help - pc won't boot from cd drive

[roadhog]

Just trying to get my Dell desktop PC to boot from cd Drive. No luck so far. I've changed BIOS settings in startup to boot from IDE CD drive first. No luck. I've tried pressing "any key" during bios startup (although not ever prompted for it either) and still no luck. Keeps going straight to windows xp (booting off hard drive). I've done F12 during bios splash page, upon which I get a menu asking where I want to boot from. I choose IDE CD Drive and the boot fails every time.

Any ideas?

 

[brian]

Welcome to computer forum

first, can you read the cd in windows?

 

[roadhog]

thanks for the reply.

yes. It happens to be a windows xp pro installation cd and I can read the files fine in windows.

 

[brian]

do you hear the drive try to read the disk?

 

[roadhog]

nope. not while trying to boot from it.

 

[roadhog]

i take it back. just tried to pay more attention to that during boot. the drive light was on and making some noise (though not spinning up to "full speed") prior to it booting to windows off the hard drive (which is not what I want of course).

 

[brian]

what is your setup.

like
master cable--------harddrive(master)

slave cable-----------cd drive (master)

if you dont get it i can help you find it

 

[roadhog]

no clue.

 

[brian]

ok. let me askl this. what make is it. hp, dell, gateway?

 

[roadhog]

dell. couple years old. got one cdr drive and one dvd drive. no floppy.

 

[brian]

and you have it in the dvd drive right?

also does it ask which drive to boot (the cd drive or the dvd drive?)

 

[roadhog]

doesn't show dvd drive as an option in setup. just ide cd drive. I've tried both during boot but seem to get more action out of cd drive.

 

[brian]

ok. you will have to open you computer if that is ok with you

 

[roadhog]

it's open and I just vacuumed it out.

I'm typing on a different machine here.

 

[brian]

lol. ok then . ok on you cd drive and dvd drive are they connected by the same cable? if so look at them you will find slomething like this.

it is #5 strap switch. tell me if it is under master, slave, or cable slect. it should have a bit more help on the cd drive as to where the jumper will be for both

 

[roadhog]

working on it.... tough to see in that spot but i see what you're talking about. one minute...

 

[roadhog]

best i can tell it's in the furthest left position of the three on that diagram.

 

[brian]

for both of them?

 

[roadhog]

yes. one panel for each and on each panel it appears to be in the "C" position. Tough to see back there with the IDE interface connector in the way. both appear to have a grey "cap" looking thing over the pins in the "c" position which I take to be the switch.

 

[roadhog]

and the ide connector (for both dvd and cd) goes into the secondary ide slot on motherboard. hard drive goes into the primary ide slot.