xp not booting up

It isn't booting up
Note cdrom was taken out a couple of months ago
& the computer was working fine
Now it isn't

 

screenshots attached

 

Hmmm, could be BIOS setting

I see your PC has American Megatrends BIOS. Also, BOIS is not "seeing" any IDE drives or anything for that matter. I take it that you have done an install of XP and now it is, "lost".

Suggestion - power off the PC - power it up again and hold the F2 key down - that should put you into BIOS - look for Boot Order or similar - change the boot order from CD to Hard Disk - power off and try a re-start.

Should that still give you nothing (and I don't know what type of PC you have) - power off and unplug - change the jumper pin/s on your primary hard Drive (C:\) to CS. CS is Cable Select.

Some PC's will accept Cable Select as the default (like Dell) - some won't.

Trial and error I'm afraid but that is what your screen shots tell my tiny mind.

If you still have problems I am sure that other members of the forum will pitch in and help as they/we always do.

Cheers from Aunty Jack.

 

what happens when you press F1 or F8??

 

I know what this is. The cables between your HDs and the MB are not properly connecting.

Most likely, when you took out the CD thing the cables came loose and now the connection is lost.

 

thank you everyone for their suggestions

I have tried reconnecting the cables it isn't working ,I'll try the steps as suggested by aunty jack

 

As you wish.

From the 4th photo, you do realise the CMOS battery is not connecting, or dead?

 

I agree with Jojo - the system time/date shows 2007 (probably the BIOS install/manufacture date) which indicates that the CMOS battery is dead or missing.

As Jojo suggests, check and re-check all the cables and make your IDE power supply cables "the usual suspects - a phrase stolen from the movie Casablanca".

Don't rely on any advice I give - I give things a considered view but mistakes are my forte' sometimes.

Cheers, Aunty Jack.

 

bios settings

I have changed the cmos battery thank you for pointing that out
now can any1 please tell me how to go to bios settings from here?

 

My American Megatrends BIOS is quite different being for a Dell PC - but BIOS in all it's forms (except UEFI) follows the same set of rules - it is just a matter of working slowly and writing down any and all changes you have made.

Looking at your BIOS, hit F9 key to load the default settings (factory default) and the F10 to save and exit.

Try a re-start and see what happens. I would say that if XP starts it will be dated 1 January 2007. (from your previous screen shots).

Re-boot again with F2 or F10 held down to put you back to the BIOS level. The hit F9 and see what options that screen will give you - time and date change - boot order (CD, Hard Disk, perhaps USB - set this to your primary hard disk, c:\.

On every option you will see a short explanation on the right hand side of the BIOS screen.

Now don't worry or panic, you really cannot damage anything by changing BIOS settings - there is always the option to re-set to the default values.

I would leave the following alone:-

Chipset
Power Management
Frequency/Voltage

Have searched for any links about your BIOS version - not much luck.
I think regard F9 as your safety net.

Should your BIOS settings return to normal/default and still no boot into XP - umm, perhaps the MBR may be damaged. The genuine XP install CD has a repair option which opens in a DOS like screen - type in fixboot and see what happens.

That is the trouble with all this communicating on the net about problems. If any of us could actually lay our hands on your PC I am sure that one of the forum members would have your system up and running in under a minute or so unless anyone had to go looking for loose cables etc.

Anyway, good luck.

Aunty Jack.