Windows XP boot disc completely loads (all 6 discs), but then I get a message that no CD-ROM drive is found?

Question

have a laptop Dell L400 and the old drive died. I bought a 60 GB HD (Seagate) and put it into my laptop along with the Windows XP (full version). I configured the BIOS so it boots from the CD drive. However, it will not boot from the CD-ROM drive.

Thus, I tried the floppy drive (note I needed to unhook the external cd-rom and plug the cable into the external floppy drive since my laptop has one slot for this type of cable connection) and I get to disc 6 and then I am asked if i want to install xp. I hit enter and it tells me it can not find the cd-rom drive.

Again, please note i am using the same cable for the external floppy drive and CD-ROM DRIVE. I then retried loading the floppies this time unplugging the floppy and plugging in the cd-rom drive after the completion of disc 6 and priot to hitting enter for Winndows Install. I got the same response; "No CD-Rom drive found"

Answer 1

I think you have a problem with the CD drive = the fact it won't boot the XP CD should be a clue (you know you must have the CD drive plugged in before you power on ?)

Best bet would be to sort out the CD drive so you can boot from it.

If you want to be 100% sure the CD drive is bust, you could setup into DOS & check the CD drive that way

With floppy connected boot using an MSDOS floppy disk. FDISK and Format the HD as FAT32, run SYS and copy the floppy contents to the HD. Make sure config.sys and autoexec.bat include the commands to set up the CD rom.

Eject the floppy and re-boot to check it now boots DOS from the HD:.

Power off, remove the floppy, plug in the CD drive.

Boot up - if DOS can see the CD drive (I expect it will be set to D:) you can insert the XP CD and proceed with install.