Problem installing Windows XP Professional

lixi0123

Junior Member
Jun 28, 2005
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Hi. I am currently installing windows XP Pro on a brand new computer. Every single part is new. Now, I just formatted the hard drive, and I let the computer restart after that. When I return to the windows setup screen, there is a 8MB unpartitioned space, and theres about 300GB of partitioned space. When i press enter on the partitioned space to install Windows XP, it gives me the following message:

You chose to install windows xp on a partition that contains another operating system. Installing windows xp on this partition might cause the other operating system to function improperly.blahblah
To continue setup, press C
To select a different partition, press esc.

Now I don't recall installing an OS on this hard drive.
 

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
30,699
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I think your motherboard's boot order is set incorrectly. What should happen is this:

1) you put in your WinXP CD, and since there is no bootable hard drive, the motherboard boots from your WinXP CD instead without prompting you to Press any key to boot from CD... .

2) you then start Windows Setup, make a partition on your new drive, and have it format.

3) after formatting, the system should copy stuff to the freshly-formatted partition, and then it reboots.

4) Key point: on this next reboot, the system is supposed to boot from the hard drive, not from the CD-ROM. There's no need for it to go through the first stuff in Steps 1-3 again.

From the situation you described, it sounds like Step 4 goes wrong. The HDD is ready to be booted to carry on with the next phase of Windows Setup, but the mobo is :confused: and boots from CD again. So I think your mobo's boot-device settings need changing. It needs to be set to boot from HDD before CD-ROM and you may need to manually specify the HDD. What motherboard is this, exactly?
 

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
30,699
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Yeah, dive into the BIOS and check out your options.
 

lixi0123

Junior Member
Jun 28, 2005
7
0
0
should i make the first boot device the hard drive?

edit: k i tried that and it still takes me to the same windows setup screen
 

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
30,699
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You'll know you got it right, if you start the system without the WinXP CD-ROM in the drive and it boots from the hard drive and commences the rest of Windows Setup (as opposed to stopping and saying it can't find a boot device).
 

lixi0123

Junior Member
Jun 28, 2005
7
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without the CD, it says:
DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT THE SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER
 

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
30,699
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Originally posted by: lixi0123
without the CD, it says:
DISK BOOT FAILURE, INSERT THE SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER
Then you need to delve deeper into the BIOS's options. Or your first-stage WinXP Setup failed to make the partition active and copy the necessary stuff to it after WinXP Setup formatted it. You did use WinXP Setup to do the formatting, correct? Not a third-party utility or something?

 

lixi0123

Junior Member
Jun 28, 2005
7
0
0
yes, i used the winxp setup to do the formatting.

edit: my hard drive is sata, by the way. its a wd3200jb
 

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
30,699
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Let me ask someone who has a DFI if he'll take a look at this thread, I can only do so much without being able to see the menus and stuff.
 

rise

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2004
9,116
46
91
thats odd, i never remember running into a warning of a existing OS on a brand new partiton. and after you formatted? odd.

anyway, what you described sounds fine. i always have the 8mb of space set aside as well after i format with ntfs. the dfi boot order is set to floppy first, you can go into advanced options, the second category, and about 15 lines down will be your boot order. you can also take off the annoying splash scrren all the way down the bottom there.

you won't need any sata drivers from the floppy so just set your first boot to cd/rom and start again. if by chance you still get the message and you know you shouldn't have an OS there i'd just install over it.
 

lixi0123

Junior Member
Jun 28, 2005
7
0
0
I only have one SATA drive, is it better if i hade two? Do I have to create a raid? I have tried to boot from hard drive but its not working.
 

rise

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2004
9,116
46
91
no, one hdd is fine, if not preferred. you can disable the raid if you like in the genie bios section. i only disable the sil3114 one. you still want the first boot to be from cd.

heres what i do on my dfi's--

boot and hit "del" to enter bios.
go to "optimized defaults" and enter, yes to load.
save changes and exit yes
when it re-boots, hit del again to get to bios.
go to advanced bios features and set first boot device to cd, go to bottom and disable splash screen.
go to genie bios and set vid to 1.4v spec to +104% and dram to 2.7. move down a bit and disable sil3114 raid.
save changes and exit, yes and it'll reboot.
wait for windows cd to do its thing.

just do your normal install again, just like you did it in post 1. when it hits that part where it says you will over write an existing OS and you know its not there or its not yours :p just say yes and continue on.

also, when windows cd is installing it will reboot at least once by itself, just let it go. wait until you have a full functioning desktop before you bother taking out the install cd or changing the boot order.

as a side note, i find its always wise with all new parts to run memtest before even trying an install. you can enable it all the way down the bottom of the genie tab in bios. run a full test once or twice and then do your install.

feel free to PM me if you want.