Problem Reformatting/Reinstalling WinXP.

Alright, so I'm trying to format my computer and reinstall Windows XP. After the initial reboot, the Windows installer says it can't find my cdrom drive. I've tried changing the boot orders and all and pretty much done what I think I can do. My computer doesn't have a floppy drive either to create a boot disk.

How ya doing, buddy?

Oops, I forgot to put "find" in that sentence. Anyway, my copy of XP is legit, it came with my computer, so it must be bootable.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

My CD drive and DVD drives both work perfectly fine outside of the installation problem.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

The latter part. My computer hasn't been formatted yet (Should I do this manually or will Windows do it for me, and if I should do it manually, how?).

I'm wondering if it would be possible to copy my cdrom drivers onto my 2nd hard drive (the one I'm not formatting) and then maybe it'd work.

Most amazing jew boots

I'm already using XP, so there is no DOS command line. And the version of XP I'm installing is the same one the computer was shipped with.


It just occurred to me that since I recently switched my CD/DVD drives from the main IDE slot on the motherboard to an extra IDE card I bought (to make room for the 2nd hard drive I just bought), that could be a problem. Even though the drives work perfectly fine at all other times, the settings might be reverted or something during the XP installation process. I'll have to try putting them back onto the primary IDE slot temporarily.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Well, I fixed the cd-rom problem, which of course was due to switching it to the IDE card. However, I'm not entirely sure how to format my computer. Do I just tell it to delete the C: "partition" during installation or what? I already accidentally reinstalled XP earlier without formatting first (leading to the very irritating activation system, which I now have to go through a 2nd time).

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Well, now I have another problem. My computer won't boot from the cdrom because the BIOS doesn't even recognize it now (and yet the cdrom still works, and Windows will install from it, but only if I start the installation process while my computer's running, rather than from a fresh boot). Problem with that is, my computer won't let me delete my C: Partition during installation because the god damn Windows installation program put files on it necessary for reinstallation. Every FAQ I've read about reformatting and reinstalling Windows has said to start it by booting right from the Windows CD, rather using the Windows Setup program that pops up when you put the CD in while Windows is already operating.

So how the hell am I supposed to format it now?

FELIPE NO

Well, I can try removing the IDE controller card, but:

My motherboard only has one ATA/133 IDE port and 1 SATA IDE port and my CD-ROM/DVD are on the 133, and my hard drive is on the SATA/300. My CD-ROM is on the same cable as my DVD, of which my DVD is considered the master, I guess. However, my DVD drive has the exact same problem as the CD-ROM.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?