boot disk error FROM ATAPI CD:invalid system disk (wtf now?! ugh)

ptsigas · Oct 23, 2005, 09:58 AM

ahhh crap, i snagged a NEW HDD- a 7200rpm, SEAGATE barracuda right 80GB ulta ata- etc etc....now i hooked it up to my cpu, no worries. but the second i started my cpu, with WINXP in the drive...it kept on giving me a message- ATAPI BOOT CD: INVALID SYSTEM DISK INSERT SYSTEM DISK; - that BS- so i tried other windows xp cds, i had my gf bring hers, yeah that ddidnt work either- so i though ok, mabye it is the burner- prob messed up, so i placed in a NEW (didnt buy, just borrowed from other cpu) CD-rom a 44x atapi thing- it runs and everything BUT- it gives me the SAME error...i cannot get windows xp setup going...i have set the CD as boot 1, HDd-1 as boot and floppy is 3

so can it be the cds, or is the HD? oh and i got the hd set up as master, cd as secondary ide master- so it cant be that.

so now im going to browse these discs, to make sure the cd rom is fine, as well the cd's. now im using my old 20GB HD- thanks again advance! game oN!

ps- if i make a startup disk (i know winxp IS a startup but it keeps on saying invailid system disk

, and i cannot hit F8 to get a menu or nothing) might i have a chance? thanks again!

PangingJr · Oct 23, 2005, 10:54 AM

check how you connect the hard disk drive and the CD drive to the IDE cable?
and also IDE cable to the motherboard?

try another IDE cable and/or make sure it's firmly plugged into the IDE controller on your motherboard and hard disk drive/CD drive.

the disk drive is set as master, so make sure it's connect to the end connector of the IDE cable and the CD drive is on middle connector since it's set to be slaved drive.

this is not neccessary, but if your motherboard has more than one IDE controller then connect the CD drive to the other controller, due to some heavy read/write operation will be occurred on both drives during the Windows installation.