Problems with Set Up Utility

[booklady2008]

I am having trouble accessing the set up utility.  Is there any other way to run the set up utility aside from using the XP installation disk?  If you download a separate program can you do this from DOS?  If so, how do you boot to DOS?

Thank you!

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

What Set Up Utility is this?

[booklady2008]

What Set Up Utility is this?

The utility to reformat the hard drive.

[Broni]

Boot from Windows CD.

[JJ 3000]

Unfortunately, you will need a XP CD to format your hard drive

If you do not have a CD you may be able to reinstall XP from a burned CD. If you have a sticker on the side of your machine with the product key then you can use another disk. Just make sure it's the same version (home edition, professional, media center etc..) as the one that you already have on you hard drive.

Do you have your product key?
Do you know anyone with an XP CD?

If you dont have your product key, Windows will let you format(erase) your drive but you cannot reinstall your operating sytem!

[booklady2008]

We tried that but it bypasses it - it doesn't detect it.  Could it be that the CD may not be a bootable CD?

[JJ 3000]

Did you change the BOOT ORDER in BIOS?

[Broni]

Check BIOS for boot order.

[booklady2008]

Unfortunately, you will need a XP CD to format your hard drive

If you do not have a CD you may be able to reinstall XP from a burned CD. If you have a sticker on the side of your machine with the product key then you can use another disk. Just make sure it's the same version (home edition, professional, media center etc..) as the one that you already have on you hard drive.

Do you have your product key?
Do you know anyone with an XP CD?

If you dont have your product key, Windows will let you format(erase) your drive but you cannot reinstall your operating sytem!

Yes, we do have a legitimate product key, however, the computer manufacturer did not provide an install disk so we had to use a burned copy on CD.  Could it be that it is a non-bootable CD?

[booklady2008]

Did you change the BOOT ORDER in BIOS?

Yes, we did change the boot order.  This is sooooo frustrating!   

[JJ 3000]

Did you make an exact copy of the disk?
If your computer has two CD drives make sure you are putting the CD in the MASTER drive (usually the top one).
By the way, do you have your data, that you want to save, backed up?

[booklady2008]

Did you make an exact copy of the disk?
If your computer has two CD drives make sure you are putting the CD in the MASTER drive (usually the top one).
By the way, do you have your data, that you want to save, backed up?

Yep, it is an exact copy.
Yep, in the master drive.
Yep, did back up everything.

Thanks though.

[JJ 3000]

Can you hear the disk spinning in the drive? This may be a problem with the hardware. When was the last time any CD worked in that drive?

Also, make sure you are SAVING changes when you exit setup.

[JJ 3000]

Is the old insallation of XP completely unbootable?
You can start up you computer and wait for your operating sytem to load and then insert the CD and perform an install that way.

[patio]

Gentlemen...he has a COPY of an XP CD....that's why it isn't booting to it.

You are going to need to find an XP CD that has shiny holograms and says Microsoft all over it for this to work.