Any XP Pro wizards? install dramas!

Hi guys,I'm trying to do a clean XP Pro install, on a Seagate 40GB partitioned and formatted etc. and setup for dual boot OS, XP does its system check, does the partitions, installs the first set of files, then does the reboot and then tells me invalid sytem disk press any key to boot from cd........ press any key and the install starts from scratch again.....wtf? Invalid system disk? How? It just loaded the files, my bios says boot from floppy, cd and hd 0 (default anyway). No good removing the cd on reboot either, it only asks for it. I've done a Google but come up zilch on this one, I'm ready to put the boot in or go back to Win98SE, I'm not too fussed as i've got everything, absolutely everything backed up on a second Seagate 40GB and I have a third Seagate 8GB in there for music and images. Should have n/p running XP on Intel P42.4GmhzCPU-512MB333DDR on Albatron PE series mobo, it isn't o'clocked either. Bios is xp ok apparently. Got me stuffed, any ideas anyone......TIA. btw, I have a brick and a 3lb hammer handy if all else fails

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[www.mediafire.com] Some say you should click it, you know you want to. [www.gp4central.com] <----GP4 Central

My old PC did this, back up all ur files and reformat the thing, and make sure you use NTFS system, hehe i couldnt install WinXP pro on my old system cause it was gay!

also try changing the boot sequence after its rebooted and copied the files. change it to floppy hdd 0 then cd

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Also, you might inadvertantly have switched boot sector virus protection on in your BIOS. It is a little setting that "locks" the boot sector of your drives, so any malicious little boot sector virus can't get in there. In practical terms, every time a program tries to write to your boot sector, the bios stops this. On most systems you will get a warning screen that something is about to write your boot sector and you will be asked if you want to allow this. Some systems don't ask however... If you have this setting on XP will not be able to make a boot sector on your hard drive, and when you try to boot on it, you will get the message you describe.

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It's only after we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything.

Eeeexxxxxccellllllent Morbid, I'll get back to you on that one, I was getting ready to strip the hardware down to bare bones for another go. Later m8y (wanders off to the puter room in the dungeon muttering don't you just hate a goddamn genius).

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[www.mediafire.com] Some say you should click it, you know you want to. [www.gp4central.com] <----GP4 Central

It wasn't the bios! It was a rather "scuzzy" scsi card that xp prolly didnt have drivers for, I took out all the hdd's bar one, the graphics, sound and usb card, the scsi and it worked. I have to put them back in one by one and see what happens but I'm betting on the scsi . Thanks for the tips anyway guys. btw I got yr addy and will add you in later to msn, catch up soon.

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[www.mediafire.com] Some say you should click it, you know you want to. [www.gp4central.com] <----GP4 Central

*cough*nofear999_uk@hotmail.com*cough*

Do you think your problem lies with scsi drivers for XP then? I've never ventured down that road, but sounds like some conflict which should easily be cured with some new drivers.

it's done thanx all

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[www.mediafire.com] Some say you should click it, you know you want to. [www.gp4central.com] <----GP4 Central

Go on, explain how you solved it