XP Boot disk/drive problems! Help!

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Anna Wrote:
> -
> "ninty_04" ninty_04.1sj5ps@pcbanter.net wrote in message
> news:ninty_04.1sj5ps@pcbanter.net...-
>
> I seem to be having problems with re-installing XP on my system. When
> I
> restart my system with my XP boot disk, instead of being taken to the
> usual screens for installation of XP I get this:
>
> Calderas [DR DOS]
>
> This is the program that loads instead of my boot disk. I get my pc
> to
> know that there is a boot disk in the system but [DR DOS] boots up
> instead. I eventally get some thing on screen like:
>
> [DR DOS]A:\
>
> I have no idea what this is or what it means. Any help would be much
> appreciated.
>
> I'll just add that this only happened after I had a big problem with
> my
> system files on the hard disk drive. I've been told to re-intall XP
> but
> I cant because my XP boot disk doesn't boot up properly. I know my XP
> boot disk works as I have only just re-installed XP 2 days ago (which
> ran fine until I uninstalled Office XP) then my system crashed.
>
> I'm trying to boot up my XP boot disk so that I can format the
> damaged
> partition. I don't even have an A:\ drive installed. All I have are
> these:
>
> (Primary Slave) 3GB Hard Drive
> (Secondary Slave) 80GB Hard Drive (which is set to be 32GB)
> (Primary Slave) CD-R/RW Drive
> (Primary Master) DVD-R/RW Drive
>
> I know my configuration is odd, but this is the only way to detect
> all
> the drives. I never knew why.
>
> Is there any way I can get my system to stop loading up [DR DOS] and
> just boot up via my XP boot disk. Cheers for any help!
>
>
> --
> ninty_04--
>
>
> "Ted Zieglar" teddyz@notmail.com wrote in message
> news:eipt65hjFHA.3316@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...-
> Are you using a retail Windows XP CD?
> --
> Ted Zieglar-
>
>
> ninty_04:
> As Ted infers, you should be booting up with the Windows XP
> installation
> disk in order to reinstall the XP operating system. Do you have one?
>
> But before we get to the reinstallation of the OS, let's discuss your
> hardware system...
>
> To say your configuration is "odd" is, to put it mildly, really odd...
>
> 1. You were booting to a 3 GB drive while you have a 80 GB drive
> installed?
> Or were you booting to the 80 GB drive?
> 2. Is there some reason why your 80 GB drive is not configured as a
> Primary
> Master so that you can boot to it?
> 3. Is there really any reason you need a 3 GB drive? It would seem a
> drive
> of such small capacity in today's XP environment is virtually useless,
> no?
> If there's important data on that drive that you need, couldn't you
> move it
> to the 80 GB one? Or if you do need a second HD for storage/backup
> purposes,
> would it be possible for you to purchase one, say 40 GB or so?
> 4. Why has that 80 GB drive been installed with the 32 GB limitation?
> Are
> you working with a motherboard so old that it can support drives only
> up to
> 32 GB? If so, you *really* need a more up-to-date motherboard to work
> in an
> XP environment. I would hope you could afford to purchase one if that
> is the
> case. If you know or can find out the make & model of your present
> motherboard, please pass that info on.
>
> BTW, you mention that you "don't even have an A:\ drive installed." I
> assume
> you're referring to a floppy drive, yes? If so, how were you able to
> try to
> bootup with that "XP boot disk"? Anyway, forget about that floppy disk,
> at
> least for the moment.
>
> So respond to the above and we'll go on from there.
> Anna

I see your point about the 3GB hard drive, so i'll get rid of it. As
for the floppy drive, there isn't one, period. Also, my 80 GB hard
drive -used- to use its full capacity, but I had problems with it so I
let a friend of mine configure my hard drive setup for me. As for my
boot disk, I meant that my boot disk was a retail version XP CD-ROM. My
mainboard make i'm not sure of yet, but i'll get back to you later on
with that one (after i've finished work at 2pm).


--
ninty_04