How can I install a Windows?

[ofreeb]

Hi,

I have a few old Dell computers and I'm trying to install some OSs.

With a blank HDD, I thought you have to choose the CDROM as boot device and this would do.

But a message comes up: "DISK BOOT ERROR INSERT SYSTEM DISK AND PRESS ENTER". I've tried with no less than 10 OS disks but none works! 2 of them are even OEM versions...

The best I can get with a preinstallation of XP is a command line with "D:i386/system32/" but then I'm stuck! I don't know what to do!

Same with a bootup floppy disk, I get "A:" but then??? On any of the machines I can retrieve the D: (were should be the CDROM)...

Ofreeb

[Colossus]

How old is the desktop? Some older optical drives did not reconize bootable discs. Granted I havent seen one in ohhh the last 5 years :P But they do exsist

You should get a message about "Press any key to boot from CDROM" or something to that effect. I normally just hit my space key and poof it boots.

Some desktops want (older Dell laptops) the optical to be second in the boot order. From Floppy, CDROM, HD...

[Johnmcl7]

Which Dell machines are these? Some of them offer you the choice of which device to boot from by hitting F11 or something when they switch on.

John

[Colossus]

The one that comes to mind is a Dell Latitude CPi...

I dont remember why it wouldnt work as the first boot, but the site said set it as the 2nd.

[SkyDog]

On the old Dell PC's we've had at work, they've all booted fine from CD all the way back to the Dimension models with Pentium 100 CPU's. (The previous model P75's were a bit iffy.)

If the CD's you're using are full installation copies of Windows (not OEM restore disks or improperly burned copies), then you should probably be OK.

[kujoe2002]

First, make sure you have the bios setup correctly to boot from CD Rom. Next, make sure the CD Rom says "Boot Disk." Upon starting the computer, insert the Boot Disk. If the system does not automaticall boot from the CD Rom, press [F8]. It will either load the CD then, bot most likely say "press any key to boot from CD..... It will give you an option to install into a partition or C to create a new partition to install into. If you just install it into the HD w/o making a new partition, then press [Enter] like you said. It will read the disk configuration, load data, yada yada. If you have IDE I would also check the jumpers.