XP CD works BUT wont boot

[visitor]

when I bought this laptop,it was in a very good condition, but the OS has problems. No problem I said: one can always FORMAT and reinstall. The guy gave me all the docs and all tha CDs including manufacturer XP CD. tested the CD (from within windows)on my PC worked fine and checked that the serial no. is the same serial on the sticker at the bottom of the laptop. so far so good. Now I have managed to format the laptop hard drive and want to fresh install only to find that the CD wont boot. Bios boot order is ok and the laptop boots from Me Cd. The XP CD autorun works from within windows normaly. is there any way, method or tricks to force it to boot so that I can install XP( I want NTFS not FAT32) . Thank you

[Dan Perez]

If you have simultaneous access to both floppy and CD drive you might see if you can create boot floppies that it can start the install from. In Win2K, there was a "makeboot" directory on the CD to create these floppies so you might look for that.

[visitor]

Thanks. but that is good only for FAT32 not NTFS

[Dan Perez]

Mmmm, I don't think so. It is possible they made a very drastic change since NT or Win2K but I don't think so. THese are just boot disks to load the necessary drivers so the OS Setup on the CD can be accessed properly. THis is well before you indicate what file system you want to use

[visitor]

even if it is possible. sorry I didn't mention that the laptop has CD drive (combo) only.

[Dan Perez]

Okay, another alternative is to use a boot floppy with CD drivers and format the drive FAT32, transfer the contents of the CD to the drive and start the setup process from there. You can then convert the drive to NTFS during or after the setup

[visitor]

Convert keeps cluster size same as fat. 512b
format ntfs makes it 4kb (4096). there is a different I'm not expert to explain it but I have delt with it and felt it.same as FAT.

[controler]

Doesn't appear your XP CD is bootable. maybe a copy?

Anyway go to Bootisk.com and download the Bootable floppies ;)

[visitor]

thank you. floppy!!!!No help. coz its a laptop with DVD(combo) only

[Dan Perez]

Yeah, it may be that if the CD is a copy your problems are due to that. Also, I have seen instances where even though the boot order is correct that it will not boot off of some CDs and changing the order of items listed after the CD sometimes works around this. I know this sounds ridiculous but I have encountered this on multiple occasions. So , if you CD is listed first in the boot order and then your hard drive and then network you might swap the latter two, leaving the CD first.

It sounds a lot like Voodoo, I know, but I have seen that work on occasion. Otherwise, if you are set on having a larger cluster size you will need to get your hands on a external hard drive or external cd to accomplish your load.

[visitor]

For the future, please. How can I tell that a CD is a copy when I see that the manufacture's logo is imprinted on it.

[Dan Perez]

Usually when it is a copy it is quite obvious as it does not have any holograph markings that Microsoft has on their CDs nowadays but some copies even go so far as to include the holograms. Often times the best indicator is the source from which you obtained them. If you got the product from a small storefront or web site that had prices significantly lower than the others you encountered elsewhere than that is a good indicator it is a pirated copy.

Still it is not a sure-fire method of determining the legitimacy of the product.

If it does have a hologram there is a fair probability it is legitimate.

[visitor]

but manufacturer's OEM has no holograph on them, nothing except manufacturer's name or logo. in front of me a "fuitsu siemens" xp cd it has the logo and info about how to use it. this cd came within the PC packge. so how can I tell its not a copy. it ids defently a copy done by the manufacturer from an original and then given a serial according to contract between them and microsoft. (this is the way I see it). this I think explains why I got a bad CD from the manufacturer of the laptop.

[HandsOff]

I have had that happen to me to. Recall that XP can be installed as an upgrade to any handy windows version you have lying around (hopefully you have something) then install older windows and use your XP disk to upgrade.

Sounds sort of off the wall, but i pretty much am only concerned with results, and figuring XP problems in general can be a pretty collosal waste of time.

-Good Luck!

-Hands Off