[badasscurlz]

Hey guys! thanks for looking at my thread. So i'm running windows xp. and the last time i touched my desktop was months ago. yesterday, i decided to start my old computer up. but it wouldnt start.

i tried using a recovery disc but to no avail. it displayed 'Reboot and select proper boot device. or insert boot media in selected boot device and press a key'

So i went to download winsetupforusb and reformatted my thumbdrive and did everything as per instructions. But when i attempted to boot into the thumbdrive. All the monitor showed me was a "_" key that was blinking. i decided to let my computer do its thing (for around 8hours). but the screen stayed the same.

(the usb is working as i've tried to boot from it from my laptop) i also noticed that during the startup sequence, there wasn't a hard drive that was detected.
so today, i bought a 1tb hdd but the same thing happened.(for both the thumbdrive and the cd drive, but my new hdd was detected though)

So i'm wondering what might the cause be.

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Hello badasscurlz.... Welcome to
GeeksToGo,


I'm sorry to hear about your issue. We will try to help you resolve this as soon as possible.

• Please understand we are all volunteers and we are not here all the time.
• Sometimes it may be a extended amount of time to get back to you. If it has been
  more then 3 days please shoot me a PM and I will try to get back to you quickly
  then.
• Please do the following and supply the requested information as needed. If you
  don't understand my instructions please ask and I will try to explain them
  clearer for you.
• Do not attempt any steps unless instructed or ask before to
  make sure they will not cause any further issues.
• If you are receiving assistance in any other forum site please let us know as there may be conflicting advice given.

Before we can help you need to provide the following so I can start you in the right direction.
Laptop or Desktop?

• If a name brand system then what brand, make and model is the system?
• If custom built then what brand, make and model is the motherboard
• Total memory installed
• Total hard drive capacity and free space
• What steps have you taken so far to resolve the issue

Did you change the boot sequence in the bios so that the cdrom is the first boot device?
Also you need to make sure your system is capable of booting from a external USB device and that it is enabled in the bios also.

[rshaffer61]

Hello badasscurlz.... Welcome to
GeeksToGo,


I'm sorry to hear about your issue. We will try to help you resolve this as soon as possible.

• Please understand we are all volunteers and we are not here all the time.
• Sometimes it may be a extended amount of time to get back to you. If it has been
  more then 3 days please shoot me a PM and I will try to get back to you quickly
  then.
• Please do the following and supply the requested information as needed. If you
  don't understand my instructions please ask and I will try to explain them
  clearer for you.
• Do not attempt any steps unless instructed or ask before to
  make sure they will not cause any further issues.
• If you are receiving assistance in any other forum site please let us know as there may be conflicting advice given.

Before we can help you need to provide the following so I can start you in the right direction.
Laptop or Desktop?

• If a name brand system then what brand, make and model is the system?
• If custom built then what brand, make and model is the motherboard
• Total memory installed
• Total hard drive capacity and free space
• What steps have you taken so far to resolve the issue

Did you change the boot sequence in the bios so that the cdrom is the first boot device?
Also you need to make sure your system is capable of booting from a external USB device and that it is enabled in the bios also.

[badasscurlz]

I'm using a HP Pavilion A1230D desktop. The HDD of the computer was changed from 160gb to 250gb and now 1TB. I sent my computer for repairs and the technician added a GPU(Graphics Card?) but i do not know its model number.

Total Memory(RAM?):2944MB
HDD:1TB(Its fresh out of the box, although i plugged it in already.)
I've bought a new HDD as my computer didn't recognize my previous one.

Steps i took: I've setted up a usb with the key xp installation files.(Thanks to winsetupusb) and tried to reformat my computer using a recovery disc. But it seems that my computer isn't responding.

Yes, I've made sure that the boot sequence had my cd-rom boot first.
And also yes, i think my computer is capable of booting from a thumbdrive as i saw my thumbddrive under the HDD options. Also, there is a 'plug and play feature'

Another issue i've been experiencing whilst in bios. Under the 'Main' category, if i tried to change my system clock or whatsoever in that category. The entire BIOS hangs on me. Doesn't respond to my keyboard commands but its still running as the animations are still moving.

And lastly a big thank you for replying this quick!

[rshaffer61]

OK if you have used a Genuine XP installation disk and you still are not getting a prompt that says Push any key to boot to cdrom then your system is not booting to the cdrom first.
When you checked the boot sequence was it already set to cdrom first or did you change it to that?
If you changed it did you then click F10 to Save and Exit?

[badasscurlz]

1st Boot Device: CD-ROM Group
2nd Boot Device: Hard Drive Group
3rd Boot Device: Disabled
4th Boot Device: Disabled

Yes, i've saved it. It showed the "_" briefly than the "reboot and select proper boot device message"

Has this got to do with any hardware issues?

Edited by badasscurlz, 27 September 2011 - 08:24 AM.

[rshaffer61]

OK then the next question is the XP cd a Genuine disk or is it a copy, burn or downloaded version?
I highly doubt it is a hardware issue unless both your cdrom and USB's are all bad at the same time.

[badasscurlz]

I've tried 2 Genuine discs(1 XP and 1 vista) and the downloaded copy(Windows XP Performance Edition) which i fitted onto my thumbdrive.

I suspect that the CD-Drive is a little faulty because occasionally its been unable to detect DVDs/CDs.

However, when i plug my thumbdrive into the USB and attempt to boot from there. It shows a "_" sign and nothing really happens(I left it there for around 8hours before switching it off)

[rshaffer61]

I suspect that the CD-Drive is a little faulty because occasionally its been unable to detect DVDs/CDs.

You are probably correct.
Do you have another cdrom drive you could temporarily connect in place of the faulty one to try and do the installation with?

[badasscurlz]

Yes, i've got a spare CD-Drive sitting around. But at the moment it's inaccessible.

[rshaffer61]

That would be the best option at this point so that you are using the Genuine XP installation disk. Now you have to make sure the XP you install is the same version as the one that was originally installed or the reg key that should be on your system will not work with it.
Home, media or Pro and it would need to be a OEM copy and not a RETAIL copy as the reg key will only work on the OEM version.
The reg key will not work on a Retail version fo XP since the OS was originally installed by the factory.

[badasscurlz]

I've managed to rectify the problem.
Here's what i did, i took the HDD and connected it to another PC and from there i installed the OS. But now, i'm having some issues with the sound(No sound) and there isn't an Local Area Network.

[rshaffer61]

OK that is because the drivers have not been loaded. Try going HERE and in the list you can see the Audio and Lan drivers. Expand the Driver Original entry.
I would recommend getting the following 3 drivers in the order I am listing them.

• Chipset
• Lan
• Audio