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Problems Booting from CD and Reinstalling Windows

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12 replies

by kennyg204

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My goal is to reformat, and reinstall Windows XP.

I am using a custom machine so there is no DELL or HP support here.

I have been able to boot from CD and install/format Windows XP before.

I have a "bootable data disc" burned with Power2GO: http://www.cyberlink.com/products/power2go/overview_en_US.html

Here is how every boot attempt goes:

When I start up, it goes to my Motherboard start-up screen.
-
In my Bios I have the boot order set to CDROM before anything else
-
After it lists all the devices it says these 2 lines:
"
BOOT FROM CD:
BOOT FROM CD:
"
-
(When I first installed it said, press any key to boot from CD. This time it does not"
-
Then it goes to the OS selection screen where there are 2 options:
"
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows Setup
"
-
The setup brings me to a blank or black screen with the blinking underscore or cursor.
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I have even let that run overnight but to no avail.
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Microsoft Windows brings me to a normal start up with the Windows Logo and the loading bars under it. Then it proceeds to load up into itself fully functioning and everything.
-
The End.

I have tried this with every combination of:
PowerISO, Power2Go, CD, DVD, .iso File, and the uncompress Files of the .iso File.

12 replies

by older mycroft

Essentially ~if I've got this correct~ you've got an install disc that won't install, but at the same time you've got a perfectly functional install of Windows XP.

Now if you've got a functional installation, why do you want to format and reinstall?

by kennyg204

Well... I... Kinda deleted some important registry keys and now cannot access the internet and this virus kinda deleted all my system restore points. So, Im boned if I dont want to do something offline.

by shasca

It is either the drive is no longer reading media, or the disc is smudged or scratched.

by kennyg204

The drive is capable of still reading and writing media and the Discs are visually spotless

by shasca

That is very odd behaviour for perfectly functioning hardware then?

Have you tried the same disc in another PC to verify? Couldn't hurt in eliminating possible issue.
What do you suspect it is? You did the build?

by kennyg204

I tried on another PC that is very old and its bios does not recognize its disc drives as bootable devices but the Disc did not work anyway.
I have no idea, I did do the build and the hardware seems to be operating finely. I am trying different Windows XP "Builds" with other programs.

by kennyg204

Problem solved, I used Nero to burn a CD and it works now. Thank You all.

by shasca

Thanks for letting us know the fix.

by seanferd

with Power to go? What method did you use to make it? (How did you copy or modify the setup files before burning to CD?)

If this setup CD you made has been tested prior to this installation attempt, it is possible that the failure is in the boot loader not properly calling the setup boot. Have you tried typing
setup.exe
(or the whatever name of the setup loader) from a command line?

by kennyg204

Thank you for your input, but I have solved the case of the crappy DVD Writing Program by using Nero instead of the other ones.

Problem Solved

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