Boot woes

[companyflow]

I have a brand new setup, meaning a brand new HDD as well. I want to install windows but for some reason it asks for a boot disk, so I made the boot disks and they dont work. Each disk gives me a different error message. One says I/O error insert new disk, one says disk error etc... I tried making my cd-rom as the first load but when I put the CD in nothing happens, it just says "boot from cd". Do I have to format the HDD first? If so how do I do that. I have no idea what I am doing anymore at this point.

[minsonngo]

When it asks you if you want to boot from cd hit any key. Press any key on the keyboard like the space bar and it should start with the installation of the OS.



And your sticking the OS cd (Windows XP, Windows Vista, etc.) in the cd drive right?

[companyflow]

Yes I am putting in (my) OS cd. It says boot from cd, but it does not give me a choice. I hit spacebar, and a number of other keys and it seems to freeze at that point.

[minsonngo]

What are your system specs? Brand and model please.


Is your HDD detected in the BIOS? Is it jumpered correctly and installed properly?

[companyflow]

HDD is detected and installed correctly. WD Caviar 250gb HDD, AMD Athlon 3800+ 2.0ghz 64fx Dual core, 1gb of generic RAM, motherboard I cant remember off the top of my head. Im using my other computer upstairs and Ive already made at least 15 runs up and down.

[minsonngo]

Do you have another stick of memory you can try?

Or download memtest from memtest.org and run a test on the generic memory to see if that is your issue.

[companyflow]

I decided to try my old HDD which is ATA using the IDE connector. That drive works. It prompts me to press any button to boot from cd, but it blue screens because of the whole driver issue. So now I dont know why my SATA drive is giving me problems. I have it connected properly and my system recognizes it.

[minsonngo]

What do you mean it by driver issue?

Its seems you are getting trouble with both hard drives before it can even start the OS installation.


The reason I told you to test the memory is because generic memory will usually give you issues.

[companyflow]

Old mobo drivers on my old HDD. Could the RAM prevent me from installing my OS? The computer works fine through menus and such, its just when I want to install my OS that it seemingly freezes. Im going to try with another stick of RAM.

[minsonngo]

The old mobo drivers on the old HDD would not prevent the new OS installation to start.

Try another compatible stick and see if that fixes your problem. If not... we can look somewhere else.

[companyflow]

No I mean the old mobo drivers are causing my bsod when trying to boot with my ATA drive. I tried with another stick, still no dice. Im at my wits end. Its plugged in right, and its detected by the setup, it just freezes when I try to boot from cd.

[minsonngo]

What is the brand and model of your motherboard and power supply too? You don't have to memorize it running up and down the stairs. Just get a piece of paper, write it down before you go upstairs to your working computer.

[companyflow]

MSNV-939. Machspeed board, Infinity something or other 600w psu.

[minsonngo]

Machspeed and Ultra X-finity are both brands I would never recommend. One or both of those could very well be your issue.

[companyflow]

Those are going to cause my computer to freeze at OS installation? It works fine when I use my ATA HDD.

[minsonngo]

Hmm...

Try downloading the SATA HDD's disk diagnostic utility and run it for the HDD in question to see if it has any issues.



But your motherboard, PSU, and memory are all low quality brands... I would replace them with quality ones if possible to avoid problems in the future. It may even be possible your problems are caused by one or more of these items.



Does anyone else have any ideas?

[companyflow]

When I try to run the boot disks, it says I/O error insert new disk. Does that mean that my floppy is installed incorrectly? I noticed that there arent as many pins in the floppy drive I bought today than on the IDE cable, but it still plugs in. Looks like the whole bottom row of pins is missing. Is there a special cable?

[minsonngo]

Floppy drives use floppy cables. Do you have the twisted end of the floppy cable hooked up the the back of the floppy drive?

You don't have to use the boot diskettes to install the OS. You just need the bootable OS cd.

[companyflow]

I have the CD but its not letting me install via cdrom, whch is why Im using the disk's.

