System continuously reboots when new HD installed and no OS installed Please help

supertipp

I have installed a new 80gb hardisk into a self built PC as old harddisk of same specification was only on loan to me.(i am

not an expert but everything had been working fine first time around for 2months).
I connected new hardisk with care,having correct jumper settings and it was detected first time in BIOS.
I proceded to begin installtion of Windows Xp,XP cd was detected and I selected the version I wanted.I was just about to

confirm installation when I decided I would abort session and try again later.
But ever since then on boot PC proceeds to continusously reboot automatically.It doesnt detect any cds including Windows

Installation cd or any floppy disk(I dont have boot disk to test).
I can get to BIOS and the Harddisk is still detected there,I have even tryed reseting it but it has made no difference.
I cant get option to change boot sequence or get to comand prompt(none of function keys seem to be detected(except to allow

me to get into BIOS).
I dont have other Hard disk to test at moment or any diagnostic tools to check is there anything else wrong(but i wouldnt

think so and everthing is connected as before).
I would appreciate if anyone can point me in right direction whether there is hardware failure with Harddisk or other or if

this is standard software issue as a result of aborting Windows XP installation abruptly.
I have ordered new hard disk but it will take week so I would hope there is something I can try in mean time.

Please help,I would really appreciate some help and advise.

p.s (i hope i havent confused things above i am trying to give as much details as possable)

Optikus

You need to set this new drive as master if you want to install Windows onto it. Enter the BIOS set CD as first boot device, restart with Windows CD inserted.. On the promt press any key to boot from CD, press any key. Then you should be be able to install the OS from the CD. After the first restart enter the BIOS again and set HDD 0 as first boot device and continue with installing windows.

stevenmu

I think it's the boot order, as Optikus described, is your problem. The first time you went to install windows there was nothing on your hard disk so the PC booted off the cd, now that there's something on your hard disk it's trying to boot windows from that but failing and rebooting. Setting the cd as the first boot device should sort it out.

rubadub

but he says

cant get option to change boot sequence or get to comand prompt

If this is true then you could try swapping the IDE cables around on the motherboard so the cd is now IDE 0

stevenmu

Ooops, didn't spot that part.

supertipp wrote:

I cant get option to change boot sequence or get to comand prompt(none of function keys seem to be detected(except to allow

me to get into BIOS).

Do you mean you can't change it in the BIOS or do you mean when it gives you the choice on boot up ? If it's the second one, you should be able to change the order permanently in the BIOS (when I say permanently I just mean untill you change it yourself again). The thing where you can pick which device to boot when you power on doesn't work very well for me anyway.

Caixa

Optikus wrote:

You need to set this new drive as master if you want to install Windows onto it. Enter the BIOS set CD as first boot device, restart with Windows CD inserted.. On the promt press any key to boot from CD, press any key. Then you should be be able to install the OS from the CD. After the first restart enter the BIOS again and set HDD 0 as first boot device and continue with installing windows.

It's probably best to do it with the primary/only operating system, but it is not necessary to install windows on a master drive.

Optikus

rubadub wrote:

but he says



If this is true then you could try swapping the IDE cables around on the motherboard so the cd is now IDE 0

Every modern BIOS has the boot sequence selecter in it. Look harder.

supertipp

Thanks lads i am goin to try all of above now(was away yesterday).
To the question about boot sequence i was unable to change it on boot up but i did change it in bios but made no difference

Optikus

Set the frist Boot Device to CD and leave the others blank see if this changes anything?