Posted: 11/7/2002 11:20:14 AM EDT
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I'm tring to install windows xp on an old compaq presario. Here is the machine's stats: 333 mhz AMD processor 128 MB ram 6 GB hard drive The xp cd I have is not bootable for some reason. So I downloaded the 6 floppy set from MS website. I boot up with the 6 floppies, format the hd and then install xp from the cd. Once everything is installed, when I try to boot i get a black screen that just says operating system not found. I put this harddrive on another pc so I could see what was on it and there is about 500 MB of windows stuff on it. So I know that it installed from the cd so why the hell can't the pc find the f$%@ing operating system ? |
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hmmmm....first guess would be make sure you've got the HD jumpered properly. It should be jumpered to MASTER or CABLE SELECT. In either instance, it should then be plugged into the Primary Master IDE cable. If the above is no help, then go into the BIOS (it should say on bootup how to do so, usually it's delete, esc or F1 but it's up to the mobo manufacturer) and double check that the BIOS sees the HD correctly. It should list a 6G drive of whatever make on the Primary Master IDE slot. If there's nothing there, then try an auto detect. If not...then you'll have to get the exact model info and see if it's in the select list for the BIOS. The other thing to check is that the HD is listed as a boot up device. It's possible that it isn't listed though it's not likely but double check anyway. If the above is all okay and you still can't get a boot....hell if I know. |
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Quoted: I'm tring to install windows xp on an old compaq presario. Here is the machine's stats: 333 mhz AMD processor 128 MB ram 6 GB hard drive The xp cd I have is not bootable for some reason. So I downloaded the 6 floppy set from MS website. I boot up with the 6 floppies, format the hd and then install xp from the cd. Once everything is installed, when I try to boot i get a black screen that just says operating system not found. I put this harddrive on another pc so I could see what was on it and there is about 500 MB of windows stuff on it. So I know that it installed from the cd so why the hell can't the pc find the f$%@ing operating system ? there is a trick to bootable CDs.. First the BIOS boot order must be set to CDROM,C,A (or similer) Second. in the basic cmos/bios setup the CDROMs location(Primary/Secondary, Master/Slave) must be set to Auto. once those two are set then a bootable CD will work if the CDROM itself is capable of it (ATAPI-Compliant). what filesystem did you use? --edited to note--- All XP cds are bootable, so that is not at issue. its a hardware setting/issue on your pc. |
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Do you know how to get into the CMOS? My old Compaq presario had a funky way to get into the CMOS (had to hit F-sumthing), you could not do anything simple like press "Delete" to get at it. Go into the CMOS and change settings from booting from a Hard Drive to boot from CD-ROM. Try to install XP from CD. If it dont work maybe your CDROM is not a bootable type (but it should be since your presario is a 333 mhz type). When you do the install (by CD or floppy), do a quick format of your hard drive in NTFS. It will wipe your drive removing any old OS as well as old info, and install a fresh copy of XP. BTW, 500 MB install for XP seems kinda small. My XP install takes up about one gig of space. |
| Personally, I wouldn't recommend putting Windows XP on anything slower than a PIII/Athlon 500 with 256MB RAM. The CD should be bootable. I think every OS since Windows 98 has had bootable install CDs. Check in the BIOS and make sure it supports booting from CD, and that the CD is above the HD in the boot sequence(A, CDROM, C; CDROM, C, A; etc). Only 500MB? sounds like it only copied the files to the hard drive, but didn't do the install. Windows XP takes 1-2GB. If you choose to try to re-install, make sure you delete the existing partition(s), as long as you have nothing you want/need to save, and create a new partition. It should work. I haven't had a problem yet, and I've installed Windows XP ans 2000 dozens of times on a variety of computers. |
| Did you run the Windows XP Compatibility Test before upgrading? The test tells you if your PC is ready or not and lists the incompatibilities that may lie ahead. Your problem sounds like a corrupted installation. If you can, get a Startup Disk, it can either be Win98 or WinME. Use the startup disk to partition and format again just like toast said. Use FDISK and format the partition. By the way, have you checked to see if your BIOS is upgraded? |
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Your best bet may be to go to Compaq's website and get the softpaqs for your specific model Compaq. So far these have all been good suggestions. If you cannot get into the BIOS, there may be a softpaq that will make floppies for getting to the BIOS. We have gotten away from Compaq's here.[:|] Good Luck! ByteTheBullet (-: |
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Quoted: The cd is definately not bootable because it is a burned copy. However it went thru the entire installation process. Why won't this damn pc find the operating system ? Is it XP Pro or XP Home? If it's XP Home retail, it will only work for 30 days unless you have a crack for it. After 30 days, you'll have to register it with Micro$h!t. But there are ways around this.. hehe |
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I have been through every problem know to man when it comes to installing windows xp without a bootable cd. Without a bootable cd there is only one method that I found to work consistently. You must first install windows 95/98/me, then from 95/98/me insert you cd rom and install xp. If you have nero burning rom you can make your own bootable xp cd and save yourself alot of time and grief. Take my word for it, I have been through this with a cpmpaq presario 5070, gateway solo 1200 notebook, homebuilt pc using an aopen ak77pro board and my current pc which has an asus a7v266e board. if you don't have nero you can download it with Kazaa. the following link will show you how to set nero to make a bootable xp disk. [url]http://www.etplanet.net/downloads/guide/nero.html[/url] ignore the sections about adding service pack 1, just follow the instructions and you shouldnt have any trouble burning a bootable xp cd |
| If you have a DOS boot disk, boot with it and use fdisk /mbr. If you do not, boot the XP CD and select the options to get to the recovery console. I think fixmbr is the command you want but I am not sure as I have never used it. More info is available at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q307654#4 If all else fails try fixboot in the recovery console. |
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If you can get into DOS, try this with the CD in the drive. Under DOS, run i386\winnt.exe of (it is strongly recommended to run DOS smartdrv.exe first). e.g. X:\WXHCRK\i38\winnt.exe /s:X:\WXHCRK\i386 /t:D (X is the drive letter of your CD and D is the drive letter of your target hard-disk where you want the copied temporary files to be put and the WinXP to be installed) If you don't have startup disks (floppies) for XP or other OS let me know. I once found a site where you can download files and copy them into floppies to make startup disks for XP. Also you can skip the smartdrive part. |
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Quoted: Get a Mac [:D] Dude......WinXp won't install on a Mac...[;)] I would suspect that, for some reason or another, the bootsector is not being written corrrectly. I would run scandisk from a bootable floppy with a surface scan. It may be a problem with the drive. You might also have a bad copy. |
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Try these... [url]http://www.bootdisk.com/[/url] To repair the XP Boot Loader [url]http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_9x.htm[/url] If you know someone else with XP, have him/her help you with this [url]http://www.comusolv.com/support/startupdisk.htm#xp[/url] Try this one yet? [url]http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBL/tip5700/rh5755.htm[/url] Windows XP Resource Center [url]http://www.labmice.net/windowsxp/default.htm[/url] |