Loading XP Pro onto ABIT AI7

[Wucky]

Am building a new system.... ABIT AI7, Crucial pc3200 512
(single dimm), ATI AllinWonder radeon 9800. 2 SATA drives
(will set to RAID1). I had a false start with a bad MB,
but that's now fixed. I have a BASIC (well, basic for
you, perplexing for me) problem

Here's the problem: I cannot figure out how to load XP.
I'm guessing it has something to do with the CDRW
drive. This may not be a microsoft specific issue, but
would still value any ideas.

I can POST, and I've set BIOS, etc. so, it runs through
the bootup and it looks for the software, but there is
none. I have no floppy (my first system without one....
makin' the change), but I can attach a USB floppy. Using
the USB floppy, with a boot diskette made on another
system, I can get it to a dos a: prompt. BUT, I cannot
get it to recognize the CDRW where I have the XP Pro CD.

If it helps, in the bios I have it set to boot first from
HD, then from CD, then from USB. In the BIOS it did auto
detect and recognize the CDRW (which is a Lite-on)

IDEAS??? Thx in advance !

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools necessary
to partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow
Windows XP to partition and format your drive:

NOTE: It would be best to physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware
devices, except the monitor, mouse and keyboard, before installing XP.

NOTE: If you have an internal Zip Drive installed, physically disconnect the
EIDE and power cable to it before proceeding, otherwise your main
hard drive may not be assigned the customary C: drive letter.
After installing Windows XP, you may then reconnect it.

1. Open your BIOS and set your "CD Drive as the first bootable device".

===> Accessing Motherboard BIOS
===> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer.
3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.
4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete all the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to install Windows XP.


HOW TO: Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;316941

Clean Install Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens]


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


| Am building a new system.... ABIT AI7, Crucial pc3200 512
| (single dimm), ATI AllinWonder radeon 9800. 2 SATA drives
| (will set to RAID1). I had a false start with a bad MB,
| but that's now fixed. I have a BASIC (well, basic for
| you, perplexing for me) problem
|
| Here's the problem: I cannot figure out how to load XP.
| I'm guessing it has something to do with the CDRW
| drive. This may not be a microsoft specific issue, but
| would still value any ideas.
|
| I can POST, and I've set BIOS, etc. so, it runs through
| the bootup and it looks for the software, but there is
| none. I have no floppy (my first system without one....
| makin' the change), but I can attach a USB floppy. Using
| the USB floppy, with a boot diskette made on another
| system, I can get it to a dos a: prompt. BUT, I cannot
| get it to recognize the CDRW where I have the XP Pro CD.
|
| If it helps, in the bios I have it set to boot first from
| HD, then from CD, then from USB. In the BIOS it did auto
| detect and recognize the CDRW (which is a Lite-on)
|
| IDEAS??? Thx in advance !

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Change the BIOS boot order, boot the CD drive first. The WinXP CD is
bootable, and will start the installer when recognized. If you are
unsuccessful in this manner, boot a Win9x startup floppy with CD support,
then run the winnt.exe file in the \I386 folder on the CD.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Windows
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

 

[Gene K]

Am building a new system.... ABIT AI7, Crucial pc3200 512
(single dimm), ATI AllinWonder radeon 9800. 2 SATA drives
(will set to RAID1). I had a false start with a bad MB,
but that's now fixed. I have a BASIC (well, basic for
you, perplexing for me) problem

Here's the problem: I cannot figure out how to load XP.
I'm guessing it has something to do with the CDRW
drive. This may not be a microsoft specific issue, but
would still value any ideas.

I can POST, and I've set BIOS, etc. so, it runs through
the bootup and it looks for the software, but there is
none. I have no floppy (my first system without one....
makin' the change), but I can attach a USB floppy. Using
the USB floppy, with a boot diskette made on another
system, I can get it to a dos a: prompt. BUT, I cannot
get it to recognize the CDRW where I have the XP Pro CD.

If it helps, in the bios I have it set to boot first from
HD, then from CD, then from USB. In the BIOS it did auto
detect and recognize the CDRW (which is a Lite-on)

IDEAS??? Thx in advance !

You have the BIOS setup backwards for boot purposes!! GO BACK to it and set
it up to Boot first from the CD-ROM device, Boot second from the Floppy (if
you want use it), Boot last from the Hard Drive (or Disk) [usually C] where
your OS resides. This just means that at Startup, the OS will check these
devices in that sequence for Boot files.