New SYstem will not boot... period!

[indireneedofhelp]

Hi there,

My first time posting anything on a forum so here goes, I'll spare you too many details as this is a long and incredibly frustrating story about trying to get my new build to boot from CD. Basically I a new system, could not get it to boot from my DVD writer or DVD Rom (both IDE) despite trying the following:

every imaginable boot configuration in the bios
testing both drives in a different system (worked)
trying 5 different IDE cables
tried every conceivable jumper combination
trying the XP CD in 2 different computers (works)
taking sticks of ram out and leaving only one 2GB stick
taking everything out apart from DVD ROM
Same as above but with DVD writer
Same as both of above but with a SATA HDD drive in
Resetting CMOS
RMAd first board (ASUS M4A78 plus, ASUStek suspected faulty IDE controller) - replacement exactly same.
ASUStek took me through all the above again and could not get me an answer
RMAd second board and got a GIGABYTE MA785G-UD3H RT - Guess what, same but slightly different!
Third time rebuilding and losing mind!!!!

Now, the only thing I can thing it could be is that he disk I am using is a burned ISO image - I work for the Cal State University system and they kindly let us have copies of campus software for our home systems under their licenses - but the same disk works (actually I've had two of them because I first suspected the disk was faulty, neither have booted) in my other two machines. So what the heck is going on? It's been 3 weeks now and I am absolutely at my wits end! I read somewhere that ISO disks may not be bootable, is this true? Is there anyone else out there who has experienced this or anything like it? Please please help me!

 

[jsc]

Is the system successfully POSTing (a single short beep)? If not:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-read-posting-boot-problems

If you do get the single short beep, test your Windows disk in another system to make sure it works.

 

[jitpublisher]

It is likely the way the ISO disc is being made.
There is a specific way the disc must be burned or it will not be bootable, I have read similiar problems that other university students have had when they try to do the same thing. I seriously doubt that what you are trying to do is 100% legal, probably the reason the ISO image is burned without the NTLDR bootstrap.
When you place the disc into a system with Windows already installed, it can pickup the bootstrap from the other drive, and continue to load.
Just for fun, unplug the hardrives drives in your other computers, and see if the disc will boot. If it will, then you know for sure the CD ISO image is complete with the loader files. If it won't boot when you unhook the other drives, you have found the problem.

 

[indireneedofhelp]

Thank you guys, I strongly suspect it is as jitpublisher says, there's no bootstrap on the desk (been into it and can't find the files) so only works on machines where windows is already installed. Through me for a curve, all that effort and it was the disk, aaargh! MS is offering windows 7 for students for $29.99 so I think it may be time, for that price who's arguing! Just means I have to wait until the end of the month but what's another 3 weeks eh!

 

[btjpaul]

If u had two dvd drives in ur system and these same two shows in bios than it may be problem in ur dics. OR If one dvd drive shows in bios than take out one and reboot ur pc after install window put ur dvd drive back. I think this works for u. I think This is the problem when a pc wont boot up. I had a same problem and it solved.

 

[scatrdfew]

Thank you guys, I strongly suspect it is as jitpublisher says, there's no bootstrap on the desk (been into it and can't find the files) so only works on machines where windows is already installed. Through me for a curve, all that effort and it was the disk, aaargh! MS is offering windows 7 for students for $29.99 so I think it may be time, for that price who's arguing! Just means I have to wait until the end of the month but what's another 3 weeks eh!

Linux is free and you can get it immediately! As long as you're not gaming, there isn't much you can't do with it. Try it out while you wait for 7... you might like it

 

[btjpaul]

If u installed 2 dvd drives,take 1 out than ur cd boot up I think this works 4u.