[Ham-Computers] Sick 'Pooter'

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

Gene,

You probably know this but the BIOS also has to be set properly to get a boot 
from CD.  I never leave my machines set that way as it adds several seconds 
to re-boot time (long enough already).  If the machine does not boot from the 
OS installarion CD, and you either know or have reason to think that it can, 
re-boot and as soon as text shows on the screen, look for whatever key you need 
to press to enter BIOS Setup.  There are several different keys or key 
combinations used by the different board/BIOS suppliers.  If you are like me, you may 
spot it just as it's too late the first time, in which case press the reset 
button and catch it the next time around.

When the BIOS Setup screen comes up, look for where you specify boot devices 
and sequence and/or priority.  This may be all on one page, or it may be part 
on one page and part on another.  Locate the CD drive and make it second after 
the floppy (or first but that's more changes to undo later).  Exit BIOS Setup 
and Save (commonly key F10).  If it still doesn't boot, go back to BIOS Setup 
and make sure you didn't miss anything.  Recent Gigabyte board with Award 
Bios that I had briefly was quite complicated in this regard, and did not work 
the way the instruction book ord on-screen help said it would.

In a message dated 12/19/2004 10:25:33 AM Central Standard Time, 
hylton at global.co.za writes: 
> Once you have created the partitions you need, and exited back to the C: 
> prompt, put the Windows CD in the CD-drive and restart the machine. If 
> the pooter is the newer type the CD-ROM should be bootable and therefore 
> will start as it will boot from the CD and give you the first 
> installation screen. From there I am pretty sure you will be OK.
> 

Robert Downs - Houston
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