54 replies to this topic

[dj92]

Hi Dan, It still will not work for me. I have downloaded the file (I am using Firefox) , I have opened the file 'including folder' so I can see where the source file is located. I then go on to IMG burn click on the get file location, and browse for source file, and it is not showing up anywhere in these files. I have put in on my desktop, on a usb stick, and in several other places and when I go to look for it there is no trace of it anywhere. The instructions you sent me I have printed all of them and I have been following them to the letter, but with no luck. Why does the file location not show up on IMG burn? Any ideas please? I know I must be 'driving you round the bend' with this and I apologize if it is something stupid I am doing, but I don't think so. Thanks, Del.

[dj92]

Hi Dan, It still will not work for me. I have downloaded the file (I am using Firefox) , I have opened the file 'including folder' so I can see where the source file is located. I then go on to IMG burn click on the get file location, and browse for source file, and it is not showing up anywhere in these files. I have put in on my desktop, on a usb stick, and in several other places and when I go to look for it there is no trace of it anywhere. The instructions you sent me I have printed all of them and I have been following them to the letter, but with no luck. Why does the file location not show up on IMG burn? Any ideas please? I know I must be 'driving you round the bend' with this and I apologize if it is something stupid I am doing, but I don't think so. Thanks, Del.

[Jimbo1]

Hiya Dj92, Just one question here the file that you have downloaded is it a iso file? If it was not then IMG burn will not see the file. the file must have this format ie: example filename.iso. Note the .iso at the end of the file, check and see if what you downloaded has this extension at the end of the file, the link you had in post #8 only shows x86-enu.exe and no iso files. Please check to see if you have downloaded the correct file. Jimbo1

[dj92]

Thanks Jimbo1, I will check that soon. If it is not the correct file where the devil can I get it from? Del.

[Jimbo1]

This is what I am trying to find out and wanted to see what file you down loaded. If you have a new hard drive and need to format and install windows on that drive, I need to know this if this is what you are trying to do. Jimbo1

[Doug]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the instructions.

I did what you said and set the evo to boot from usb and nothing happened. I then opened all the boot options and tried again with no luck. I tried, yet again, to boot from CD and nothing.

I have downloaded the windows ISO for the 'Windows XP Setup disks for a floppy boot installation' from MS
(Windows XP Professional http://www.microsoft...7-4FED408EA73F) but cannot get it to load to the floppy discs.
Can I put this ISO on to a usb stick and try to boot up from that or will that not work?

Thanks for your help,
Del.

dj92

You seem to be attempting something that cannot be completed the way you intend.
This is by design and intentional on the part of Microsoft.

The following Setup Boot Disk Version "is not" a complete installation media for XP Professional:

Windows XP Professional
http://www.microsoft...B7-4FED408EA73F (http://www.microsoft...B7-4FED408EA73F)

Rather it is a "start up" utility that can be created on Floppy Drives.
This set of 6 Floppy Disks will configure a machine that is not otherwise able to configure the existing Optical CD Drive to perform as a "bootable drive".
Once you use the 6 Floppy Disks in order (1-6) the machine "should" then accept the XP Professional installation CD and complete the installation.

*** You must already have the valid XP Pro installation CD media to complete the installation of XP Professional.
______________________

It appears to me, from reading your posts, that you had hoped for the "download" to be able to successfully install XP Professional. This is not so.

You should contact your machine manufacturer for their OEM XP Professional installation CD.
It will cost you a modest price (presuming you have the COA Product ID Key). Usually about $30.00 US

Further information here: http://support.micro...t.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];310994

Best Regards

[Dan Penny]

This is why I asked (in my Post # 10);
"(Your .ISO file IS the OPERATING SYSTEM, not any "enhancements/free trial" etc, right?)"

I have (made by me) .ISO images of all three of my XP Operating System CD's. (Home, Professional, & an HP XP Home SP2.) I was advising based on you having this (or similar).

You must have the O/S loaded to carry on with the driver loading as outlined in Post 10.

Edited by Dan Penny, 18 August 2011 - 12:40 PM.

