My 1G Athlon processer died and I replaced it with a new one. I also had fdisked and formatted my hard drive to install Win XP. Now when it starts it goes through the post and reads everythng until it looks for a boot device and does nothing. Doesn't find bootdisk, bootable CD, or different hard drive with XP already installed. Can't get it to read anything.

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The first thing I would wonder about is if the CPU was the problem before or if it was actually a problem with the motherboard.

That said, what have you done to deal with the problem? Have you checked the cable and power connections to make sure they are correct? Have you checked in BIOS to make sure you are set for autodetect? Have you checked jumper settings on the hard drives?

Questions which may lead to answers.

Budfred

Also, try resetting to the BIOS defaults or clearing the CMOS. Ensure that all the cabling and connections are intact.

Did you re-partition, re-format and re-install AFTER you changed your hardware [your new CPU]?
The Operating System “Initialises” and “Configures” the hardware for use [including your new CPU I’d guess] during the “Windows Setup” procedure [installing Windows].

My diagnostic charts might help you.
If you would like a copy, send me a personal message quoting an e-mail address they can be sent to.
See this http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19961

QUESTIONS THE CHARTS THROW UP
1. Is the PC dead? No.
2. Did POST appear to run? Yes.
3. Were there any audible beeps? Yes.
4. Is the Monitor display correct? Yes.
5. Is there an error code? No.
6. Go to BOOT UP.

BOOT UP
1. Does the system boot from the HDD? No.
2. Go to HARD DISK DRIVE.

HARD DISK DRIVE
1. Does the system boot from a floppy? I’ll assume it does.
2. Run diagnostics from a floppy to check the HDD. Use the drive manufacturers diagnostic software. Download it from their website. Also use more comprehensive diagnostic software if you have it or can get it.
3. Is an error reported? If not, re-test the system. If it is reported, does the error appear to be “software” or “hardware” related?
4. If it is software related then check the files and the configuration are ok and use software diagnostics. [I don’t believe I’ve ever used these myself]
5. If it appears to be hardware related then:
6. Is the signal cable ok? If not, then replace the cable and re-test.
7. If the cable is ok, then replace the drive with a known good drive and re-test with diagnostics.
8. Does the new drive test ok? If it does then the original drive was faulty. If it does not then the system board or an adaptor is faulty.

Were the drives [all the drives] set to “Auto” in the BIOS Setup?
This makes certain that the BIOS “Dynamically Auto Detects and Configures” the drive parameters in the BIOS’s hardware configuration settings. This is so that the BIOS can correctly control the drives under the direction of the drivers controlled by the Operating System.
No control of the drives; no boot from the drive.

Hello montroot.

You said the following in your e-mail requesting the charts:
“I have partitioned and formatted but can't install because it won't boot from floppy, hdd, or bootable cd. During post it sees all drives, memory, processor and all are set to auto in bios. It does complete post up to where it should say starting windows or boot from cd or something but it just has a blinking line and goes nowhere.
All connections are good. I have tried 2 video cards and 2 different hdds with same results.
I can't get floppy to run hdd diagnostics but on power up all drives light up and are recoginized. I'm stumped and will gladly accept all help including your chart.”

You previously said “different hard drive with XP already installed”
What is happening here?
You say “I have partitioned and formatted but can't install”

SOME POINTS
1. How did you manage to Partition and format your HDD if you could not boot from a floppy?
Could you boot from a floppy BEFORE you installed Windows XP and then not after?
2. It seems to stall as soon as Windows attempts to boot.
This suggests Windows is refusing to continue because to proceed would be dangerous.
See if it will boot into “Safe Mode”.
3. Is all your hardware supported by Win XP?
I believe Win XP did not support “Legacy Hardware".
4. What is your boot sequence in the BIOS Setup? Is A: drive first?

Be aware that when Windows is installed it detects all the hardware connected, attempts to initialise and configure the hardware [if it is supported], then asks for drivers.
When you give it the “.inf” file for the driver it probably checks whether this hardware is supported or not and IF IT IS it copies the driver files and puts settings in the registry for their correct and successful use.
I can then understand Windows baulking when it finds it does not have enough hardware successfully configured to operate successfully and safely.

What puzzles me is why it will not NOW boot from the floppy when it would before?
Do you have multiple problems or do they spring from the same source?

I would not boot after I formatted and the hdd with XP already installed was my neighbors and neither would boot and my boot sequence is floppy then hdd then cd

montroot,

It is very hard to figure out what is going on and give you suggestions if you don't give us more info to work with. Please tell us more about your system and what you have done to try to fix the problem you are having. Also, please respond to the other questions and suggestions we have made so we know what your current status is.

Budfred

I am somewhat of a PC builder novice - though I've been successful with putting together two systems.

My latest, though shows the same problem described here, however. I just got a Asus A7Pro motherboard from Ebay. I've put it together with a floppy, hard drive, CD drive, and video card. That's all -- just enough to test and get stuff formatted.

Everything seems to be going fine until it gets to the page that displays just before the system should start looking for an OS.

I never get a prompt - just a blinking underscore. And the system doesn't actually start the search for an OS no matter what drive I tell the BIOS to search first.

It finds all my stuff, tells me the brands and all that, but, as mentioned in the original post here, just won't go ahead an search for an OS. So I can't fdisk or anything to start formatting my new hard drive. I've even tried a drive with Windows already on it and still nothing.

I had a problem once when I installed an OS (98SE) on a new HDD. It turns out that it would load the OS onto the drive but not read from it. Turns out it was the jumpers on the harddrive. Once I put them correctly the pc booted right up.

But it is still a little fuzzy about how and what you did.

1: How did you fdisk? With CD or boot floppy?
2: Same ??'s about format?
3: Did it appear to load XP onto the drive? (As in take awhile to go thru the motions?)

cakins,

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In your case I would strip down to just the floppy and take the hard drive offline for the moment. I would put in a boot disk and see if you can get to an A: prompt. If you can't, you need to go back to basics and make sure all of your BIOS settings and jumpers are set properly to get the board to work.

You might want to start a new thread to report back on what is happening with your issue and get more info. If you do, please give as much detail about what you have done as possible, you are more likely to get good info to help deal with your problem.

Budfred

Your neighbors operating system will almost certainly not boot on your hardware.

And the reason why this is so?

When an Operating System is installed onto an HDD WITHIN A SYSTEM OF HARDWARE it detects the particular set of hardware items which it will be expected to control [via the drivers and the BIOS].
It then initialises and configures the hardware and installs SUITABLE drivers.
The drivers and their registry settings [configuration plus] are matched to the hardware on which the O/S was installed.
Since your neighbors hardware is NOT IDENTICAL to yours then HIS operating system will not work with your hardware.

Then there is the problem that the BIOS’s configuration settings for the HDD must be suitable for the HDD connected.
If you have your Primary Master HDD [or all your drives] set to “Auto” then the new drive [the neighbors] will be detected and the parameters automatically set correctly and this potential cause of a problem eliminated.

Try this
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/boot/walk/fd1.htm

copied from montroot reply:

...I would not boot after I formatted and the hdd with XP already installed was my neighbors and neither would boot and my boot sequence is floppy then hdd then cd

..well, correct me if im wrong.. did you format and partition your HDD and install WINXP on a different PC? if you happen to do this, the OS will look up a different Hardware and in many ways will not boot from a different hardware settings.

whats the last message youve got before you finaly end up shutting down your PC? if you end up with a bliking cursor, try to check again your BIOS settings.

hope that would help.