Install Windows XP Home

[bmf1987]

Hello I am new to all of this infact this is my first ever post on a forum of any sort.

I recently had my hardrive crash on my computer and a friend said he could "take care of that for me." So I let him have my slush box for a few days and I got it back. The only issue is it has Ubuntu or something installed on it and I have no F@@@ idea what I am doing. I would like to install windows XP home on it I have the disk I have the key but when I put the cd in and change all my bios settings to boot from CD it doesn't happen you can hear it spinning but no "install from Disk" or anything that anyone says is supposed to happen. I have since disintegrated the relationship with the friend who did this as he has moved. I have no other "techi" friends and I am extremely frustrated. I have a home built computer I built it in high school. and one more thing I don't have a floppy drive. So here goes.

A780G M2+ SE is my motherboard with the ATI hd3200 graphics and 2gb of ram. I have the manual here...

please help

 

[mailpup]

When you change the boot order in the BIOS, do you Save and exit (emphasis on Save).

Is this an IDE hard drive or SATA hard drive?

 

[bmf1987]

Yes

Yes I do click save. well I go to exit and select save and exit then push enter.

This is a SATA harddrive 140gb 7200rpm from what I remember.

 

[mailpup]

If you haven't already, when nothing happens with the Windows CD in the drive tray, try shutting down and restarting without removing the CD.

That said, without a floppy drive you might have a SATA driver installation problem. If so, you will need to make a slipstream CD assuming you get through the first problem.

 

[Archean]

You can avoid the need to having a SATA driver disk, provided if your BIOS provides 'SATA IDE Emulation" or something like similar. You will have to consult your motherboard manual and fiddle around with the settings to check this out.

Edit:
You need to go to Bios, then to IDE Configuration /and Primary IDE Master and have a look there; please remember or better yet write down whatever changes you make, so you can undo them if need be.

 

[bmf1987]

My cd drive is IDE

My cd drive is IDE and my hdd is sata does that make a difference?

 

[bmf1987]

I

I am still extremely lost, maybe I'll just go pay the hundred bucks for the computer guy to fix it.

 

[tengeta]

Try holding C on bootup, if your BIOS is old enough that kicks in into gear sometimes. I have an old machine like that and I always forget about it until I try 4 different OS disks.

 

[Archean]

Please download your motherboard's manual from here.

1. You need to Press Del to go into BIOS (press it when computer is powered on).
2. Look at the page number 5 of motherboard's manual; it explains basics of SATA/IDE settings page.