You are very close!
Go back and boot from the 98 bootdisk.
Run Fdisk
first delete all existing partitions
Make a new Partitions and make the first one Active
Format them Fat 32
You should be able to boot to the XP disk or start smartdirve again to get to XP
Just pay attention to the drive letter designations
Good luck

Installing OS after HD format

Yeah . . . been there, done that!! You probably reformatted with a DOS boot disk, and that may have created a RAM-disk, but won't recognize your other HDs or partitions. Anyway, you'll probably find that XP won't install directly to a DOS formatted HD.

First you need a DOS boot disk which will install CD drivers and then you will probably have to install Win-98 from its CD and upgrade to XP over the top.

At least that's how I had to do it.

Hey LL,

Ok so now I have gotten even farther and have just realized I have a hardware failure. So here is the low down.

I can get Win XP up and running in Setup. But my Disc drive is faulty. It spins up and stops, spins up and stops during the setup. Then setup says error installing files, different ones at different times. I know this is because of the disc drive not spinning up and running.

So I have the primary disc drive that came with the computer. I also have a 2nd drive which is a phillips cdrw. The ribbon cable has a connector at the very end and in the middle. The original drive that is the drive the computer boots to is plugged into the middle connector. The Phillips, is on the end. I first thought if I switch the slave and master jumpers I could use my Phillips, but no. Then I thought if I unplugged the original and just left the phillips plugged in it would boot to the phillips, but no.

The computer says cdr101 not installed or something like that when I have the original drive unplugged and does not recognize the phillips.

Thats when I realized that when the computer is booting it says cd installed and list some info about it during the boot up process, the original . So apparently there are no drivers or something in my computer to make the computer use the phillips.

So my question to you is:
1. what do I have to do to make my computer use my phillips drive?
2. Do I have to delete the boot up info about the original drive, and how?
3. Do I have to install something "drivers" to get the phillips to run?
4. How do I do all of this with my computer just booting to the a: and c: prompt with a formatted hard drive?

Now if I have to I can go buy a 20 dollar cdrom and install it if you think I need to.

If I can get past this hurdle I am done.

Thank you so very much for helping me,

Jimmy

Jimmy ;Unplug the ribbon cable from the HDD and the CD rom .
Place the Jumpers on both items to master.
Get a new ribbon cable ( 80 conductor)and connect the HHD on the 'end 'connector(master)only,. closest to the middle one.
The other end goes to the Primary connector on the Motherboard.
Make sure you check for the # 1 pin on each connection.
Do the same for the Cd rom ,but attach it to the secondary connection on the Motherboard.
If you have done this correctly you should have no problems loading your OS.

Is there any way for me to get my phillips cd/rw to run without purchasing a new ribbon cable? I mean what is wrong with the one I have. It does have 2 plug ins on it but I would think I could just plug in the phillips drive to it instead of the oem drive that came with the computer.

Also like I said when the computer boots up , you see information about the cdrom drive as its booting, info about it being installed and stuff. When I unplug it and just plug in the phillips it immediatly says cdr101 not installed. I assume this is because the computer is setup with drivers and crap to recognize this oem drive.

So is there no way to remove that information and enter the information for my phillips drive/?? if so how/??

As for the new ribbon cables, can I not use the ribbon cables that are in the computer now? I mean there is apparently one going to the HDD> and there is definatley one going from the HDD to the cdroms?

If I have to go this route where can I purchase these ribbon cables at a reasonable price.

One more question. I know that Basic CD ROM READERS are like 20 bucks. I have considered taking that phillips out and putting just a reader in it since my grandmother is only going to use the computer for word processing and has no need for a writer. If I go buy one of these drives will it have a ribbon cable in it or will it be possible for me to install it instead of the phillips?

LL Again, I cant express how much I appreciate all of your help. Forums are absoloutley awsome and you can meet some really nice people. I hope I am not taking up too much of your time, but you can bet your A** you are much appreciated HERE!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much,

Jimmy Overcast
Huntsville, Alabama

Ok so here is what me and my dad just tried.

Remember here is how things are setup.

