1st Install of XP Pro on Custom Build

C

ClydeFrasier

New Member
I just finished building my first computer and I'm having trouble getting the Windows XP Pro installation to start up. I have done the following to try and start the installation:

1) press enter when it tells me to if there is a setup CD in the drive, which didn't do anything

2) change the BIOS settings so the computer would boot from the CD drive first, which didn't work either.

3) Pressed F8 continuously as well as the delete key (not at the same time) to start up the CD, which didn't work.

What can I do to get this installation started? I'm pretty sure that there's nothing wrong with the CD as I have used it on other computers. My keyboard worked when changing the BIOS settings so that doesn't seem to be the problem either. Thanks.
 
Are you saying that your PC refuses to boot from the WinXP CD? If so then in the BIOS where you have the 3 options for boot devices, change all 3 of them to say CD-ROM, so the list should look like this:

Boot device 1: CD-ROM
Boot device 2: CD-ROM
Boot device 3: CD-ROM

Try booting up from the CD now, if that doesnt work then make sure your BIOS is actually detecting the CD-ROM drive(s). If you have more than one CD drive connected on IDE, diconnect one of them and try it with just one drive connected. If BIOS still doesnt even detect the drives then do the obvious, check cables + power.

Post back with the results of those things.
 
I checked around inside my system and partially fixed the problem (HD cable and CD-ROM cable were reversed). I can now boot off the windows XP CD and my computer detects my hard drive. However, when I now go to select the drive to install windows on, it says that no hard drive was found and setup has to stop. Any ideas as to why this is happening and how to fix it? Thanks
 
If you have another IDE cable, try using that, because it sounds like you have a bad cable.

Edit:
Make sure that you've partitioned and formatted the drive first. That would also cause it to not be recognized.
 
i thought xp does the formatting and partitioning.

for once i had xp on the hdd and ran the cd and i can choose to format delete paritition create and install.
 
yeah with 98se you'll need boot disk or something. and format in dos and stuff, looks simple but a noob probably wont get the commands.
 
NeuromancerWGDD'U said:
If you have another IDE cable, try using that, because it sounds like you have a bad cable.

Edit:
Make sure that you've partitioned and formatted the drive first. That would also cause it to not be recognized.
Click to expand...

I'll try that, but if my computer is detecting my harddrive yet the XP install CD isn't, I feel like something other than a bad cable would be causing that problem.
 
All of these are possible but the problem may even be something as simple as, when you change the "boot from" option in BIOS, are you saving the settings before leaving? Sounds kinda funny but I've seen it happen.:P Also after making the changes, it should restart automatically, but I always hit the restart button anyway.
 
CBizzle said:
All of these are possible but the problem may even be something as simple as, when you change the "boot from" option in BIOS, are you saving the settings before leaving? Sounds kinda funny but I've seen it happen.:P Also after making the changes, it should restart automatically, but I always hit the restart button anyway.
Click to expand...

Yes i did, but i already said that it is booting from the CD now. My problem now is the windows installation can't find my HD
 
Try this

ClydeFrasier said:
I just finished building my first computer and I'm having trouble getting the Windows XP Pro installation to start up. I have done the following to try and start the installation:

1) press enter when it tells me to if there is a setup CD in the drive, which didn't do anything

2) change the BIOS settings so the computer would boot from the CD drive first, which didn't work either.

3) Pressed F8 continuously as well as the delete key (not at the same time) to start up the CD, which didn't work.

What can I do to get this installation started? I'm pretty sure that there's nothing wrong with the CD as I have used it on other computers. My keyboard worked when changing the BIOS settings so that doesn't seem to be the problem either. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Install an older version first and update their.
I did from me to XP run menu.
 
zipperman said:
Install an older version first and update their.
I did from me to XP run menu.
Click to expand...

I'll try that if i can find an older OS (only old OS's i have came with dell systems, can't install them on other comps)

Any other suggestions? Thanks.
 
Make sure your jumper settings are set to CS on both your HDD and CD ROM and use seperate IDE cables if possible. Put your HDD on the Primary IDE controller and your CD ROM on the Secondary IDE channel.

Follow the previous suggestions regarding Boot order in the BIOS settings and go from there.

This is how I have setup all my computers in the past and it has not failed me.

Let me know how that works for you.
 
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