CD rom no longer likes bootables

[spydermonkey]

I need to format my system ASAP and I've had many problems lately. The CD rom doesn't let cd's boot in DOS making it impossible to use the Win XP cd to format/reinstall.

I can get the installation to begin WHILE Windows is up and running but I can't do a format that way. I ended up having to install a slave drive to format/install a dual boot onto that. This worked for about a month now I have the same pc problems as before and I need a REAL solution on how I can format and install like I used to.

I have a Phoenix AwardBIOS and I couldn't figure out what I had to do to flash my BIOS and other people told me I shouldn't do that. But I have no idea what to do at this point.

Any ideas?

 

[blckknight]

I'm not sure why you can't seem to boot from the CD now but here is a work around..

you can create a floppy boot disk with CDRom support; then use that to format the drive and once the drive is formatted you just run setup off the CD..

http://www.bootdisk.com/

Great place to get boot disk images and utils.

 

[linney]

Is the Bios set to Boot from Floppy, CD-ROM, then Hard Drive, in that order?

You could use an old 9x startup floppy (boot disk) and install XP from DOS.

307848 - HOW TO: Start Setup from MS-DOS in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307848&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[spydermonkey]

No, I don't have a floppy. Most computers you purchase today no longer come with them. We got rid of ours years ago.

It's setup for CD ROM, HD0 and HD1 in that order.

Thanks!

 

[linney]

Can you attach a USB Floppy?

AwardBIOS USB Floppy Boot.

The AwardBIOS USB Floppy Boot provides enumeration and configuration of an USB floppy during POST that enables the ability to boot to DOS from an USB floppy drive that is connected to a system either directly or through a hub(s). Additionally USB floppy support enables the use of an USB floppy drive while in a DOS environment.

http://www.phoenix.com/en/products/...r+platform+products/awardbios+6.0/default.htm

http://www.phoenix.com/en/products/...orm+products/phoenix+notebios+4.0/default.htm