>> On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:24:00 -0800, elly <elly@discussions.microsoft.com>
>> wrote:
>> >Hi Anna
>> >Thanks for explaining everything so well. the answer to your questions
>> >is
>> >yes I have made sure that CD ROM is the 1st option, then floppy and
>> >lastly HD
>> >and have exited BIOS saving the changes, I get prompted to press any key
>> >to
>> >boot from CD ROM and I do press the any key right after I am prompted.
>> >One
>> >thing you have not noted is the fact that I was able to enter XP setup
>> >first
>> >just after installing new HD and that it had to be abborted because of a
>> >file
>> >that could not be extracted from the CD, the problem with the missing
>> >NRLDR
>> >started as I tried to re-enter XP Setup and that is where I am at. I
>> >don't
>> >know what went wrong, the HD has been detected by Bios it is properly
>> >connected to the primary master HD and I was once able to boot to OS XP
>> >from
>> >CD and setup was initiatated but somewhere along this process things
>> >went
>> >bad. Any other suggestions I am about to chuck this PC to the
>> >bin...thank
>> >you for your patience
>> >Elly
> "Homer S." wrote:
>> Remove the XP install CD. Boot the system to a floppy disk that has the
>> FDISK
>> command. Run FDISK and delete all partitions from the hard drive. Remove
>> the floppy
>> disk, restart with the XP install CD and press the 'any key' if it asks.
>> Restart the
>> XP installation.
>>
>> For a boot disk go here: http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm and use the
>> following
>> link to get it: 'Windows 98 SE Custom, No Ramdrive | Mirror'.
>>
>> For a Windows XP boot disk with tools try here:
>> http://freepctech.com/pc/002/files010.shtml. Download the 'MS Windows XP
>> System
>> setup disk'. Just boot to it and use one of the tools to wipe your hard
>> drive clean
>> (re: delete all partitions).
>>
>> Good luck,
>> Homer
"elly" <elly@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5CD2FE1E-A3CE-4328-B9DD-651885F08877@microsoft.com...
> Hello again
> I finally got my PC to boot from the XP disk as I was trying to boot up
> from
> a floppy boot up disk as instructed, suddenly the computer started to boot
> up
> from the XP CD so I have been able to delete all partitions. Anyway now I
> have a different kind of problem. I have tried to install XP a few times
> without success, the following is what happens: PC boots from XP CD ok it
> goes with normal set up procedures loads files, copies files and then it
> says
> that pc will restart and continue with setup procedures however it does
> not,
> after restarting it goes back to the beginning of setup, loading and
> copying
> files, formatting the partition etc, I have tried so many times and every
> time the same happens, then other times setup just gets stuck into setup
> cannot copy file ei driver.cab and if I hit the skip button it continues
> and
> stops at some other file and it continues on not being able to copy some
> files and so I have to abort installation. I don't know what this is, if
> anyone has an idea what this means please let me know, this is getting
> very
> extrange...Thanks again Guys for your invaluable help
> Elly
Elly:
It's really difficult, if not impossible, to tell precisely what is causing
your problem at this point.
Conceivably it *could* be simply an instance of a defective XP OS
installation CD, but assuming you're using an "original" MS product that
would be an extremely rare occurrence in our experience. On the other hand,
should you be using a copy of the installation CD that would be a more
likely possibility. In any event, we've come across so very few instances of
a defective CD that we ordinarily discount that as the cause of the type of
problem you're experiencing at least for the moment. Anyway, it's something
to consider.
I'm not sure if I, or someone, previously recommended you check out your HDD
with the diagnostic program normally freely available from the website of
the manuf. of the disk. You should do this if you haven't up to now.
I'm really puzzled by your comment that "I finally got my PC to boot from
the XP disk as I was trying to boot up from a floppy boot up disk as
instructed..." There should be *no* involvement of a floppy disk in this
process of fresh installing the XP OS onto your HDD. Perhaps you're
indicating that you used a DOS floppy disk along the lines recommended by
Homer. There should be no need to do this.
The XP OS installation should be a straightforward setup process of just
using the installation CD to uninstall any existing partition(s) on your
HDD, then create and partition the disk as you please, and finally install
the OS.
Anna