[thequintz]

Yep the floppy is disabled in the BOS
The CD drive is the first priority boot device

memory scan CD did load within a few seconds
Tried several times with the same result as described in my previos reply.

Now trying to load XP again

Note that when I try to load XP the system
I get the following Message

Verifying DMI Pool Data .........
Boot from CD :
And there it sits.
However there is NO cd in the CD drive and the system looks like it is hanging, but XP will start to load in approx. 30 min.

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Can you pull an IDE CD drive from another computer, install it and try to boot?

[The Skeptic]

Can you pull an IDE CD drive from another computer, install it and try to boot?

[happyrock]

Verifying DMI Pool Data.... and just stops there... is a bad hard drive..replace the drive
the second link in my last post is available to get puppy

Edited by happyrck, 18 January 2008 - 04:23 PM.

[thequintz]

I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your generous time you gave me to help in resolving this frustrating problem,

As I wrote in a previous reply, here is the final update.

Apparently the problem was a defective HDD. Not only did I change it twice ( 3 in all ) the first 2 were defective but the last one which I used, was one I had which is to be used for backup only. But what the heck, I tried it, installed XP, after the install it loaded almost as it should, somewhat sluggish, but it did confirm that one of the problems as you rightly identified was a bad HDD.

Anyway, to-day I bit the bullet and rebuilt the system changing the mobo and installed a brand new SATA HDD.
Installed XP Pro in about 45 min total, and now boots up in approx 30 seconds to welcome screen

And now a final THANK you!

[The Skeptic]

Thanks for letting us know.