[companyflow]

Do I have to format the HDD first? Maybe that could be why it doesnt work?

[minsonngo]

What SATA connector on the motherboard do you have the HDD hooked up too. Have you tried installing it in another SATA connector?



No you don't have to format it first. The OS installation will allow you to partition and format the HDD if you can boot to the cd.

[companyflow]

I have tried connecting it on connections 1-4, no matter which one it is plugged in to, it always recognizes it as being connected in bus 4. I found out that my floppy cable was installed backwards I got the windows setup to run, and after going through all 6 disks, it tells me that I dont have a HDD connected, even though the board recognizes it at initial startup. What now?

[companyflow]

FINALLY GOT IT!! However, it says for me to put my (any windows version but XP) cd into the drive. I dont have any other version besides xp? What now?

[minsonngo]

Glad you got it. Yeah the twisted end of the floppy is always connected to the floppy drive.


You still cannot just boot from the CD drive and do the XP installation?

Right now... I'm thinking your SATA HDD is faulty.

Download the Ultimate Boot CD here: http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

And see if you can run the HDD diagnostic on the SATA HDD and see if it has problems.

[HarshWinter]

Originally Posted by companyflow FINALLY GOT IT!! However, it says for me to put my (any windows version but XP) cd into the drive. I dont have any other version besides xp? What now?

Thats strange, When i'v installed windows in the past i never had to switch disks. What version of xp (including servicepack) are u installing? and Is your windows disk burned?

I might just put the xp disk back in if u don't come up with anything.

[companyflow]

Disk= Floppy, Disc=CD btw. I am trying to install XP Pro SP2, but it says to insert any version of windows besides xp cd. My windows CD is burned, but Im not paying for an OS I already have on another HDD, I technicalyl own it because I have a valid key still on my old chassis. I am in the process of acquiring win98 and Im gonna burn that and pop it in, and then upgrade to XP through windows itself. The worst part is, I have a mid-term due very soon and the computer Im using is my brothers. WHAT A PAIN IN THE NECK!

[minsonngo]

Uh... your going to need to obtain a new LEGAL copy of the OS for your new build.

Is the Windows CD you copied from a Dell Computer? If so... I think that CD will only work with the Dell anyways.

[companyflow]

Its an OEM ISO I found of xp pro with sp2. I am about an hour away from having win98 iso completed so I can do it. The message says to insert the CD to see if I am eligible to upgrade. Its pretty stupid really. Like I said before, I have the OS already installed on my other HDD LEGALLY but in order to save my data and install my new HDD I had to do this.

[Alaron]

__Moderator Note__

Since this post presents some legal question, I wanted to step in to mention a few things.

To clarify the legality of this issue with burned copies of Windows;

PCMechanic does not endorse any type of piracy. See Rule #9: http://forum.pcmech.com/rules.php

As for your situtation, if the copy of Windows XP that you have installed on another machine is legal, you are safe in installing it on your new build. You must however, remove that copy from the previous hard drive. This is because XP licenses are only allowed for one computer at one time. You are allowed to merely place the Win98 disc in the computer's cdrom drive to validate that you are making a legal upgrade. The Win98 disc you use however, must be a legal, purchased copy.

The important thing to note is that the Windows key is what determines the legality of the Windows XP copy, not the physical CD used to install the OS.

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by Alaron The important thing to note is that the Windows key is what determines the legality of the Windows XP copy, not the physical CD used to install the OS.

To drive home the point a little more, Microsoft distributed copies of Vista Business to some students at my college that attended an event. I went, so I got a copy of Vista. But I didn't get a physical CD with official MS text on it; they sent me a product key and a link to download an ISO which I could then burn.

Also, my job uses the same OEM CD to install XP on every laptop that comes in without install media or a working recovery partition. We use it a LOT. It is legal because we type in the product key from the bottom of each laptop we use it on.

Microsoft sells the product key (the certificate of authenticity), not the media.