Error message while installing windows?

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Lifted4x4

n00b
Joined
May 16, 2006
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i am trying to reformat a spare drive of mine.

it goes through all the setup at the beginning loading the files, i hit enter to install windows XP, and F8 to agree to the terms

then, it says

"Setup could not read the CD you inserted, or the CD is not a valid Windows CD. Please insert one of the following Windows product CDs into the CD-ROM drive: Windows XP Home Edition (Full Version) Windows XP Professional (Full Version), Windows 2000 professional, Windows Millenium, Windows 98, Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 95, or windows NT workstation 3.51.

-When the CD is in the drive, press ENTER to continue
- To quit setup, press F3."

now, i have TWO legal copies of windows xp, that were purchased, and they are both the full version obviosly, i've used this disc before, and i dont know why im having such trouble.

any help, ideas, suggestion would be greatly appreciated

-Brandon
 
Swap the optical drive and/or the IDE cable, and try again. Also, check the CDs for scratches.
 
i have a bran new CD Rom which was purchased 2 days ago, and a brand new copy of XP , so we'll eliminate those 2 things...
 
Lifted4x4 said:
i have a bran new CD Rom which was purchased 2 days ago, and a brand new copy of XP , so we'll eliminate those 2 things...
Click to expand...

I'm just playing a little devils advocate here, but just because your optical drive is 2 days old, doesn't mean it's not a/the problem. Electronics can manfunction. Don't eliminate it as the problem, simply because it's new.
 
aye it is a problem reading the the data. first thing to swap out are drive and disk. if those two things are not the problem you have one messed up system problem that is either very random and minor setting or very major and serious problem.

95% chance it is drive, CD just because a drive or CD is new doesn't mean it is not the problem.

if you tried two XP CD's. i would try ANY other cd rom and i would bet it will work with another working CD rom. if not then you know it is a bios issue.
 
Jerome36 said:
I'm just playing a little devils advocate here, but just because your optical drive is 2 days old, doesn't mean it's not a/the problem. Electronics can manfunction. Don't eliminate it as the problem, simply because it's new.
Click to expand...

QFT. I've had more problems out of new hardware than old hardware. i've always held firm to the theory that there's a 1 in 3 chance that if a component is going to fail it's going to do it in the first few days of using it.
 
ive tried 3 other CD roms from other computers i have, still getting the same issue and they work fine on my other PCs :mad:
 
Lifted4x4 said:
ive tried 3 other CD roms from other computers i have, still getting the same issue and they work fine on my other PCs :mad:
Click to expand...

That probably means you have a bad cable or the IDE controller is bad. Also make sure you CD-ROM is on a 40 conductor cable instead of an 80 cunductor one. I've heard that some drives dont' like the extra conductors.
 
This isn't by chance a windows XP upgrade CD is it? I just have to ask. If it is you will need to place a CD in the drive of one of the Qualifying products to upgrade from.

EDIT: I should have read the OP a little closer. Are you sure that the CD is a full version?
 
Sounds like an upgrade CD as well to me, is it a hologram CD or some type of slipstreamed one?
 
Axeldoomeyer said:
This isn't by chance a windows XP upgrade CD is it? I just have to ask. If it is you will need to place a CD in the drive of one of the Qualifying products to upgrade from.

EDIT: I should have read the OP a little closer. Are you sure that the CD is a full version?
Click to expand...
it says upgrade, but it's the same CD i've always used before, and never had a problem with it : :confused:

i couldn't find a full version in the comp. store the other day
 
Lifted4x4 said:
it says upgrade, but it's the same CD i've always used before, and never had a problem with it : :confused:

i couldn't find a full version in the comp. store the other day
Click to expand...

The upgrade disc is the Full version, you just have to prove you own a previous version before you install. There's no difference once it's installed.
 
"now, i have TWO legal copies of windows xp, that were purchased, and they are both the full version obviosly, i've used this disc before, and i dont know why im having such trouble."

So the CD your using ISNT a full version, its an upgrade version and youll have to provide one of the previous OS CD's to install XP using that CD.
You can do a full install (new install) using the CD, you dont have to do an upgrade, but you will have to provide a previous CD for it to go through
 
dbwillis said:
So the CD your using ISNT a full version, its an upgrade version and youll have to provide one of the previous OS CD's to install XP using that CD.
You can do a full install (new install) using the CD, you dont have to do an upgrade, but you will have to provide a previous CD for it to go through
Click to expand...

Is that not what I just said?

Somehow you're not seeing the message telling you to pu in a CD from an older version of Windows. Find a Windows 98 cd (that you own the license too) and put it in there when you get that message. You should be able to continue.
 
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