My PC will not start windows.
I have had my PC checked and the verdict is format the hard drive.

My ops is windows xp
Any advice to get me started would be appreciated

Insert XP CD and power up, follow instructions to install XP.

If you have a win98 boot floppy , boot your PC from the floppy by changing the bios configration and selecting the first boot device to floppy drive, :o if you don't have win98 boot floppy just make it by downloading the program from www.bootdisk.com , when your PC boot by flppy disc type
Format c:
It will say all the data will be erased just say yes your hard drive will be formattted , restart your computer , change the bios configration to cd as a first boot device , boot your PC with the winxp cd follow the instruction ,

Simple

Cheers :D

drali77:

If their system is formatted NTFS, that won't even come close to working as DOS doesn't recognize NTFS..

Mark:

Follow ScottG's advice as that is the proper and correct way to go with XP!

Murray

if you have a win98 boot floppy , boot your pc from the floppy by changing the bios configration and selecting the first boot device to floppy drive, :o if you dont have win98 boot floppy just make it by downloading the program from www.bootdisk.com , when your pc boot by flppy disc type
format c:
it will say all the data will be erased just say yes your harddrive will be formattted , restart your computer , change the bios configration to cd as a first boot device , boot your pc with the winxp cd follow the instruction ,

simple

cheers :D

Its nice to want to help, but please be more careful about the advice you give. It was incorrect on several counts.

1) As Murray mentioned, if the drive was set to NTFS, that wouldn't work.
2) There is NO need for a floppy to enter the CMOS (not BIOS) setup. The opportunity to enter CMOS Setup occurs before a boot drive is checked for.
3) The XP CD has a repair option that may fix the problem without losing any data.

Inserting xp cd and powering up is not working.

What came on up was boot disk failure insert systems cd and press enter.

What that means is that your system is not set to boot from the CD (assuming you are using the correct XP CD). So you need to go into your CMOS setup (there should be instructions during powerup to press something to enter setup) and make sure the Boot Sequence is set to CD then hard drive.

If it is, then you aren't using the correct CD or its not a bootable CD.

Mark:

Is this an original XP cd or one someone made for you?

Murray

Thanks for the advice guys, I ll be more careful in the furture . :p

I think you don't have a bootable version of winxp. :rolleyes:

Cheers

I now have the original win xp setup cd.

When I first powered up it tried to install windows.
Message reads "cannot continue with setup as no disk drives are installed on my computer". :(

Sounds like either the drive may be totally crashed. Next thing to check is to go into the CMOS settings and see if the drive is listed there. If it isn't, then you need to check the cables and make sure they are properly connected and tight. If they are and the CMOS still doesn't recognize the drive, then its time to replace it.

If the CMOS does recognize the drive, but the XP CD still doesn't recognize it, then I would replace it.

I am not sure what to look for or where to find it?

Please explain!!

Is the CMOS the same as the BIOS?

Sounds like either the drive may be totally crashed. Next thing to check is to go into the CMOS settings and see if the drive is listed there. If it isn't, then you need to check the cables and make sure they are properly connected and tight. If they are and the CMOS still doesn't recognize the drive, then its time to replace it.

If the CMOS does recognize the drive, but the XP CD still doesn't recognize it, then I would replace it.

In the BIOS Utility Setup the Primary master has [auto] beside it.
Is this it?

In the BIOS Utility Setup the Primary master has [auto] beside it.
Is this it??

That indicates that the drive is set to Autodetect, I would have to see the exact screen but it sounds like its recognized.

I'm a purist. The BIOS is a ROM chip on your machine that interfaces between the CPU and other peripherals. The CMOS is a low power RAM chip that contains info the BIOS reads during the boot process. So in reality, it's a CMOS setup, not a BIOS setup. However, for some reason manufacturers and others think its more understandable to call it a BIOS setup.

Thanks again Scott
The formatting setup ran a bit further but stopped at "unable to format setup The disk maybe damaged"I guess that means replace the hd??

I am tired of repairing my computer all the time I would like to bye a new one.
What specs do you suggest?

I mainly use it for bookwork, games, downloading music, and internet surfing.
My budget is $500 to $800.I do not need fancy screens or keyboards just the tower.

Thanks again Scott
The formatting setup ran a bit further but stopped at "unable to format setup The disk maybe damaged"I guess that means replace the hd???

I am tired of repairing my computer all the time I would like to bye a new one.
What specs do you suggest?

I mainly use it for bookwork, games, downloading music, and internet surfing.
My budget is $500 to $800.I do not need fancy screens or keyboards just the tower.

Do you have a CompUSA near you? They had a CompaqX gaming machine for under $900 that is an excellent buy. The key is what type of gaming you do. I would recommend an AMD64 based machine. HP has a few models that should fit your budget.