Trobleshooting

I have a problem install Windows xp

Let me tell you what I have tried

1.I have a bootable CD which is Windos XP. When I set up CDMOS to boot from CD-ROOM. CD-Room did not boot.

2.the second way, I tried to boot a startup disk, Windos 98, from a floppy drive so that I can use Fdisk or Format command to delete, create, or format a partition, but it did not work to me too.
When I deleted and created a partition, it did not show a message to create one or two partitions. After I chose option the number one, which create a primary partition, I saw two partitions, Drive C and D without asking me to creating another drive. It did not show a message "Do you want to create a extented or logical partition?" I tried to do it again many time, but it is still the same as what I told you. Sometimes, I can delete a primary partition, but a extented partition, I can not. It seemed to me that it was strange. Although it did not ask me to create an extented or logical partition, and it showed me two drives, C and D, I decided to format C from A to get system files. It did not work. It showed a message that "disk unusable. Formtat terminated." Another messages showed Error track 0. Ther is no bad sectors... C was not formated. I did not understand the erro message. I still did not know why I can not use a startup disk to formart C drive.

At first, I though that after I formated C, I would copy all files in I386 to C. Then, I would be able to set up Windows, but what I expected did not work due to no formarted drive on C.

3. the last choice, I have to find a software like DM (disk magic) to format C drive, but I still can not use this software to format C drive.

4. Oh, another way, I tried to connect a Hard disk drive to another computer which is working, but I can not take the Hard disk off because this Hard disk was locked, and I did not have a key to unlock. Regarding the computer which is working normally, I did not know how to take off the Hard disk too because it has a lock security. Only a maintanance person know how to unlock it, so the way was not work to me too.

Now, I am thinking to use a parallel cable to connect from a computer to another computer. I am not sure that if a computer has no windows on its' Hard disk drive, and another computer has windows, can I connect from the computer to another computer? Does the computer having windows reconizes the Hard Disk drive of another computer, which has no windows on this Hard Disk drive?

Anyway, do you know another way beside my way to fix my marchine?

Hello virak
Booting from the Windows XP CD is the easiest way to go, and I would spend some time trying to find out why that doesn't work. Are you sure the CD drive works okay with other CDs, and did you make sure that in the boot order list in the BIOS the CD drive comes at the top and definitely before the hard disk? You could also try putting the CD into another machine to see if it boots from it just in case you have a faulty CD.
The problems you had with Fdisk sound like the version you used was an older one that couldn't work with the types of partitions it found on your disk. In cases like that I tend to use a third-party program such as Partiton Magic to delete all the partitions, then I stick Windows 98 on the disk and then use that as a platform for upgrading to the version of Windows I want.
Let us know how you get on

If your bootable CD can boot from other machines, and you are sure the BIOS boot order has CD on top. Then try replacing that CD drive with an other one, I have seen some drives which simply won't boot what ever you do. And they still work :!:

If your bootable CD can boot from other machines, and you are sure the BIOS boot order has CD on top. Then try replacing that CD drive with an other one, I have seen some drives which simply won't boot what ever you do. And they still work :!:

Yes, i have come across this issue aswell. I downloaded a later version of FDISK to delete all the partitions on the drive (including the non-dos partitions, any that i have problems with i use DELPART.EXE.

The later version of FDISK (The Windows ME Version) can handle partitions upto 64Gig but after that it also struggles. Microsoft have released another updated version of FDISK that you can download which will do larger then that.

For more information take a look at this site fdisk.radified.com/fdisk_partition.htm