Please somebody help me with this!

[war3n3xt]

Hiya Im new to all this fixing computers stuff, I do the websites at work normally but blagged this extra job fixing the damn things.. everythings been fine so far. I do a bit of lurking here and bang problem sorted.. not this time I have a dell (details to follow) that needed a wipe due to bsod. so i went to run a boot disc to wipe it but it wouldent recognise the disc.. so i took out the sata drive piggybacked it into an identicle machine and formatted from windows.. put it back and set the bios to boot from G/windows xp disc.. now i get bootmgr is missing ctl-alt-delete for endless cycle..
please please help me .. ive spent hours googling and trying bare bones method.. still nothing.. now im starting to look like a right -----? please help
your befrazzed pal
jode.......

the machine is:-
DELL DIMENSION 5100
SERV TAG:- 314MQ1J

[gerbil]

Oops, wrong thread!!

[Thinka]

Hey there, have you checked the Microsoft website, or maybe given them a call? I can't think of any other way to get your bootmgr, oh, or Dell. Sorry can't be of much help.

[gerbil]

Jode, bootmgr is Vista, right? You might try the piggyback again but format using Windows XP, not Vista. Reason is that format clears the file tables, writes in the file system structure and the MBR for that partition. If you do a normal format that partition's disc structure is also checked for errors, whereas with a quick format it is not checked. These are both high level formattings. Neither of them are data erasures!
Are you certain you got the boot order correct? Try F11 during startup POST. Start the Recovery Console from your XP cd, format [quick or normal, no mater here] and fixboot.

[war3n3xt]

Jode, bootmgr is Vista, right? You might try the piggyback again but format using Windows XP, not Vista. Reason is that format clears the file tables, writes in the file system structure and the MBR for that partition. If you do a normal format that partition's disc structure is also checked for errors, whereas with a quick format it is not checked. These are both high level formattings. Neither of them are data erasures!
Are you certain you got the boot order correct? Try F11 during startup POST. Start the Recovery Console from your XP cd, format [quick or normal, no mater here] and fixboot.

Haa Yes.. I did quick format the drive on another machine but with vista installed.. Duhhhh..
thanks i shall try again .. full format.. and let you know how i got on thanks..
*slaps head*
jode

[war3n3xt]

thanks .. all soeted was indeed due to re-formatting hdd with vista then trying to install xp.. thankyou

[gerbil]

It's a complicated world out there....
Cheers, glad you're sorted.

[war3n3xt]

hey gerbil thanks mate.. i do have another problem if your around to help its at
http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread115309.html much appriciated.. english was a tad bad due to sleeping with the sound of bleep codes running through my mind... ;)

[Klippies]

A wekk or two ago we installed a new Hard drive on a friends computer, somehow the boot priority got turned around.

1. Open tower.
2. Disconnect new Hard drive.
3. Re- start PC
...
.....
All back to normal ... Before we did this I tried everything to change boot sequence... This was the only way ...

[Bob_180_Bob]

Hi,
You have jumped on an old thread, you should have started a new one.
What were the boot priorities, what are they now, what did you do to try and change them.
QUOTE"
1. Open tower.
2. Disconnect new Hard drive.
3. Re- start PC"
What did you get the PC to boot to ? without a hard drive in it?
Something has to change in the BIOS for the boot priorities to change, you can not do it by booting without a hard drive.
Now, what is it you want from here? I do not understand what advice you are looking for.