Windows XP Pro install loop

[LtPage1]

Epox nforce2 8rda+
Athlon 2400+
I'm reasonably certain the RAM/HDD are working properly- they come up fine while posting, and the machine was working fine before I tried to reinstall Windows. I was using Home before.

Okay. I'm installing Windows XP Pro. It boots from the CD, and goes to Windows Setup. I can format the drive, and it copies files, etc., and then reboots. Then it boots from the CD, goes into Windows Setup, and the whole thing starts over.

I've googled this, and as near as I can make out, the install is only half done. Now I'm supposed to boot from the HDD to finish, but I'm not supposed to remove the XP CD- when I do that, Windows won't start and I get a disk boot error.

The HDD is already ahead of the optical drive in the boot order. Help!

 

[RebateMonger]

Did you install a driver for your disk controller when you started the install? If so, did you leave the floppy disk in its drive until the reboot time? The installer doesn't actually copy the drivers to Windows until the very last minute, right before that first reboot.

 

[LtPage1]

There's no floppy in the drive, and I didn't try to install a disk controller. I was under the impression that that wasn't necessary with XP.

How do I make it not boot from the CD without removing it?

I tried it with XP Home, and I'm getting the same thing.

edit3: well, it's as good a time as any to try Ubuntu.

 

[Fallen Kell]

It really sounds like you are missing disk drivers or something. When it is suppose to boot from the hard drive, it should be able to boot from the hard drive and not need the CD. I had this happen once, but the issue was it kept booting from the CD and not the disk, so I removed the CD and it booted off the disk and then asked for the CD when it got to a point where it needed it.

 

[LtPage1]

Removing the disc after it tells me to restart doesn't work- I think the problem is boot from the hard drive. Ugh. I have no idea what to do here.

 

[dmh1167]

are the drives clean or is this a reinstall if it is a reinstall try getting a copy of kill disk

http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm

this link will take you there get a copy and erase the drive it will write zeros to it and make it possible to do a clean install. Also go into bios and change boot order after you install you OS change boot to boot from hard drive first.