Hi,

I have a very serious problem I've been trying to solve for weeks now.
I need to format my hard drive, but the problem is that when I try to
boot from the XP installation disk it doesn't recognize the HDs. This
also happens with other boot CDs I've tried.
The drives themselves are fully functional when I boot from them.
When I entered BIOS, I saw that there is no Primary IDE Master
detected (only the CD-ROM as Secondary), but when the computer boots
there is an IDE detection phase where I see that the hard drives are
being detected.
I also tried installing windows using the CD from within windows, but
then when the computer restarts I get a blue screen.
My computer is infected with viruses, so maybe that is related too.
I tried updating my BIOS version but to no avail.

If you have any idea, please feel free to share...

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi,
>
> I have a very serious problem I've been trying to solve for weeks now.
> I need to format my hard drive, but the problem is that when I try to
> boot from the XP installation disk it doesn't recognize the HDs. This
> also happens with other boot CDs I've tried.
> The drives themselves are fully functional when I boot from them.
> When I entered BIOS, I saw that there is no Primary IDE Master
> detected (only the CD-ROM as Secondary), but when the computer boots
> there is an IDE detection phase where I see that the hard drives are
> being detected.
> I also tried installing windows using the CD from within windows, but
> then when the computer restarts I get a blue screen.
> My computer is infected with viruses, so maybe that is related too.
> I tried updating my BIOS version but to no avail.
>
> If you have any idea, please feel free to share...

Almost certainly you are lacking a driver. The boot cd will have lots of
drivers on it, but it may not have the driver you need.

The chances are that if you have the CD that came with your motherboard then
that will probably have the necessary driver on it. It may have been
supplied on a separate floppy. If you don't have it then visit the website
of the manufacturer of your motherboard.

When you boot from the cd at the start it gives the option to press a key (I
don't recall which) if you need to load a driver. You'll need to do that,
then a little while later it will ask for the driver.

I've had problems in the past when trying to install on SCSI or SATA drives.
Not had a problem with IDE though, but it sounds very much like a driver
issue.

Hope this helps.
--
Brian Cryer
www.cryer.co.uk/brian

If your hard drive is not recognized chances are that you need drivers on a
3 1/2 floppy disk from the drive maufacturer.

Limited OEM driver support is available with F6 during Windows XP and
Windows Server 2003 setup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314859

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In news:(E-Mail Removed),
(E-Mail Removed) <(E-Mail Removed)> hunted and pecked:
> Hi,
>
> I have a very serious problem I've been trying to solve for weeks now.
> I need to format my hard drive, but the problem is that when I try to
> boot from the XP installation disk it doesn't recognize the HDs. This
> also happens with other boot CDs I've tried.
> The drives themselves are fully functional when I boot from them.
> When I entered BIOS, I saw that there is no Primary IDE Master
> detected (only the CD-ROM as Secondary), but when the computer boots
> there is an IDE detection phase where I see that the hard drives are
> being detected.
> I also tried installing windows using the CD from within windows, but
> then when the computer restarts I get a blue screen.
> My computer is infected with viruses, so maybe that is related too.
> I tried updating my BIOS version but to no avail.
>
> If you have any idea, please feel free to share...