Can't boot!

Just bought a barebones system. P4 3.4 GHZ, integrated graphics and a gig of RAM.

Also bought a new HDD for it, since it obv didn't come with one.

It refuses to boot. Keeps coming up with "DISK BOOT FAILURE. PLEASE INSERT SYSTEM DISC AND PRESS ENTER"

I've tried 2 differen't hard drives, one from my other PC with XP already on it, and one fresh one.

Also tried 2 different CD-ROM drives and 2 different Windows CDs and it still gives me this error.

Going **bleep** demented with all of my PC troubles tbh.

Note: If you have seen my other thread, this is a completely different PC and the problems are unrelated.


UPDATE: Turns out my older HDD with XP etc already on gives a different error:

A disk read error occured
Press ctrl+alt+del to restart.

UPDATE 2: I had a look in the BIOS and it is definately detecting both of my HDDs, even tells me how big they are (80gig)

 

Could it be that my Windows CDs are dead? Well, to be fair they are both branded as "Only to be distrubuted with a new Compaq" / "Medion" PC.

So would that affect it mewonders

 

you can't pull a working XP drive from one PC and expect it to boot in another PC. microsoft designed it to not boot like this.

also, those are backup discs, not actual windows discs. they won't install windows on anything but the machine they were designed for.

please edit your first post. profanity is not allowed.

 

Just want to boot up and test... Try something really different, without going into the cost or risks of pirate software..

http://www.mandriva.com/download

 

Ok thanks for clearing up the problem with the CDs.

Also sorry for the profanity.

I'll go get a "real" Windows CD tomorrow.

 

Don't get Vista.

 

good advice, but he won't listen. they never listen. :-(

 

Vista? Pfft. Got XP pro and guess what?

DISK BOOT ERROR

yay!

WHAT can be causing this? Maybe I have "obtained" some fail version of XP?

And yes, I burned it as bootable, like I have always done.



;C

Edit: The XP I "obtained" from a "friend" was a completely untouched, unedited etc version of XP Pro Sp2.

 

is the hard drive IDE? if so, do you have the jumpers and connections set right?

disconnect everything you don't need to make the pc run. that means all but on optical drive, one stick of ram, extra hard drives, etc (obviously leave all your fans installed) and try again.

*edit*
you don't have to burn windows as bootable; it automatically is, anyway. that *may* be part of what's screwing you up.

 

Yeah it's IDE, I think. It uses a "ribbon" cable anyway. I don't have a clue about them or jumpers. I just plugged it in and hoped for the best really. Help on this plx? ;D

 

on the drive should be a diagram of how to set the jumper. seeing as this is the hard drive you want to boot with, set it to master and put it on the proper connection on the ide cable.

 

It was set to "cable select". Changed to master, still no change.

Not sure what you mean by the "proper" connection though.

There's 2 IDE port things as far as I can see, one black one blue. Although the black one seems to be a fair bit smaller than the blue.

 

the black would be for your floppy drive, then.

the ide cable is directional. one end *had* to be plugged into your hard drive, the other into the motherboard. do you have that set properly?

and just to factor out other possible errors, can you get an actual disc of windows? not some burned crap? i'm sure you have a friend that would lend you the disc as long as you use your own key.

 

Ah I didn't know they were directional at all, I hope to god that's the problem. And nah I don't have any friends with any versions of Windows that are legal . Well, except those ones designed for a specific brand name that I was informed don't work.

I'll go flip the cable around right now and I'll report back

 

a legit disc would just help rule out other possible errors. if you look, you can find one just about anywhere. you already have your key, so you're good on that aspect.

the cable is marked with which end goes where. you should see some kind of marking denoting which end plugs into the master drive and which into the mobo. i believe you'll have a blue end on the cable--that end plugs into the mobo.

 

well, like most people have already said, those errors are usually cause by a few common mistakes.
1. you do not have the BIOS set to boot from the disc drive (CD/DVD)instead of the hard drive (which it needs to do until you actually install the correct version of Windows on the hard drive)
2. The hard drive is either jumpered wrong or on the wrong slot on the IDE cable .
3. The hard drive is no good. And trust me, i have bought brand new hard drives that i had to return before, so although it is rare it does happen.

 

Well I tried changing the direction (blue into mobo) and I even tried putting the middle one into the mobo. Still nothing.

BIOS is configured correctly, Boot 1 AND 2 = CD-ROM and Boot 3 = HDD. And yes, I've tried pretty much every combonation there.

As for the HDD being faulty, maybe so, but that wouldn't explain why it won't boot my old one which does work.

:C

 

i explained to you already that your old drive won't boot to windows on this new system.

you need a second system to test your new hard drive. set the jumper to slave and plug it into another computer, then see if it shows up in the bios and then My Computer. if it does, the problem lies in your barebones system. if not, it's the hard drive.

 

No I know, I mean I can't even try to format it by booting to the disc either.

No access to a second PC atm, but I'll take it round to a friend's asap.

Thanks for all the posts.