Installing Operating System on a new Hard Drive! Help please!!

[hollowheresy]

Hi, I have a computer that has been without a hard drive for a few years.  I just bought a new hard drive, and am trying install Windows XP onto it. 

The problem is that neither my cd-drive or my dvd-drive is reading the installation disc.  I tried using a boot disk (floppy drive), but the universal drivers still aren't helping recognize the cd/dvd drives.  I even went into config.sys and changed the drive from cd1, to cd2, cd3, and cd4 to try the other drivers from the boot disk.

Here is the website I got the bootdisk from.  http://www.bootdisk.com/pop1343.htm

If anybody can help, that would be great.  Thank you!

[circadesign]

1. dos your machine read any other cd or dvd if yes then follow this
2. use seperate data cable for cd rom and hdd

that should solve the problem and you will be able to boot also chk the boot sequence in bios first boot should be cd / dvd and second HDD0 disable all other boot options disconnect printers and any other USB Device attached.

[Silencer_RPMs]

yes circa is right. check the boot sequence in the bios. ok so lemme get this straight. you can detect your drives in the bios but they don't recognize the cd? or is it that your drives aren't being recognized by your computer?