[XgenAdam]

Well a couple of months ago i brought lots of second hand hardware, i recently have started putting it all together and am now at the point that i can turn it on and access the bios (before anyone asks I am a total noob when it comes to things like this) and as the computer starts up it goes to the start windows normally or in safe mode screen (there was already an OS installed and i want to reformat it) without checking the other devices for a boot source. My windows dis is on a CD.

im not sure if the problem is that the cd drive is not registering ( i think i plugged everything in correctly but im not too sure as i said this is the first time ive tried something like this)

can anyone help?

[serverguy]

I think that you need to change the boot order in the BIOS so as the computer will look to the CD rather than the HD when it boots up.

To do this go into the BIOS and somewhere under one of the tabs there will be options on boot order. You want to set the primary boot drive to your CD Drive rather than the HD which I presume you have it set at at the moment.

I can't be more specific on these settings unless I know more about your Motherboard.

Once this is done, put the first CD in the drive and then restart the PC. It will turn on and should first check to see if there is a bootable CD in the drive. It should recognize the XP disc as bootable and give say 'Press any key to boot from CD'.

Press any key and you will soon have the XP install wizard.

If the drive doesn't show up in the BIOS then I expect it is not connected right. If this is the case then you need to check the jumpers and how it is connected (Master / Slave / Channel)

[pete21]

im not sure wot ur askin help for really hehe check your cd drive is showing up in bios if it is then uv pluged evrything in ok..try the jumpers on the bk of the cd drive som have them som dnt...try each jusmper till it shows up in MY COMPUTER if still nothin id try a new cd drive if thats ur problem

id also recomend gettin your hands on a dvd drive as your goin to put new o/s on it will be mutch better if not faster hope this helps :)
www.myPCbuild.piczo.com

[XgenAdam]

Originally Posted by pete21 im not sure wot ur askin help for really hehe check your cd drive is showing up in bios if it is then uv pluged evrything in ok..try the jumpers on the bk of the cd drive som have them som dnt...try each jusmper till it shows up in MY COMPUTER if still nothin id try a new cd drive if thats ur problem id also recomend gettin your hands on a dvd drive as your goin to put new o/s on it will be mutch better if not faster hope this helps :) www.myPCbuild.piczo.com

i cant get to my computer as every time the previous os attempts to rum the system restarts, when the system boos up initially it detects the hard drive, floppy drive, but I cant tell with the CD drive... In the bios setting I have it to automatically detect the pimary and secondary slaves. There are jumpers on the back of the cd drive and the hard drive as well as in various places throughout the mother board

[serverguy]

I am a bit confused now but I think that you need to change from automatically select boot order to boot from CD Drive first.

It still sound to me as if its not looking at the CD Drive on boot.

[XgenAdam]

Originally Posted by serverguy I am a bit confused now but I think that you need to change from automatically select boot order to boot from CD Drive first. It still sound to me as if its not looking at the CD Drive on boot.

ive done that and its still not working, when it says looking for the cd it says not found, im not sure if that means that it cannot read the cd or that it is not registering that there is a cd drive there.

[serverguy]

Does the CD Drive show up in the BIOS?

If not you have a problem with either the drive or the way that it is connected up.