Reinstalling Window Xp - Boot problems

[BH2]

Hi guys,
Some advice please. I have just built a new computer, having some problems,
I have windows Xp Svc Pk2. My problem, I have one IDE HDD, and 2 Sata
HDD's. I have installed window on the IDE Drive, everything went ok, until
I restarted windows, then it could not find the HDD and OS. I have set the
BIOS to boot from the HDD's before the CD Roms. I can access window by
booting from the CDRom with the Win Xp disc in it, and go to the repair
sequence at the end I am in C: Drive in windows. Under disc management I
can see the other two Sata drive but have not formatted them yet. I have
tried everything the Bios to no avail. I am assuming that for some reason
windows did not install correctly, so what I have done is to disconnect the
Sata drives and am going to format the IDE Drive and reinstall windows. I
was able to register and activate windows, will this cause a problem if I
reinstall with two drives missing from the original hardware profile. Also
if this doesn't work I will get another motherboard probably a different
make, if I did how would windows cope with it, would it refuse to run, do I
have to activate and register again, I have been running Linux but thought
would go back to windows.
Your advice and help is really appreciated
Thanks and Regards
Bob

 

[JS]

At least part of the problem may be the boot.ini file.
Read this: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=289022
Then remove the SATA drives and you should be able to boot to Windows.
Then edit the boot.ini file accordingly.
Shut down and re-attach one of the SATA drives and then try to boot.

JS

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Hi guys,
Some advice please. I have just built a new computer, having some problems,
I have windows Xp Svc Pk2. My problem, I have one IDE HDD, and 2 Sata
HDD's. I have installed window on the IDE Drive, everything went ok, until
I restarted windows, then it could not find the HDD and OS. I have set the
BIOS to boot from the HDD's before the CD Roms. I can access window by
booting from the CDRom with the Win Xp disc in it, and go to the repair
sequence at the end I am in C: Drive in windows. Under disc management I
can see the other two Sata drive but have not formatted them yet. I have
tried everything the Bios to no avail. I am assuming that for some reason
windows did not install correctly, so what I have done is to disconnect the
Sata drives and am going to format the IDE Drive and reinstall windows. I
was able to register and activate windows, will this cause a problem if I
reinstall with two drives missing from the original hardware profile. Also
if this doesn't work I will get another motherboard probably a different
make, if I did how would windows cope with it, would it refuse to run, do I
have to activate and register again, I have been running Linux but thought
would go back to windows.
Your advice and help is really appreciated
Thanks and Regards
Bob

Some motherboards require special settings when using both SATA and PATA
(IDE) drives. Check the manual for your board to see if this is the case
for you.

HTH
-pk