[id990176]

My computer cannot detect my new 40 GB HDD and I want to boot from my Windows XP Home CD to install it. The CD-ROM drive works fine, as well as the CD itself. But for some reason my computer keeps trying to detect the HDD, and cannot proceed to "Press any key to boot from CD."

My desktop previously ran Windows XP Professional on a 10GB hard drive. I needed more space so I just plugged in a 40 GB hard drive and removed the older one. I set the 40 GB hard drive jumpers to cable select. Then I turned on the computer and pressed DELETE to enter the CMOS SETUP UTILITY. Under BIOS Features Setup I changed the boot sequence to: "CDROM, C, A" so I can boot up with my Windows XP Home CD. I saved and exited, popped the WIN XP Home CD in the drive and I get this message:

" Detecting IDE Primary Master ...[Press F4 to skip]_ "

Nothing happens. I waited for almost an hour and still nothing happens. I pressed F4, but still nothing. The only option I have is to press the DELETE key to enter the CMOS Setup Utility.

My question is: How can I install Windows XP Home Edition to my new 40 GB hard drive? I double checked to make sure the jumpers on the CD ROM drive were set to Master and the other set to Slave. Those are working fine. The only time I get the message, "Press any key to Boot from CD..." is when I put my old 10GB back in and remove the 40 GB HDD, so I know the CD works properly and the settings should be correct. I even tried changing the 40 GB HDD jumper to Master and still the same problem.

Any suggestions?

thanks a billion!

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Means the computer doesn't support hard drives bigger than 32Gb.

In the same place where you set master and slave, there should be another four pins - two of these for cable select and two for capacity limit. You need to jumper the two for capacity limit to turn it into a 32Gb drive. See the sticker on the drive for where it needs to go.

[Neil Jones]

Means the computer doesn't support hard drives bigger than 32Gb.

In the same place where you set master and slave, there should be another four pins - two of these for cable select and two for capacity limit. You need to jumper the two for capacity limit to turn it into a 32Gb drive. See the sticker on the drive for where it needs to go.