I am trying to install windows but it will not boot from the CD-ROM and says invalid disk because I think it goes right to the Hard Drive. Now I used a win 98 boot disk and partitioned and formatted the HD. I also tried accessing the CD-ROM with the help for the Win 98 boot disk, but everytime I try to use the CD-ROM drive it says invalid driver specification. I thought this could be something about the CD-ROM drivers, so I searched for the drivers on another computer and found it but I don't know how to make the boot disk use those drivers to load the Cd_rom instead of the ones it thinks it is like MSCDEX or whatever, what should I do so I can boot from the CD-ROM to install windows.

Windows 98SE boot disk contains the necessary drivers to enable just about any ide cd-rom drive. You gave no information about what cd-rom drive you have nor how it connects to the pc.
In order to boot from the Windows XP installation disk, you must have the boot order set in pc bios setup to cd drive first. (if your pc bios allows this).

If not then provide some drive information and some connection/configuration info. :)

Windows 98SE boot disk contains the necessary drivers to enable just about any ide cd-rom drive. You gave no information about what cd-rom drive you have nor how it connects to the pc.
In order to boot from the Windows XP installation disk, you must have the boot order set in pc bios setup to cd drive first. (if your pc bios allows this).

If not then provide some drive information and some connection/configuration info. :)


If this is not working, boot your pc wit startup disk for win98 , when done start with cd-rom support, go to the cd-rom drive and run the setup.exe.

This will work if your cd-rom was working before the problem

If this is not working, boot your pc wit startup disk for win98 , when done start with cd-rom support, go to the cd-rom drive and run the setup.exe.

This will work if your cd-rom was working before the problem
Drive letters get changed when you use a win98 boot disk
try e:/set up instead of d:/

I am trying to install windows but it will not boot from the CD-ROM and says invalid disk because I think it goes right to the Hard Drive. Now I used a win 98 boot disk and partitioned and formatted the HD. I also tried accessing the CD-ROM with the help for the Win 98 boot disk, but everytime I try to use the CD-ROM drive it says invalid driver specification. I thought this could be something about the CD-ROM drivers, so I searched for the drivers on another computer and found it but I don't know how to make the boot disk use those drivers to load the Cd_rom instead of the ones it thinks it is like MSCDEX or whatever, what should I do so I can boot from the CD-ROM to install windows.

I also have the same problem, but when I try to run setup.exe I get the message that "this programme cannot be run in Dos" and the PC restarts. Please advise. Thanks

On boot.. go to Your BIOS
Check to make sure you are Booting to the CDrom, Instead of the HDD0...
(or hard disk )
In Advanced - Boot ?? Boot device 1 -2 -3 etc..

If you know how to get to BIOS...
Usually prompts for "Setup" - Del - key for example..

If you are trying to boot from the CD.. the System is bypassing it, due to this..

the first thing is the BIOS must support booting from a CD ROM if it deos then configure it as the first boot device
secondly the CD u are using mut be bootable if is then after configure the CD ROM as the first boot device just slot in the CD and restart the systemit going to boot if u do all this
but if ur BIOS deos not support booting from cd rom THIS IS another solution boot with a 98 bootable disk and copy the files on the HDD then install the CDROM driver then boot normally and then insert the CD ,change into the drive letter and type the following
assuming ur CDROM drive letter is d
type D:\winNT32\winNT.exe it will do thesame thing as booting with the CD

Hi. Im running Windows 2000 on my laptop. Im trying to upgrade to Windows XP. My laptop is an IBM T21 256MB, 800Mhz 20GB HD.

When i put the Windows XP installation disk into the laptop it keeps coming up 'The disk in drive D is not formatted. Do you want to format now?'

If i click yes it says it cannt be formatted..if i click no nothing happens.

i have the BIOS set to run the CDROM first hardrive second etc.

I hvae also tried the Run d:\setup.exe and get the same problem.

Please help.
Thanks.

What disk are you using to do this with? ie: a regular Windows XP installation disk or a recovery disk that came with the laptop? Or could the disk used be a dvd disk
instead of a cd-r disk and your drive is only a cd reader? If the disk being used to install Windows is a dvd disk then you would need a dvd drive in order to read it.

Are you being prompted to "press any key" to boot from the optical drive during bootup? You should.

Is this optical drive able to read a data or music disk?

To help you further, I'd need some info on what type of drive you have and some info on the disk being used to install the OS.