Boot windows setup from hard disk

K

kritonas

Posts: 49   +0
I'm setting up a new pc, and I have this problem:

The motherboard's IDE connector is not bootable, therefore I can not boot from a windows CD/DVD rom (since the dvd drive is IDE).

There is only a SATA hard drive on the pc, and the IDE DVD rom drive. There's no floppy drive.

The best way I can see in order to install windows on the machine, is to copy the setup files on the hard disk in some way (from the pc i'm sitting at right now), and boot the setup from the hard disk.

Now, I have tried simply copying the cd on the hard disk, but that doesn't make the hard disk bootable. I have also tried running a windows installation on that hard disk up to the point where all the setup files are copied on the disk, and then puting it back in the new pc, but that doesn't work either.

Any ideas how I can copy the windows installation CD (its XP btw), and make the hard disk boot to the installation?
 
IDE drive not bootable? I think, most likely, all you need to do is change the boot order. Go into your bios by pressing the "delete" key as your computer boots up. Then look for your boot order (may not be named that) and make sure your cd/dvd drive is et to the first idem. Post if you need me to clarify, or if you've already tried that, hope I can be of some help, :)
 
Don't worry I've tried the simple things... Putting the dvd drive on top at the boot order doesn't hange anything.

There was this sticker on the IDE connector of the motherboard stating that:

"CAUTION: This IDE does not support OS installation in HDD"

Furthermore, I've noticed that during boot, the drives connected via IDE are detected as USB storage devices.

This is really really annoying, and I can't think why a manufacturer would do that. Especially a company like MSI.

I'm getting somewhere though, managed to boot from my flash drive (made it a win98 boot disk). The XP setup is on the flash drive. The problem is that I can't get it to detect the hard drive (from the boot disk), probably because it needs to be reformatted in FAT.

//edit: it actually wasn't that hard formatting the disk in FAT, just go to the command line and write format X: /FS:FAT32 (where X is the drive-to-be-formatted letter)
 
That's the problem, I can get to the command prompt stage from the flash drive (and then the HD will be letter D: therefore fdisk wont be able to set its partition as active).

I've tried doing a format d: /s from the flash's 7.10 command prompt, and it formatted the hard disk and copied the system files, but I cant boot from the drive. I've made sure that everything is ok, its the primary master and its the first in the boot order, i'm at loss...been wasting time since yesterday afternoon on this one.

//edit: here is the link of the mboard http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_detail.php?UID=761

it states some "limitations"
 
If the IDE is not bootable, then even if you have XP on it, it won't boot to it.

I'm guessing only USB and SATA is bootable. Get either a USB enclosure for your drive or buy a SATA drive.
I think that's ridiculous. I mean can't even boot to CD....no live CD's then. Ouch.
Return the board and get ASUS. ;)
 
tweaks_sav said:
If the IDE is not bootable, then even if you have XP on it, it won't boot to it.

I'm guessing only USB and SATA is bootable. Get either a USB enclosure for your drive or buy a SATA drive.
I think that's ridiculous. I mean can't even boot to CD....no live CD's then. Ouch.
Return the board and get ASUS. ;)
Click to expand...

The hard disk is SATA, therefore if i manage to put XP on the HD it will boot.

I would return it back, but i can't be bothered. I prefer buying a £5 ide to sata converter.
 
Ahhh, ok got it now. Can't boot to CD to load the HD. Duh, :stickout:
How about returning your IDE ODD for a new SATA one? They are pretty inexpensive now, plus you wont have that nasty looking ribbon cable in your case. :)
 
windows XP setup is running from the CD, everything works fine.

turns out the dvd drive was faulty.
I was misleaded by the stupid sticker on the mboard and didnt consider this case.
 

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