I messed up the Install and am stuck!

[Guest]

Problem Description: I am trying to install Windows XP Professional on a different computer. That computer was given to us "clean" and needed to have the operating system installed. I inserted the CD before turning it on for the first time, and the setup screen came up. Then I realized that I had inserted the wrong disk. It was Windows XP Home Edition, which is the one that I have installed on the machine that I am currently using. There was an option to cancel the install, which I chose. The setup program then gave me 15 seconds before it shut down. I removed the Home Edition disk during that time. Then it turned off. Now it won't go into the setup mode with either Home Edition or Professional. All I get is a black screen with a blinking prompt. I made a MSDOS startup disk on this computer, which worked fine in the non-working computer. However, it did would not switch to any other drive. "Invalid Drive Specification" is what is says for all possible drive letters (A-Z).

This is a Dell computer, if that matters.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Simply start over with a clean Installation:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/cleanxp.htm

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/

Problem Description: I am trying to install Windows XP Professional

on a different computer. That computer was given to us "clean" and
needed to have the operating system installed. I inserted the CD
before turning it on for the first time, and the setup screen came up.
Then I realized that I had inserted the wrong disk. It was Windows XP
Home Edition, which is the one that I have installed on the machine
that I am currently using. There was an option to cancel the install,
which I chose. The setup program then gave me 15 seconds before it
shut down. I removed the Home Edition disk during that time. Then it
turned off. Now it won't go into the setup mode with either Home
Edition or Professional. All I get is a black screen with a blinking
prompt. I made a MSDOS startup disk on this computer, which worked
fine in the non-working computer. However, it did would not switch to
any other drive. "Invalid Drive Specification" is what is says for all
possible drive letters (A-Z).

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Problem Description: I am trying to install Windows XP Professional
on a different computer. That computer was given to us "clean" and
needed to have the operating system installed. I inserted the CD
before turning it on for the first time, and the setup screen came
up. Then I realized that I had inserted the wrong disk. It was
Windows XP Home Edition, which is the one that I have installed on
the machine that I am currently using. There was an option to cancel
the install, which I chose. The setup program then gave me 15 seconds
before it shut down. I removed the Home Edition disk during that
time. Then it turned off. Now it won't go into the setup mode with
either Home Edition or Professional. All I get is a black screen with
a blinking prompt. I made a MSDOS startup disk on this computer,
which worked fine in the non-working computer. However, it did would
not switch to any other drive. "Invalid Drive Specification" is what
is says for all possible drive letters (A-Z).

This is a Dell computer, if that matters.

You boot with the Windows CD you want to use (Press any key to boot from
CD..) and follow the prompts.. When it asks where to install, delete all
partitions, create new ones, continue.