Compaq Evo n400c "non-system disk error or disk error"

[felixgambino]

Hi All

 

After recently replacing the hard drive in the laptop I am booting up the laptop. It is connected to an external CD drive with the Windows Professional Disk inside. After initially getting the above error message I had a look to the internet. I follwed this site's advice:

 

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c01613138

 

However at Step 5 on "Configure the boot order in the BIOS" ... I don't have the optical drive present in my options. I feel after several methods of fixing the error - this may be the way to correct it, however I need anyone's help who may be able to show me how to make the optical drive present so that I may boot the laptop from the Windows XP disk.

 

Thank you in advance, please ask if you require any other information.

[tenshin5426]

maybe that the machine is not compat with usb cd drive booting, common in older business grade machines, i would plug the drive in to another computer and complete the first step of install up to the point it restarts and then change back to the other pc, it can cause a bsod but very ulikley, the other way to do it is copy the operating system to a bootable usb disk and try that method!

[felixgambino]

Thanks for the reply,

 

I don't follow how your first suggestion will help; half installing XP on one computer and then beginning again on the laptop? Will I not just be in the same position? and may I ask what bsod is?

 

I will however try your second suggestion of putting XP setup on a USB and booting from that - I'll write back with my progress.

 

Thank you again.

[RandyL]

As noted this is an old PC as it didn't even ship with XP or later so booting via any usb device may not be supported in the BIOS.

 

Since your profile says Windows 7 and you are installing XP Pro and the computer did not come with either one (specs) I'm confused by what you have exactly. Is this a full retail version of XP Pro and not a recovery disk?

 

Also why are you not using the internal drive bays instead of external?