Maxtor Hard Drive. Partitions deleted and Hard Drive Formated and 1 Primary Partion was made "Active"

OEM CDROM Drive in computer.
Phillips CDROM/Writer in Computer

No Operating System installed. Only can boot to c: prompt with startup disc.

Ok when I boot up my computer , Put my Windows disc in my OEM drive, goto setup , start setup, the setup begins. Apparently this CDROM drive is faulty. It spins up and stops, spins up and stops. This apparently in turn causes the setup to not install files correctly and errors develope and it pops up and tells you so and ask if you want to continue with the file with error left out or if you want to abort. Each time different files will have errors.

There is 1 ribbon cable with 1 connector on each end connected to the hard drive and mother borad.

There is 1 ribbon cable , 1 connector connected on one end to the Mother board, 2 connectors on the other end of the cable with one being on very end and another a couple inches in. The end connector is connected to my Phillips CD/RW drive and the middle connector is connected to the OEM Drive.

Ok, when you cut this computer on it recognizes the OEM drive while booting and says (DRIVE NAME) Installed. and continues to boot to a:

I have the Phillips Drive set as the Master and the OEM set as slave.

When it boots up the oem is recognized and phillips is not.

Now here is the freaky part to me.

I removed the oem drive. Only had the phillips in. When I boooted up it said cdrom not installed.

I removed another drive from another computer and put it in, same thing.

But I can put the oem drive back in and it immediatley finds it and you can put a disc in and it will go. Except it just wont spin up.

I may be ignorant when it comes to this ms dos stuff, but I know there has to be a way to put either one of my cd roms in or buy another inexpensive on and make this computer find it, recognize it so I can install my Win XP.

Now when I go into setup by hitting f1 when booting listed below are the options my computer gives me. I just want you to know everything I can tell you about this computer so maybe you can help me get a working cdrom in it so I can complete my task.

**********************************************************
Floppy Disc Options
Primary IDE Master(If you choose either of these it givesyou this option)
Primare IDE Slave (IDE DEVICE CONFIG>Auto Config or Disable)

Secondary IDE Master (If you choose either of these it givesyou this option)
Secondary IDE Slave (IDE DEVICE CONFIG > Auto Config or Disable)

Language

Boot Option

Video Mode

Mouse
**********************************************************
Advanced Tab

Periphial Config

Advanced Chipset

Power Management

Plug and Play
**********************************************************

So thats it. I am just confused as heck. I have put the OEM and Phillips in. I have made the phillips the master, the oem the slave and vice versa. I have unplugged the OEM completely , hooked up the phillips and it says cdrom not installed. This computer is hung up on finding the OEM DRive, its information"Drivers or something" are in the computer and either it needs to be changed or something. I really dont know. I do know that a basic CDROM should be able to be installed. Now if I had my OS up and running I know the plug and play would work fine. That is how the phillips went in the first time. But as far as putting a cdrom in without a Operating System, I dont know.

I hope and pray this information will help you guide me to a successful ending.

Thank you LL and anyone else that can give me any info or pointers!!!!!!!!!!!

Jimmy Overcast

O.K. Jimmy We should proceed one step at a time.
In your answer above #26 Your want that Bios setup screen set to Auto Configure for both Primary and secoundary.
If the screen does not recognize the Phillips Cd rom Leave it out of the machine for now.
Understand cdroms do not spin constantly,they spin up and down depending upon how much data they must transfer(This is normal behaviour)
Next ;
Hook up the HDD as discussed in my answer #24
It is critical that you get your OS installed and operating (We can fix the CDrw after.)
If you do this correctly the bios setup screen should look something like this;

Primary IDE Master: HDD(Name &model of your drive)
Primary IDE Slave: None

Secondary IDE Master; CD rom ( name & model #)
Secondary IDE Slave: None ( only for now)
You should load your OS now All the drivers you need and Just enough Applications to get the machine online for Windows, drivers update.
Get back to me and we will deal with the Philips drive.
Read the instructions carefully when you start the OS disk. There are options before you Install , to format your drive DO THIS FIRST with the Windows disk.
Good luck ,Talk to you Later.

If you get errors WRITE them down exactly and post them.