XP won't boot after Setup

[Marke522]

Hello, and thanks for reading.

I just put together a new computer, done this before and this is the first time I have setup RAID so there might be something there, also this is the first time I have had a boot disk larger than 120 GB. Don't know if that's still an issue, but I remember windows had trouble with that.

I have an Asus A8N-SLi Deluxe, AMD 64 3800+, 2 WD Raptors 74 GB, Windows WP MCE. If you want anymore info just ask.

I setup RAID 0, stripped, on the NVIDIA, got it to recognize both hard drives as one 138 GB. When I got to the install screen, there were 2 drives, I had to format one, making it a C: and then installed. The computer restarted, showed me all the info, and then read Press any key to boot from cd....

and stayed there.

So made it to the install screen again, formatted the other harddrive as F: and then installed. The computer restarted, showed me all the info, and then read Press any key to boot from cd....

and stayed there.

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!!!!

Please post any ideas, thanks. Mark.

[macko72]

It's a bit confusing you said that you using XP and that you formated C:, knowing that formating in windows xp is well in setup I'm bit confused.
Usually in Xp setup you don't need to restart computer after formating first restart is after loading system files, so if you are pressing " press any key to boot from CD" after that restart you are doing all over again.
Here check this pictures that is what you get from windows xp installation(don't try to read text around ): http://www.1o1.com/content/view/46/29/

[Marke522]

It's a bit confusing you said that you using XP and that you formated C

I'm sorry bud, I meant to say partitioned. It's 4 am here and I'm a bit tired. Was hoping to get this done before I went to bed cause I won't have any time tomorrow.

first restart is after loading system files

Yeah, that's were it gets stuck. After the restart it just sits there.

[macko72]

Yeah, that's were it gets stuck. After the restart it just sits there.

Check your memory(RAM) here and try to download from WD diagnostic tool for yours HDD-s. Then make sure that your XP CD is clean with no scraches and check IDE cable connecting your CD-ROM (CD_RW) or what ever you may have!!!

[Marke522]

Ended up being something wrong with the way the harddrives were set up. I took them both out and was able to install windows to a Caviar. I'll use ghost or something similar to move the data later.