Help =(

[Guest]

Hi can anyone teach me how to format my existing hard disk and install a
clean installation of win xp on it ??
I have read up on the forums and they said to boot from the win xp cd
However when it comes to "press any key to boot from the cd" and i press
enter, normal windows will load.
I have already tried this for a few times but to no avail =(
Oh and i have back up my impt files to a secondary hard disk, formatting my
old 1 shouldn't affect it right ??
Any help is appreciated...

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Go into BIOS and set the CD drive as primary boot, then restart the
machine..

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Mike, it has already detected the cd as a boot device, so the BIOS is
probably OK. Don't you think it could be the type of keyboard?

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Maybe so, but if the floppy is detected before the CD is detected before the
hard drive, and there is a problem with the CD, dirty or scratched maybe,
then the computer very often boots straight to the 3rd device..

Setting the CD as primary boot, if there is a problem with the keyboard,
absolutely nothing will happen.. if it then continues through to the hard
drive, it shows that there is a problem with the CD for sure..

It all made sense as I was typing it..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

Mike, it has already detected the cd as a boot device, so the BIOS is
probably OK. Don't you think it could be the type of keyboard?

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

The only way he would see the "Press any key to boot from CD..." is if the
cd has been detected as a boot device and the cd itself detected. So I
think that he is simply not able to get the installer to recognize when he
is pressing the F6 key. This probably means he is using a keyboard that
requires pressing a key to enable the function keys or a wireless or usb
keyboard and needs to use a PS2 keyboard for the installation.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

Maybe so, but if the floppy is detected before the CD is detected before
the hard drive, and there is a problem with the CD, dirty or scratched
maybe, then the computer very often boots straight to the 3rd device..

Setting the CD as primary boot, if there is a problem with the keyboard,
absolutely nothing will happen.. if it then continues through to the hard
drive, it shows that there is a problem with the CD for sure..

It all made sense as I was typing it..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

Mike, it has already detected the cd as a boot device, so the BIOS is
probably OK. Don't you think it could be the type of keyboard?

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

Go into BIOS and set the CD drive as primary boot, then restart the
machine..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user







Hi can anyone teach me how to format my existing hard disk and install
a
clean installation of win xp on it ??
I have read up on the forums and they said to boot from the win xp cd
However when it comes to "press any key to boot from the cd" and i
press
enter, normal windows will load.
I have already tried this for a few times but to no avail =(
Oh and i have back up my impt files to a secondary hard disk,
formatting my
old 1 shouldn't affect it right ??
Any help is appreciated...

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

Jeremy

What kind of Win XP CD do you have?.. unless it is a retail version, upgrade
or full, or an OEM CD that was bought along with some hardware, it could be
that your CD type is not bootable.. if it was supplied as a 'recovery' CD,
there may well be a process that has to be initiated before access to the CD
can be made..

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Note, I did not mean to get ahead of myself on the F6 issue which would
follow on shortly. The reference to enabling functions keys doesn't matter
here.

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

Maybe so, but if the floppy is detected before the CD is detected before
the hard drive, and there is a problem with the CD, dirty or scratched
maybe, then the computer very often boots straight to the 3rd device..

Setting the CD as primary boot, if there is a problem with the keyboard,
absolutely nothing will happen.. if it then continues through to the hard
drive, it shows that there is a problem with the CD for sure..

It all made sense as I was typing it..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user

Mike, it has already detected the cd as a boot device, so the BIOS is
probably OK. Don't you think it could be the type of keyboard?

--
Colin Barnhorst [MVP Windows - Virtual Machine]
(Reply to the group only unless otherwise requested)

Go into BIOS and set the CD drive as primary boot, then restart the
machine..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/user







Hi can anyone teach me how to format my existing hard disk and install
a
clean installation of win xp on it ??
I have read up on the forums and they said to boot from the win xp cd
However when it comes to "press any key to boot from the cd" and i
press
enter, normal windows will load.
I have already tried this for a few times but to no avail =(
Oh and i have back up my impt files to a secondary hard disk,
formatting my
old 1 shouldn't affect it right ??
Any help is appreciated...

 

[Guest]

Oh hey thanks for the reply guys
I somehow managed to get it to work by pressing a key quickly after the
messege pops up. Any delay and it just boots from the hard disk. I haven't
re-installed win xp though cos i need something clarified.
I bought a need hard disk today to back up my impt documents. Does
formatting C drive ( the old 1) affect the files on the new disk ??
Thanks

 

[Jim Macklin]

Each disk or partition on a disk is formatted independently.
Just be sure you select the correct disk (partition) when
you format. As long as you are not trying to format the C:
partition (system) you can use the Management tools built-in
to XP. Right click My Computer and select Manage.
To format the system disk (C you must boot the CD, then
begin an installation, press ESC to access the formatting
tools.


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.


| Oh hey thanks for the reply guys
| I somehow managed to get it to work by pressing a key
quickly after the
| messege pops up. Any delay and it just boots from the hard
disk. I haven't
| re-installed win xp though cos i need something clarified.
| I bought a need hard disk today to back up my impt
documents. Does
| formatting C drive ( the old 1) affect the files on the
new disk ??
| Thanks
|
| "Mike Hall (MS-MVP)" wrote:
|
| > Jeremy
| >
| > What kind of Win XP CD do you have?.. unless it is a
retail version, upgrade
| > or full, or an OEM CD that was bought along with some
hardware, it could be
| > that your CD type is not bootable.. if it was supplied
as a 'recovery' CD,
| > there may well be a process that has to be initiated
before access to the CD
| > can be made..
| >
| > --
| > Mike Hall
| > MVP - Windows Shell/user
| >
| >
| >
| >
| >
| >
| >
message
| >
| > > Hi can anyone teach me how to format my existing hard
disk and install a
| > > clean installation of win xp on it ??
| > > I have read up on the forums and they said to boot
from the win xp cd
| > > However when it comes to "press any key to boot from
the cd" and i press
| > > enter, normal windows will load.
| > > I have already tried this for a few times but to no
avail =(
| > > Oh and i have back up my impt files to a secondary
hard disk, formatting
| > > my
| > > old 1 shouldn't affect it right ??
| > > Any help is appreciated...
| >
| >
| >