[dj92]

Hi Guys, Yes I have got .ISO discs for XP pro and W7 and Ubuntu but none of them will boot up from the drive. I have now tried two different HDD in the Evo and three different CD/DVD drives but it just will not boot up from anything. It was my understanding, wrongly so I realise now, that the floppy discs started the boot process off and then enabled you to boot up from the CD. As this is not the case it looks like my Evo is doomed as there is most probably something wrong with the motherboard and this is causing the problem. As another attempt at getting this thing running I downloaded and burnt a Hirens boot disc yesterday and tried that in the Evo but even that would not boot. When I put it in the drive bay and rebooted the disc started up but nothing came up on the screen and after about a minute the disc stopped running. It seems to me that the best thing I can do with the Evo is bin it and get something else. I only wanted to use this to hook into my TV so we could watch stuff on the TV that I had got on downloads. If any of you have any reason to think that I won't have to junk the Evo I would be interested to hear it. Many thanks for all your help and guidance, with special thanks to Dan for being so helpful and patient with me. Del.

[dj92]

Just had a crazy idea when looking into the PC. Could it be the CMOS battery that has gone flat? The PC hadn't been used for about a year and it was just a 'grasping at straws' thought. Del.

[paws]

Have you checked(and double checked) that the fault is not with your CD/DVD drive? Try installing a known good working one and see if this helps... Regards paws

[dj92]

Yes Paws, I have tried 3 different CD/DVD drives in the EVO but with no luck. All of them work in other PC's. Thanks.

[paws]

OK
1 a flat cmos battery shouldn't stop the computer booting.....
2 can your boot into the BIOS? (to set the boot priority to CD/DVD as priority one)
3 Have you reset the BIOS to default/conservative? or altered any settings at all?
4 Can you boot into anything at all? ( try known boot discs that work OK in other machines)
5 Obtain a "real" Microsoft XP installation disc ( not a copy or a home made one) can you get the computer to boot using this?
6 have you reseated all cables, and memory boards, video cards etc?
7 Have you checked the motherboard is not shorting out?
8 Have you tried a motherboard tester...what were the indications (they are cheap to buy...ebay etc, but take all usual precautions or maybe your local computer technician will lend you one together with the decoding sheets)
Does the power supply fan and the CPU fan spin up?
If ALL the answers are
NO
then its maybe time to renew?
Regards
paws

[dj92]

Hi guys, Just had some luck, would you believe. After Paws last post I decided to try swapping all the drives about (2 HDD and 3 CD/DVD) with my usual luck, each time trying to boot from my XP disc. I was then back to the original set up (HDD-CD) and put in my Ubuntu disc and it booted up. I followed the instructions several times as the installation kept crashing, trying to install on a partition and also using the whole disc for the installation. Then I tried an XP pro disc in and nothing happened so in desperation I tried my W7 and it booted up and went through all the motions until I got a screen up that said "No device drivers found. If I have them on disc or usb I can remove the installation disc and install the drivers". I then went to the Evo D510sff driver site and there are lot an lots of them. Has anyone got any idea which drivers I should be installing please? I think this might answer paws latest post as it is showing some signs of life now. Del.

[dj92]

Just ran it again and the message reads:- A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing. If you have a driver floppy disc,CD, DVD or USB flash drive please insert it now. You can safely remove the installation disc if the driver is on a CD. Hope this gives you a clue.

[Doug]

Hi dj92

My previous comment to you about the Floppy Disk Setup 6 disk set, was incorrect. Sorry.
You do appear to be using that set correctly and you report having a competent XP installation media, therefore no problem.
But XP, Windows7 or Ubuntu "should" install competently without the extra assist from the MS KB and Floppy Set.

There is nothing obviously special about that Evo 510sff which would require special driver installation before OS loading and installation.
Unless you have modified the machine, it runs a single ATA IDE HD, which would not require special drivers.
After OS installation, you should follow Dan Penny's instructions in Post #10, regarding drivers.


Should your replace the flat CMOS battery?
It wouldn't hurt anything to do so, but if time, date, and configuration are holding in BIOS between boots and shut-downs then the existing battery is "probably" fine.

I'm wondering if you have a problem created by the several attempts to install different operating systems?
XP, Windows7, and Ubuntu all have different boot-loader components that may be conflicting.

Can you take the HD out of the machine and use another machine to wipe it completely?
Using a utility like DBAN or Eraser.
(caution: when using a Disk Wiping utility, only the target HD should be installed, since DBAN and similar will wipe all Drives that it can see.)

With the "clean" HD attempt to install the OS of your choice again.
________________

Other possible problems:

IDE cable-ribbon (Have you replaced with fresh 80-wire IDE ribbon cables?)
Heat - especially in a small form factor case
PSU malfunction (it's a small PSU but supposedly designed to accommodate stock components) should work fine unless you are adding components.