Cannot Install XP HELP!!!

[Russ]

My computer will not give me the boot from disc option unless I go into my
BIOS and make the CDROM boot first, the option will not show up if i make the
CDROM boot 2nd or 3rd. When I make the CDROM boot first the boot from disc
option comes up and I can get to the windows setup screen, but then when I
try to install windows or use the recovery console it says "setup did not
find any hard disk drives intstalled on your computer" and i am only left
with the option to exit windows install setup. I was thinking that it is
doing this because my cdrom is booting before my hard-drive, but i cannot get
the boot from disc option if i set my HD as 1st boot and my CDROM as 2nd
boot. Can anyone please help me?!?!?!?

 

[GreenieLeBrun]

My computer will not give me the boot from disc option unless I go
into my BIOS and make the CDROM boot first, the option will not show
up if i make the CDROM boot 2nd or 3rd. When I make the CDROM boot
first the boot from disc option comes up and I can get to the windows
setup screen, but then when I try to install windows or use the
recovery console it says "setup did not find any hard disk drives
intstalled on your computer" and i am only left with the option to
exit windows install setup. I was thinking that it is doing this
because my cdrom is booting before my hard-drive, but i cannot get
the boot from disc option if i set my HD as 1st boot and my CDROM as
2nd boot. Can anyone please help me?!?!?!?

Does the hard drive show up in the BIOS? Is the hard drive a SATA drive?

 

[Russ]

Where in my BIOS would I locate it to see what it is?

 

[Daave]

My computer will not give me the boot from disc option unless I go
into my
BIOS and make the CDROM boot first, the option will not show up if i
make the
CDROM boot 2nd or 3rd. When I make the CDROM boot first the boot from
disc
option comes up and I can get to the windows setup screen, but then
when I
try to install windows or use the recovery console it says "setup did
not
find any hard disk drives intstalled on your computer" and i am only
left
with the option to exit windows install setup. I was thinking that it
is
doing this because my cdrom is booting before my hard-drive, but i
cannot get
the boot from disc option if i set my HD as 1st boot and my CDROM as
2nd
boot. Can anyone please help me?!?!?!?

Maybe "CD-ROM" is the wrong choice.

In my BIOS, I have ten choices. Three are for optical media: SATA
CD-ROM, USB CD-ROM, and ATAPI DV. For me, the last one (the DVD drive:
ATAPI DV) is the correct choice. And also, you can't see it in the list
without scrolling down.

 

[Richie Hardwick]

Where in my BIOS would I locate it to see what it is?

It's where you change your boot order to make CDROM the first choice,
which it should be.

Richie Hardwick

 

[Mick Murphy]

Ylou have to set it so that the CD/DVD drive is 1st in the Boot Order.
That is the correct way to do it.
What is the reason for the install; or is it a reinstall?

 

[Russ]

I need to reformat my computer and repartition the drive. I have done it tons
of other times on other computers and it works. But for some reason this one
is being a pain.
Can someone then explain why when i get tot he part of the windows setup it
says that my hard drive is not found, but it is clearly there since i can
boot the computer normally and start windows

 

[philo]

I need to reformat my computer and repartition the drive. I have done it tons
of other times on other computers and it works. But for some reason this one
is being a pain.
Can someone then explain why when i get tot he part of the windows setup it
says that my hard drive is not found, but it is clearly there since i can
boot the computer normally and start windows

If the drive is SATA you will need to load the drivers at the beginning of
the installation

F6

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I need to reformat my computer and repartition the drive.

Why? How do you know you "need" to? It is hardly ever the right thing
to do.

I have done it tons
of other times on other computers and it works. But for some reason this one
is being a pain.
Can someone then explain why when i get tot he part of the windows setup it
says that my hard drive is not found, but it is clearly there since i can
boot the computer normally and start windows

Exactly how are you doing this? Did you boot from the Windows
installation CD?

 

[Russ]

When I am in my BIOS it doesnt specify what type of HD it is, it simply has
the options of HD-0, HD-1, HD-2 for primary, secondary, tertiary drives. I
have tried loading the drivers by pushing F6 but then it says I need to
specify SCIS or other hardware by loading a manufacturer floppy, but I dont
have a floppy disk that came with the computer, and if i continue i get to
the intsall windows screen and it does the same thing and says there is no
harddrive found

 

[GreenieLeBrun]

When I am in my BIOS it doesnt specify what type of HD it is, it
simply has the options of HD-0, HD-1, HD-2 for primary, secondary,
tertiary drives. I have tried loading the drivers by pushing F6 but
then it says I need to specify SCIS or other hardware by loading a
manufacturer floppy, but I dont have a floppy disk that came with the
computer, and if i continue i get to the intsall windows screen and
it does the same thing and says there is no harddrive found

Open the box and look at the drive, if it is connected to the motherboard
(MB) via a large (40pin) connector at both ends and wide cable (usually flat
and ~5cm in width) the drive is a PATA drive, if it is connected via a
smaller connector (~2cm wide) and a cable ~1cm wide and usually red the
drive will be a SATA drive.

If it is a SATA drive you may need to load the SATA drivers early in the
Windows install process (press F6 when prompted) via a floppy. If you do not
have the drivers go the the web site of the MB maker and down load from
there.

On some MBs there is, in the BIOS, provision for setting the SATA drive as
an IDE drive this lets Windows think the drive is an IDE (PATA) drive and
eliminates the need for the drivers. Check with you MB manual to see if
this is the case. If you do not have the manual at hand then the
manufacturers site will have it.

The info above contains some generalisations/simplifications for the sake of
clarity.