Unable to boot from Windows CD

[Mooseus]

Recently, I decided to reformat my PC. When I put the Windows cd into my computer, it told me that it couldn't install windows because the one on my pc was a newer version. I then had to go into the "boot order" to change it so I could boot from the windows cd. After doing this the computer prompted me to "press any key" to boot from the cd. I tried to do so but it just kept going back into Windows.

I then thought that maybe I should install Linux and in the process, remove Windows from my pc. I would then install windows over linux. I was able to boot linux from a cd I had of it and installed it. In fact I'm currently typing this on Linux. Afterwards, I tried to install windows again but was again prompted with the "press any key to boot from cd" screen which didn't respond to my pressing of keys.

I have no idea what to do now, so I was wondering if anyone can offer some help?

 

[Win2kpatcher]

hmmm...well it for sure knows you have a winodws cd in the drive and that it is bootable...you have a differnt keyboard you could try possibly? or even putting the windows cd in another cd-rom drive if you have more than one?

That other message you were getting simply means say i.e. you had service pack 2 installed and now you are trying to repair it with a XP SP1 CD it wont let you down grade. I am not sure if that applies to a service pack that is applied over the install, but i know it applies to a slipstreamed version.

 

[penfold]

Is your keyboard PS2 or USB?

If you have a USB keyboard and don't have USB support turned on in the BIOS, your keyboard will not be able to respond. This is usually the cause of that problem.

 

[Mooseus]

Thanks everyone, I managed to solve that problem - I just needed to swap keyboards. The current problem now is I need to install drivers for my hard drive. I can only use floppy discs (which is no problem because I have an external floppy drive) but there are two discs that I need to use. When I restart the PC and first get into the "specify hard drive drivers screen" it's fine and the computer can read the disc. The problem rises because I need to change discs and for some reason the computer doesn't read what's on the second floppy- it still thinks that the first floppy is in there. Is there some sort of way of
"refreshing" the screen so the PC realises there's a completetly different floppy disc?

Any other ideas of doing this would also be great.

 

[Win2kpatcher]

What do you need to load drivers for the hard drive for? Is it like a SATA drive or something that isnt being detected when you try to install windows?

 

[Mooseus]

Yeah its a SATA drive and for some reason Windows can't detect it unless it has the drivers.

 

[Win2kpatcher]

Ok..just makin sure..you actually dont need drivers for the hard drive, but for the SATA controller..sooo..what you actually need to do is get your motherboard CD and look for SATA Driver disk creation tool that should be on the splash screen as an option somewhere..this is assuming this is a custom build rig? Then this will make the floppy disk for you with the SATA driver you need which at the point of the install you push F6 to load SCSI/RAID drivers and it will find the driver on the floppy, which you can then proceed with the install of XP.

Alternatively you can slip stream your SATA drivers into the windows CD itself so that it will be detected and loaded while running the presetup. Sometimes the floppy is the quickest route however.