. In the BIOS it did auto detect and recognize the CDRW (which is a Lite-on)

IDEAS??? Thx in advance !

So if you set the first boot device to CD-ROM with the XP Pro CD in the drive, it still won't read it? It should have no problem.

 

[CraigRT]

yeah, I'd try setting the first and ONLY boot device as the CD.

if it still doesn't work, either try another CD or swap the cable/drive itself.

it's obviously being detected so i am guessing it's likely not the board itself causing the problem. (guess though)

hope this helps!