Fresh XP Install Help: Disc Boot Error, etc

Andelusion · 31 May 2007 at 14:56

Hi there, my housemate is trying to do a fresh install of windows, although he's having some problems.

He's just bought a new additional HDD (500GB Sata Western Digital), which runs alongside another WD 250GB drive, and a 74GB Raptor which he's installing XP on.

He's using an XP slipstream disc which has service pack 1 on.

He goes through the install as normal, XP installs fine, then when it comes to a reboot, he gets the following message in BIOS:

'Disc boot failure, insert system disc and press enter'

The computer boots fine if you leave the XP disc in, and we don't get this error.

Even if his OS HDD is as first boot device, it still tries to boot from CD, and gives the above error, if the disc isn't in the drive.

Can anyone help? Ta.

TheVoice · 31 May 2007 at 15:05

Have you set the hard-drive boot order correctly? There's probably a second boot priority list dedicated to the HDDs (mine has this), and so you'll need to put the Windows HDD at the top of that list.

If that doesn't work, try a BIOS reset and try it all again.

Andelusion · 31 May 2007 at 15:11

Hey, yeah tried that, the raptor is definately 1st in the HDD boot priority list, and I've done a CMOS reset.

MarcLister · 31 May 2007 at 19:51

Is this an nLite jobby by any chance? And why only SP1? Makes sense to get SP2 on there.

Andelusion · 31 May 2007 at 20:07

S'alright, we sorted it now

For some reason his computer didn't like the slipstream disc

DarkShadow · 31 May 2007 at 20:19

OT: Andelusion, check your email and get on msn. Ta

MarcLister · 31 May 2007 at 20:31

Andelusion said:
S'alright, we sorted it now For some reason his computer didn't like the slipstream disc

Thought that might be it. If he makes another disc give Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007 (free) a try or the free VirtualBox. You just set them up to emulate XP and give them some virtual RAM and HDD and then "mount" the iso and it can install as it would in real life. Any problems there and you can fix them before trying it fer real.