Problem with initial boot (previously used HD w/ Windows XP)

[CaZeek]

Hello,

I'm trying to get my computer to boot up for the first time. I entered the BIOS and made sure that the CD Drive was first in the boot priority.

The HD I am using I used on my previous computer. It had Windows XP installed on it. I inserted the Windows XP CD into each drive, but the computer still tries to run from the HD. I get the message where it says "Windows failed to start last time..." and gives me the option of Safe Mode, Normally, etc. Regardless of which option I choose, as soon as Windows tries to start booting, the computer resets.

I want to just format my HD and start fresh, but the computer does not seem to be recognizing my Windows CD.

[CaZeek]

Nevermind.. figured it out. In case anyone else has this problem, I had the IDE cable attached to both drives initially. I removed the IDE cable from one of the drives, and the computer then decided it would boot from the only drive attached.

[Kiwi]

PC's have treated the Hdd attached to the farthest end of the cable as the Primary for that particular IDE Channel since I can first recall IDE in use on PC-AT's. Jumper position may be ignored if the cable is wrong.

It is in the nature of the IDE hardware that both devices attached to the same IDE Channel will run at the same speed as the slowest of the pair, so a CD is never paired up with an Hdd. Pair up Hdd's with each other, and optical drives with each other.

[glc]

Kiwi, that is no longer the case. The presence of a slower device on the same cable does not affect the other device. That went away with the introduction of Ultra ATA. You just have to jumper the devices cable select when you use an 80 wire Ultra ATA cable.