Forcing XP Pro to install on a specific drive?

[High1]

Hello

I have bought a new hard drive (F) which now sits next to my default drive (C) on which I have Win XP Home.

The new drive is formatted and I now wish to install XP Pro on it. I have tried to force this issue by removing the cables from my C drive and attaching only my new F drive so that the installation process can only see my new drive, but I get an 'NTDLR is missing' message at startup.

What else might I try to ensure XP Pro sits neatly in its own drive and averts any possibility of overwriting my XP Home edition?

Thanks.

Steve

[patio]

Make sure there are no CD's or floppies in the drives and re-boot.
Check to see if the drive is recognised by the BIOS by entering setup at boot time.
While you are in setup set the boot device order to CD first; floppy second and HDD third.
If this drive has not been formatted it will not be recognised by Windows or a Windows install CD.
You didn't mention what type of HDD this is...if it's IDE it needs to be jumpered temporarily as master for the XPPro install.

More details before we go too much further in this process...

[High1]

Hello Patio

Thanks for your post.

Yes, it's an IDE drive and it has been formatted.

There is a CD in the CD-ROM drive (the Win XP Pro installation CD), but I'll remove it as you suggested.

In BIOS I can see: Primary Drive Maxtor HDD (0)
                              Slave Hitachi HDD (0)

Both show 'Auto' in the BIOS.

What then would you suggest? Set CD first in the BIOS, remove the cables to the C (primary) drive, then insert the XP Pro installation CD and try to install to my new (F) drive?

Cheers again.

Steve

[patio]

if it's IDE it needs to be jumpered temporarily as master for the XPPro install.

Unhook the other IDE hard drive then proceed with the above...
In this setup you will need to select which drive to boot from after you finish the installation using the BIOS setup as they will be invisible to each other but will be able to share files etc...
This is how you want it correct ? ?
If so proceed.
The other HDD should stay unplugged until you have everything set up to your liking including drivers hardware and programs.

[High1]

Hello Patio

As soon as I remove the cables from the primary disk I get the: 'NTDLR is missing' error. The only option it then gives me is Ctrl + Alt + Del to restart - then it gives me the same error.

Or do you mean remove the cables and then jumper the secondary drive (the new one I want Win XP Pro on) in order to avoid this error?

Thanks

Steve

[High1]

Hello

Further to my post yesterday, I had to connect the cables (to both drives).

I'm not sure if I have connected them up correctly, as I now see the ASUS screen, with the usual Press [Tab] to show [POST] screen etc at the bottom of the screen.

The boot up process now goes no further than than and I am unable to get to the BIOS.

I do not get an error message.

Thanks for any further help you may be able to offer.

Steve