Trouble booting XP

[Spidey-Bat]

I built a computer for my senior project. My friend and I assembled everything and put all the parts in. We turned it on yesterday and put the Windows XP CD in but it keeps saying "No bootable device-insert bootable disk". We've made copies of the CD and still nothing works. We read that some CD/DVD drives can't boot stuff up so we took the drive from my computer and put it in. Still, nothing works. Anyone have some suggestions?

Here is the Drive I bought for the computer:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...Main-_-WEM1615-_-Components&SRCCODE=WEM1615MH

 

[Malice]

In the BIOS, does it see the Optical Drives and the Hard Drives?
Have you made sure the Optical Drive is first in the boot order?

 

[black_dust]

And are the jumpers on the harddrive set to master?

 

[Malice]

And are the jumpers on the harddrive set to master?

If you have 1 HD, yes.

 

[black_dust]

If you have 1 HD, yes.

Some HDs can be arsey and require the jumper to be set to master, some dont and only need it for slave.

But Bios is the best place to look at settings first

 

[Spidey-Bat]

In the BIOS, does it see the Optical Drives and the Hard Drives?
Have you made sure the Optical Drive is first in the boot order?

My BIOS boot up order is (IIRC) CD, Hard Drive, Floopy (have none), Ethernet (have none).

I didn't set any jumpers. The BIOS says it's in the Slave drive, I'm not sure how to change it to Master.

 

[black_dust]

Id check out your connections on your cables, did you put in IDE hard drives? and if you did made sure the GREY master socket is connected into it? (and if the jumpers do require to be set there should be a note on the info sticker)

Because it might not be your cd/dvd causing the problem, if your hard drive is set wrong its thinking you havnt put one in and will not continue hence the warning

 

[Spidey-Bat]

The Gray IDE cable is into the CD Drive. There is no slot for an IDE cable on the Hard Drive.

 

[black_dust]

The Gray IDE cable is into the CD Drive. There is no slot for an IDE cable on the Hard Drive.

So you have a SATA (II) hard drive?

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Yes. Here is the link to the HD I bought:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262

 

[explode7]

^It could also mean that you need a new XP CD as well. The one you have is probably damaged and the drive is seeing no bootable disk.

 

[SFII]

if you have a spare hard drive lying around, try connecting that just to see if that works. if it does, then you have a faulty harddrive(with the one you want to use).

 

[Spidey-Bat]

I don't have a spare HD unless I took one out of a computer. I'm pretty sure it's the CD.

 

[SFII]

yeah, it's probably a bad CD. especially if it's a copied CD.

 

[explode7]

I don't have a spare HD unless I took one out of a computer. I'm pretty sure it's the CD.

You're welcome.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

My friend got a CD to work. We put it on the computer in my room and the window came up to load XP. We put it in the computer I built and it still said "No bootable device....Insert boot disk".

I got another CD from my friend. Got the same window when I put it in the computer in my room. I put it in the one I built and still the same message.

I'm starting to think it is something with the computer I built.

 

[explode7]

^Maybe you should build another one and try it out.

 

[Malice]

Check the BIOS....you may not have the HD recognized

 

[Spidey-Bat]

I'm pretty sure the HD is recognized. I'll check it tomorrow.

 

[black_dust]

Id check all your cables take them out and make sure they are all in the right place