CD works but can't boot from it

No problem - search led me to the same page. I've printed out the info and downloaded what I need. Will upgrade bios tonight and push on step by step as time allows. Rather do this on the weekend when I have all day to pursue.
Impatient.

 

Updated bios. Reviewed Bios settings - unchanged near as I can tell.

Did 6 floppy bootup to cd install routine described earlier. Same results.

In exploring around I saw there is an option with the XP OEM to repair the old XP Home currently in use but apparently unstable (computer freezes see earlier thread - http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=35704 - "Computer Freezes Hardare or ? ").

Questions: I know a clean install would be preferable but might doing the repair option do the job? If I do that would it work since the disk I have is not the one the XP was installed from? Would I lose the ability to do a clean install on new disk should I ever discover how to do that?

Any further ideas/suggetions for getting my CD player to recognize boot CD's? The player does light up for 20 to 30 seconds and then intermittently for briefer times but nothing happens. Again I have several boot CD's in addition to the XP Home OEM.

Thanks to each of you for all your help with this.

 

Something to try:
The bootdisks and bootable CD from www.bootdisk.com

Matt

 

Matt, Thanks. Will try that. Never heard of that site or software. Learnin.

 

That one OK?

Let's proceed to "next try"

Borrow another CD drive.

Luck
Matt

 

Matt - woked late and going in early today - no chance to try the bootdisk stuff yet -read the readmes a few times = one looks like it would help if I was having trouble booting from A:, but don't have yet a picture of how to use these disks (fatigue factor).

Borrowing another CD drive: Have available the CD drive from wife's Win 98 machine. Risky - her machine ain't broke and she uses it contually for her Ebay/Amazon trading; Also, there's an old computer in the garage that someone donated to our non-profit for the write off - never could get it to work. Has no documentation. What would I need besides the physical drive? Drivers installed, etc., or is it just a matter of plugging it in and it works?

Thanks again for staying with this.

 

The CD drive out of the old machine should be worth trying (unless it is say a pre-pentium or OEM and may require special drivers). You should only need to sit it close enough to your machine to stetch the power and data cables across to it. The test will be if it acts differently to your current CD drive. If it acts exactly the same, the problem is on the motherboard side somewhere, although you could also try replacing the data (ribbon) cable. Be careful of your electrostactics, touch some metal on the frame before working inside the case and avoid touching parts of the motherboard.

I have to go off to work now. I will check the bootdisk instructions later today.

Matt

 

Here is a CD installation procedure:
http://www.pcguide.com/proc/physinst/cd.htm

I forgot to mention to check that the jumper settings are the same as original.

Matt

 

Awesome.

I'm off tomorrow and will tackle this then and let you know.

Scott

 

RE: Bootdisk

Looks like the floppy bootdisk from bootdisk.com is similar to a Win98SE startup disk with additional programs. The additional programs should not be needed. So you could probably use a 98SE startup disk if you have access to one. (Even the utility (DiskWizard) for the new drive will probably work)
I found that you can copy the main installation folder from the CD to your harddrive (of course, as long as it is partitioned and formatted...in the Fat32 system, not NTFS).
To copy the installation folder to your harddrive, boot from a bootable floppy or "exit" from DiskWizard . You will be at the A: prompt.
Type the following commands and press Enter at the end of the line (X stands for the drive letter of your CD, the CD drive letter can change according to which bootdisk you use)

md c:\i386
copy X:\i386 c:\i386
cd c:\i386
winnt.exe

Do not miss any spaces between the typing. You should see the files get copied across then the XP installation should start. I hope my DOS commands are correct and this gets you going without having to boot from the CD drive...and let's hope that the files can be read from the drive even though you cannot boot from it.

Matt

 

Matt ~ Early am here and I'm a bit foggy. Feels a little too close to the trees to see the forest... but let me try to describe my understanding:
I create a Win98SE boot disk from my wife's computer.
I get my new drive reformatted in Fat32(the new c: is currently NTSF) from the 6 Floppy method then reboot to the Win 98Se disk and copy said files to C: and after they are copied the installation will start (I'll have the OEM in the CD and the winnt.exe command will start the installation from the CD).
Thanks.
learning...

 

more awake and on re-read and look at disk contents I think I see:
The i386 is a folder on the XP OEM. So the bootdisk is getting me to A: where I can copy i386 folder to new C: and run install from there. Closer?

 

Reformatted C: to Fat32.

After booting with Win98e boot disk started Copy I: (CD drive is normally H and moved toward CopyD: until on copyE: I received
CDR101: not ready reading drive E
Abort, Retry, Fail

Guess this means try another CD drive - or did I miss the concept on this?

Scott

 

Well, the last option on the Bootdisk (CD4) from that site you suggested, Matt, is listing all the file on the CD - must be transferring them. In any way it looks like we've found a way to access that drive whether ti's copying or not.
Will let you know.

Scott

 

Yes Scott you've got the concept. It looks like the system cannot read that drive.

Time to try the other CD drive.

Matt
Edit: We are posting at the same time. Did not see your last post.

 

Having trouble with Dos I think.

When I type cd and directory name it shows it if it's c: or s: then reverts back to A> prompt.

If I type CD c:\i386 it will show that then bounce back to A>.
If I type cd s:\ it will bounce back to A>.
If I type cd c:\dir it will say Invalid Directory.
if I type cd s:\winnt it will say invalid directory.
If I type cd c:\i386\winnt it say invalid directory.

so close...???

Oh, after I ran copy s:\i386 c:\i386 and it displayed every file there is from Redmond it finished with statement "1 file copied" I assumed it meant folder meaning i386.

 

I think we are close! My DOS instructions seem to be the problem

Need to change drives first. From the A: prompt just enter

c:

That should take you to the c: prompt. Enter:

cd i386

That should take you to the C:\i386 folder. Enter:

winnt.exe

Or DIR to find it.

Here's hoping...

Matt

 

Yes!

The Blue XP Personal Setup screen is up and files are copying from Cd to C:

I won't rest easy on this until XP is up and running and no freezes but this is nearly there.

Many thanks for staying with me on this, Matt.

Scott

 

Well done Scott!
Just don't rely on me for accurate DOS instructions

Matt

 

It's been many years since I used dos regularly.

Still installing. Gave me a scare when it went back to dos setup files and copied all the files again - this time to the set up folder.

A question for down the line. I have the old HD disconnected (so I could get the new HD to be recognized as C: drive). Although I intend to clean it and use it to 'ghost' this new drive, iWhen I decide to hook it up t thought I'd hold off a little to use it as an additional back up source (I've backed up essential data to other computer). When I hook it up will the C: drive on it automatically change to a higher letter or is there something I should do besides the physical hookup (and should this question start a new thread)?

The slave drive to be is installed with another install of XP Home and I get a little paranoid or confused by all the activation stuff.

Install and learning continue...

Muchas Gracias.

Scott