Windows XP Setup Loop

Hi
I need a little help here from anyone who can.

I bought an used Asus P5PE-VM mobo and am trying to install Win XP on it. The power supply is new (Corsair 550A), RAM 2 GB is new, CD drive, CPU etc all ok.

After the initial setup process the computer boots by itself as per normal practice (it does so with a message saying rebooting in x seconds). However, unlike all my previous experiences with XP (I have three), this one starts loading files with the usual blue-coloured screen labelled Windows Setup...then goes into SETUP IS STARING WINDOWS....then WELCOME TO SETUP showing three options:
- to set up Windows XP now, press ENTER
- To repair a windows xp installation using recovery console press R
- to quit setup without installing windows XP, press F3.

When I press ENTER, it takes me through the entire process of licencing agreement, then asks if I would like to install on the existing partition C and if I choose ENTER, it says there is already an OS installed there (obviously).

I read somewhere that the BIOS could be an issue. Simplest thing I could do was to replace the battery but nothing changed.

Exasperating!

 

have you run Darik's (dban) and wiped the drive?

the bios is where you would tell the pc to boot to either cd drive, hdd or usb, have you done this??

you should get a blank screen with a blinking cursor and then the line to press any key to boot to a cd, does this occur?? if not then you have not set the cd as the boot device.