shed loads of help, URGENTLY needed

i'm not sure if it does. i don't think i can hear it spinning up so i guess not, i changed the seconday boot device to hdd1 in bios instead of hdd0 and now i come up with a different message on screen, if you give me an hour or so i will be able to tell you what it says, do u think i could have possibly screwed my drives?

 

Insert the XP CD-ROM and change all the boot orers to CD-ROM. It should then go into the XP Setup (the DOS one) If it says CPU unknown find out what settings your CPU should be at so it recognises as a 2500 Mobile (if it does) Then once XP is on simply change the boot order back to normal, i use

1. HDD0
2. Floppy
3. CD-ROM

It shouldn't matter as long as it knows to boot from your primary HDD.

Good Luck

 

righto, i've taken out my second hdd and cdrw, so i have a dvd drive and one hadd so it wont get confused, the hdd is the primary master and the dvd is the secondary master, i havent changed all three to cd rom just yet but the first too are, this is the message i get displayed:

DISC BOOT FAILURE, INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER


ideas?

 

It sounds like your xp cd isn't bootable, for some reason.

If you have access to a PC with a floppy drive and CD Writer, create a bootable cd using a bootdisk from www.bootdisk.com - boot from this first, then stick the XP cd in, DIR it to i386, then run setup.

 

I spent ages working that one out, I even read the manual!

 

what does that mean? and if i burn it to CD using nero i should choose the bootable CD shouldnt i?

i know it sounds obvious but im just checking!

thanks for all this support so far!

{EDIT}

Do i need to have a floppy drive in my comp to do it?

{/EDIT}

 

Aye, boot from the bootable cd you create in Nero, using the bootable floppy as the drive image. When it's booted, take it out and stick the XP cd in (unless you have two cd drives). Go to the drive letter of the cd, type CD i386, then type setup.

 

ah cheers, im goin to try that in a bit, fingers crossed eh!!

 

right, slight technical hitch, how do i make a bootable disk with the iso CD image in nero express?

 

You make a bootable cd instead of an Iso cd

 

i know the choices, but in nero express, not nero burning rom, u just select bootable CD and then u add the iso as a file to the CD if u get me, but by doin it like that will it burn it as an image? CD image, god i can't get across what i mean!

 

hang on, ur getting me to make a boot CD to install the boot drivers? no wonder it doesnt work, it can't read boot CD's!!

 

right, i brought a floppy drive, lol put it in, and made the 6 start up disks by using the thing of microsofts sight, got all the way to the sixth one and then it says windows has been stopped from booting becuase a serious problem occured, or something like that....any ideas?

 

Good grief mate, you're not having much luck are you?

Right, try a different tack - do a google for slipstreaming XP with SP1/SP1a or SP2. More often than not, most guides have a download link to make the install cd bootable.

Try this link, see if it helps.

 

its the bios, it is buggered, its been buggered from the start, lol ffs, gonna ring cpucity and give them the "OI, NO!! its never worked from the first place, send me a new one and pay for my return carriage!!" or something like that

 

If it didnt work from the 1st place then its DOA (dead on arrival), you usually have about 48hours from receipt of delivery to declare this. After that, you need an RMA (return materials authorisation) to return it to them. This is so that they know what you are sending back , when, why, and who you are. You cannot send something back to them without your rma for that product clearly marked on the box.

You are responsible for getting it to them, safely. Which means you pack it well and send it by courier, or royal mail registered or special delivery.

Edit: Expect the whole process to take up to 3-6 weeks.

Add a zero to the end of those numbers if you ever rma with ebuyer.

 

i agree u need to nstall windows coz i doubght its recognizing the mobo

good luck

 

i spoke to them today and they said cool, send it with a covering letter and we'll see what we can do for u, and i've told them that i really do need it done before the 22nd coz im off back to uni, and they said thats cool too.

 

you will be fine, i got my dfi back in 7 days from cpycity when i sent it back inc. delivery time wich was about 4days, 2 there and 2 back.

Ben

 

cool, cheers for all the help, shame it was a lost cause but hey, now i can advise other people on here if a prob occurs!