Windows XP not booting properly

  • Thread starter Thread starter James
  • Start date Start date
J

James

I'm just putting together an new system for a friend, it's
the first time I have used Windows XP. It is a legal OEM
copy. When the PC is turned on, it goes through BIOS
initialisation etc then looks for a boot record on the
HDD, it cannot find one so looks on the Win XP Home CD.
Sometimes it boots up ok with the CD, othertimes the CD
causes it to enter new setup screen.

I have no idea what's happening because I reformatted the
HDD and tried a copy of Win 2k and no probs it booted
fine. So it does not appear to be a hardware issue but
more an issue with Windows XP Home. can anyone suggest why
it will only boot with the CD and will only boot with the
CD most of the time? without the CD, the pc says that
there's a boot failure....
 
OEM editions are typically BIOS-locked to the OEM's computers. They may not
boot on any other brand.

Rocky
 
I'm just putting together an new system for a friend, it's
the first time I have used Windows XP. It is a legal OEM
copy. When the PC is turned on, it goes through BIOS
initialisation etc then looks for a boot record on the
HDD, it cannot find one so looks on the Win XP Home CD.
Sometimes it boots up ok with the CD, othertimes the CD
causes it to enter new setup screen.

I have no idea what's happening because I reformatted the
HDD and tried a copy of Win 2k and no probs it booted
fine. So it does not appear to be a hardware issue but
more an issue with Windows XP Home. can anyone suggest why
it will only boot with the CD and will only boot with the
CD most of the time? without the CD, the pc says that
there's a boot failure....
Click to expand...

Assuming you've got a PATA drive on some 3rd party high speed IDE
controller card:
Put the harddrive on the standard IDE controller. Boot from the CD and
use XP to partition the drive, then install XP. Once XP is installed,
load the drivers for the controller where the harddrive was initially
connected. Once those drivers are loaded and the device manager doesn't
show any exclamation marks, move the hdd to the high speed IDE controller
card and you should be all set.
 
Back
Top