Microsoft windows XP fails to boot up.

[Centurion]

When I am trying to insall windows Xp it won't boot up. I inserted my original windows xp cd and after the message: windows is loading your computer
s hardware configuration nothing happens. Instead of blank screen I should get Windows Setup screen where I can choose wheather I want to repair or insall clean copy.

I've also tried booting from the harddrive but with no luck. I have 2 partitions. 1 that already has windows xp on it and another one that has no data on it and it hasn't been formatted.

Whatever I do I get blank screen.
Is there way I can still remove all data and install clean OS on my HDD?
Or can I even save some files.

Please reply as soon as possible. Any help is appreciated.!
 

[dahlarbear]

1.  Hard Disk Drive.  Ensure the hard disk drive is functional:
    a.  Does your computer BIOS see and correctly identify it?
    b.  Does the disk activity LED (if present) show any activity or do you hear any disk activity?
    c.  Have you run diagnostics on the drive?  Go to hard drive manufacturer's website and look for diagnostic software that's compatible with your drive's make, model, and possibly interface.  They usually provide diagnostic software that runs from a bootable floppy or CD.

[Centurion]

My hardware seems to work correctly  but I seem to think  that my computer fails to boot from any CD because I've tried like 3 of them and none of them actually worked. I also got a CD from my mate and it worked on his PC, it booted up nicely but It doesn't work on my computer.

I do get a chance to choose from where I want to boot, from CD or from HD but all I get is flashing cursor left on top of the screen.

Is my BIOS screwed and what can I do? I've already restored BIOS defaults.

[dahlarbear]

I inserted my original windows xp cd and after the message: windows is loading your computers hardware configuration nothing happens.

From this I assume you successfully booted from a CD.  You just weren't able to continue with the Windows XP installation.

My hardware seems to work correctly...

I don't know what this means.  Why do you think the hardware seems to work correctly...

1.  Hard Disk Drive.  Ensure the hard disk drive is functional:
    a.  Does your computer BIOS see and correctly identify it?
    b.  Does the disk activity LED (if present) show any activity or do you hear any disk activity?
    c.  Have you run diagnostics on the drive?  Go to hard drive manufacturer's website and look for diagnostic software that's compatible with your drive's make, model, and possibly interface.  They usually provide diagnostic software that runs from a bootable floppy or CD.

[Centurion]

From this I assume you successfully booted from a CD.  You just weren't able to continue with the Windows XP installation.

I don't know what this means.  Why do you think the hardware seems to work correctly...

1. BIOS Identifies the brand and size of the harddrive.
2. Red disk activity light is shining like a star when I'm trying to boot from HDD
3. I haven't tried the diagnostics stuff because I have no other computer that could be able to burn a bootable CD or burn at all.

[patio]

Is this a Geniune XP CD ? ?

[Centurion]

Yes, I worked my bottom off to buy it.

But that's not the point, the point is that it doesn't boot any cds or dvds.

I only know that my HDD is 3M Maxtor 6V160E0 and I don't know if the info is good enough to search for diagnostic tools. I found something but I'm not sure if that's the correct one.

[patio]

But it can be the point...
It's the most common reason we see here when an optical drive will not boot.

Swap in another optical drive to test...

[Centurion]

What do you mean with that Sorry, but I'm inexperienced
Please explain a bit

[patio]

I mean that many times when people that post here with issues of not being able to boot from CD it turns out often they are trying a copied XP CD (or other) instead of the real thing...

[Centurion]

Yes but it's genuine and it's colorful and shiny CD i even got a little manual with it and a sticker too...

I used to boot successfully from this CD about 1 year ago or even less.

May the problem be in the BIOS settings?

[patio]

If it is giving you the choice it doesn't sound like that's it...
It won't hurt to double check however...
Set the order to :

Floppy
CDROM
HDD

Press F10 to save changes and exit and answer Y if prompted.

[Centurion]

I did it and all I got was the coice:

Choose device to boot from:

Boot from HDD
Boot from CD


Doesn't matter which I choose. I end up getting blank screen.

[patio]

Doesn't make sense...
Can you borrow another bootable CD of any flavor ?
Were there any issues with this CD drive prior to this ?
Do you have another CD drive you can swap in there ?

[Centurion]

I know It's weird...
So far I've tried to boot 4 CDs and all of them give me the "choose boot device" menu but after that the screen goes black.

Those CDs were:

1. Windows XP (Genuine)
2. Windows 98 (Genuine)
3. Windows 2000 (Copy)
4. Some anothe CD that was meant to crack the XP and give me access everywhere. My firend who is *censored* good at computers gave me this CD and tested it on his pc. It worked correctly there... But failed on my PC.
Unfortunately he doesn't know either where's the problem.

And no, this CD drive has worked perfectly since I bought this computer... No problems what so ever.

I do have another CD drive but that means taking two computers apart and switching CD drives. And this CD drive can read only CDs, no DVDs supported.

I personally think that it's HDD's fault. Because I somehow created a new partition. It has 2 partitions.

1st partition: Has windows XP on it, and some of my files.
2nd partition: Nothing on it, it's even not formated.

But I'm wondering why it doesn't boot up from HDD if there's totally correct XP.