P4P800 can't get to boot to a drive

[G.B. Langer]

Do I need to install Windows XP from CD before anything just to get the
drives recognized?

I just built a new system using the P4P800 and P4c 2.4GB. I don't have my
operating system delivered yet (WinXP). I installed a new WD 40GB hard
drive. The WD Quick Install sheet says to simply insert their Data Lifeguard
Tools floppy upon assembly. I thought there might be DOS boot files on the
floppy to get to a drive letter but it won't boot with error message,
"Cannot load DOS! Any key to retry". I put an old Win98 start up disk in and
reboot but it doesn't work. I find an old Win95 Startup disk and I can get
to an A: prompt. When I put the WD floppy in it fails. Nada!

On start up I can see the hard drive LED and the floppy drive is working. I
see the ASUS logo screen and can get into the BIOS where it shows the proper
drives and the proper boot sequence A: then C:.

Maybe I'm dumbing down in my old age so any quick help would be greatly
appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Nick Coates]

had the problem with my p4c800 had to turn on legacy mode (just for the
install)

 

[Surfer]

Hi,
Boot the Computer go into the BIOS, by hitting the "Delete" key on boot up
check the "main" screen for your drive eg. Primary Master = your drive,
change to the Boot screen there's a list no#1 to 4, ATAPI CD-ROM should be
at the top of the list, averything else disabled, exit and save, make sure
your WINXP CD is in CDROM drive, when asked to boot from CDROM hit ENTER,
follow the prompts...

Good Luck!

Ben.


Did you go into the BIOS and change the boot sequence to CD-ROM at top of
list and disable the HDD?
Make sure the HDD has been detected in the BIOS

 

[G.B. Langer]

I'll try these and any more suggestions. Thanks.

However, I tired something and copied my Win95 boot disk system files to my
new hard drive. Then I ran scandisk from those files on my WD floppy disk
and it wouldn't complete because of FAT errors or something. I also ran
Chkdsk and it would work either. I can put any floppy with data on it and
it reads using the DOS DIR command. THis floppy won't read. I assume the
disk is bad.

I go the the WD site and try and download the same program to a fresh high
capacity floppy and it says there is not enough room for the files of the
floppy. My CD burner is out of my running Net connected machine so I can't
copy it to a CD. Any suggestions?

Do I need this floppy to prepare the new hard drive or can I just get booted
up with the CDROM support and get WinX installed and leave the hard drive as
is? Doesn't it need partitioning and formatting first?

 

[Maximus]

I cannot install win98 or win ME onto P4P800 DL.

If you can't either, you may need win2000 or winXP.

Maximus

 

[Nick Coates]

you have to set ide mode to legacy, read your manual