xp install wont boot from hd -- keeps rebooting

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hifimono

Weaksauce
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Oct 18, 2006
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ive been trying to get xp on a friend's computer and after it copys the setup files over from the cd and configures it it goes to reboot.
when i have the hd set as the 1st boot device it just restarts...
when i have the cdrom set as the 1st boot device, it says 'boot from cd' and goes back into the initial setup.

the drive is formatted ntfs, the hs is sata, the cdrom is 2ndary master and there is no floppy drive.

im at a loss.
any suggestions?
 
the mb is a gigabyte ga-p35 & there is no "press any key to boot from cd" option while booting
 
I was recently unable to install XP 32bit to my Q6600 + 4GB RAM + Asus P5B-E on SATA disc (even with drivers slipstreamed to ISO) - after 2 days I gave up and installed it in VMware (without problems).....
 
the HD shows in the bios as being picked up?

is there another option, not only boot order, but boot disk priority? can you turn on boot from other devices?
 
hd shows up in bios
also the 1st device under boot priority
i dont have AHCI enabled.

still not working.
 
This is gonna sound silly but going back to A+ troubleshooting 101:
How is the drive partitioned?
Have you tried doing a clean install on a known working drive?
Have you set the HD as the only boot device and listened for the beeps?
Try a different port?

Also take a look at this thread:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1216988
 
I would try getting a utility from the drive manufacturer or something like gdisk to completely wipe the drive and zero it out, including the mbr. Then, make sure the ports are set to IDE mode in the BIOS, and try to reinstall. It's an Intel chipset, so it shouldn't need any drivers in IDE mode.
 
i'd formatted the hd again, tried dif sata ports, tested the memory...

it's running in native ide and achi/raid is disabled

no dice
 
Try it with AHCI enabled and use the F6 method to install drivers during install. I've seen some people complaining about not being able to install XP in IDE mode on P35/ICH9R boards.
 
hifimono said:
ive been trying to get xp on a friend's computer and after it copys the setup files over from the cd and configures it it goes to reboot.
when i have the hd set as the 1st boot device it just restarts...
when i have the cdrom set as the 1st boot device, it says 'boot from cd' and goes back into the initial setup.

the drive is formatted ntfs, the hs is sata, the cdrom is 2ndary master and there is no floppy drive.

im at a loss.
any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Is this a new computer or did you just get a new hard drive? One thing I would check is the memory timings in the bios, make sure that the memory is getting enough voltage, also check the power supply, it is possible that it might not be getting enough power(swap his power supply into your computer if needed).
 
DeaconFrost said:
I would try getting a utility from the drive manufacturer or something like gdisk to completely wipe the drive and zero it out, including the mbr. Then, make sure the ports are set to IDE mode in the BIOS, and try to reinstall. It's an Intel chipset, so it shouldn't need any drivers in IDE mode.
Click to expand...
I second that if my suggestion doesn't apply to your problem. I have had hard disks that refused to install windows or work with it until I wrote zeroes to the disk.
 
new computer
ran memtest, everything passed
no floppy drive
unsure how to write all zeros to the drive

tried enabling AHCI but it won't load windows setup even for my to press F6

bios has not been updated
current bios is F6
 
DBan will zero the drive for free, but if it's a large drive, it can take forever...

How long did you let Memtest run? A minimum of four hours is recommended.
 
just flashed to F11 and i am formatting the drive in winxp setup now.


could there be some weird boot priority since the dvdrom drive is on an IDE cable and the hd is on a SATA cable????


dban didn't want to erase my drive.
 
i deleted the partition and created a new one... smaller so i could utilize xpressrecovery
formatted... xp cd setup.... rebooted

and now it works.

guess i just needed to update the bios and delete the old partition.

thanks for the help.
 
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