Cannot seem to install.

[nullkid]

HAHA!! Dude, you're screwed!

I'm sorry, I don't mean to be negative in anyway, It's just that I have deleted my bootloader partition before and there is nothing you can do, except reinstall windows (I'm assuming it is WindowsXP since you don't have a Linux OS installed yet, right?).

Anyway, the reason you can't reinstall XP is because you have an upgrade version CD. Meaning, you have to have a previous version of windows already on the Computer in order to use it. And since you deleted your bootloader partition, the upgrade cd can't find "a previous version of windows." I know that sounds dumb, it's suppose to because it's Microsoft! =)

You have a few options:
1) borrow a "Retail CD Version" of any Windows OS (except Vista) from a friend. Install it, then use your XP Upgrade CD on your computer.
2) call Windows and explain to them the problem, sometimes you can get lucky and they will allow you to send them the Upgrade CD and keycode in exchange for a Retial version (worth a shot, but don't hold your breath!).
3) there are "other" means of acquiring a retail version of Windows, BUT! I do not recommend it for "certain" reasons. However, it might be worth a shot (as a final option) to at least make it possible to use the CD you legally own. =)

As for your replay to my original post, here's what I have to offer. Your issue is a combination of hardware/driver/BIOS configuration. There could be more to it, but for starters, I'll guarantee you that's one of your problems. Sometimes the combination of IDE and SATA doesn't mix well with other forms of OS. I stick with IDE entirely in my computer. I would love to upgrade to SATA, but I have seen too many problems with mixing the two.

(Now, before everyone with SATA and having no problems blasts me, haha, let me say that most of the time there are no problems with it. Having said that, I have seen issues when I was working at CompUSA. So they do exist. It's just rare.)

Now, having said all this, before you go to extremes like buying new hardware-- or even a new computer, lets try some other things.
1) Setup your hardware just the way it was when you got the computer from your friend. It was obviously working then.
2) Get Windows reinstalled.
3) Then what I want you to try doing is boating into your BIOS and selecting the option to "Restore Default Settings." (I know that sounds really simple, but I have seen A LOT of success doing that. Come to think of it, that should have been the first thing I suggested to you. haha... my bad!)
4) After all that, try booting into Linux again.

Get to this point and lets see what you come up with, or what other help you might get in between. Maybe someone out there knows exactly what to do =)

Until then, we'll troubleshoot. Good luck!

I havnt tried to reinstall windoze i was trying to reinstall the boot loader(that is what is giving me the error. but hell whats another install ;] )
since i pretty much have to reinstall windoze anyway would it be a good idea to try and install linux first? maybe if i switch what hard drive im installing on? ..who knows. ill try the default bios tonite. im gonna have to check to see if i can save my bios settings first or write them down incase it does anything..and funny you say that cos im pretty sure he got this from compusa xDD

also no i didnt try text mode yet and as far as live cds the only one ive tried was knoppix...and it worked. but the live cds with INSTALLS dont work.

as for the good help comment im getting more than i expected already! I appreciate it very much!

[nullkid]

hrm no edit button lol...well heres an update...
luckily i got kubuntu to install..i took out the ide drive partition'd my harddrive and it booted just fine(installed xp first. PMagic'd partitions than installed linux)...UNFORTANTLY as soon as i got done playing around with kubuntu last night i tried to run windows..and well it didnt work. i installed linux on the right partitions and the fat32 space shows up for linux and did for windoze (before i installed the linux). here is what it does when i choose to boot to windoze from bootloader (i dont know which one it is cos i installed the partition magics bootloader and i think grub auto installed when i installed kubuntu.
::clicks windows xp::
windows xp loading screen
blue screen with the words 'Autochk program not found skipping autochk.
::reboots::
back at boot loader...


grrr. any ideas? im having a tough decision on which to keep atm cos i only know how to use msger /web/email on it lol..

[SkittleLinux18]

hrm no edit button lol...well heres an update...
luckily i got kubuntu to install..i took out the ide drive partition'd my harddrive and it booted just fine(installed xp first. PMagic'd partitions than installed linux)...UNFORTANTLY as soon as i got done playing around with kubuntu last night i tried to run windows..and well it didnt work. i installed linux on the right partitions and the fat32 space shows up for linux and did for windoze (before i installed the linux). here is what it does when i choose to boot to windoze from bootloader (i dont know which one it is cos i installed the partition magics bootloader and i think grub auto installed when i installed kubuntu.
::clicks windows xp::
windows xp loading screen
blue screen with the words 'Autochk program not found skipping autochk.
::reboots::
back at boot loader...

grrr. any ideas? im having a tough decision on which to keep atm cos i only know how to use msger /web/email on it lol..

No ideas... I know exactly what the problem is. When you installed kubuntu, you had to resize the partition, obviously. The first time you went into Windows after resizing, it tried to do a system scan of your partition to make sure that everything required for Windows was still on the partition. That is what Autochk does. This is a normal thing. Everyone who dual boots goes through this check. However, since AutoCheck (Autochk) seems to be missing, Windows can't determine is it is working and therefore will not boot.

Windows cannot find the Autochk function because it is literally gone. More than likely, it was erased when you resized the partition. Normally, you should always defrag your windows partition before resizing it. If you don't, the information can be scattered throughout the entire partition, including the back end of it, and then is lost when resized. That is what happened to you.

The good news is that Linux is installed on your computer!! Yay for that. Just reinstall windows on the partition you have set for it and all should be ok after that.

Hang in there!

[nullkid]

*breakdance!* i know..i was excited when i got it to start installing. but now i dont even know if xubuntu is what i want...i geuss its already there and i dont know any different so ill just leave it there xD reinstalling windoze as we speak. next task is to set up firefox and the mail program to work together on both os's than...oh who knows what...theres so much i dont even know where to begin.... :] its all quite alot to take in at once...i feel like i have to learn xx to use aa but before i learn xx i have to learn bb which starts at cc ..lol. considering i have no real game plan its enough to make me dizzy :] but i will stick with it..and learn as much as i can although i learned alot of stuff i didnt know just trying to install it :] its pretty lame that i couldnt use the other hd though..but im assuming thats what the problem was..or my computer hates the ide/sata working together ;] time to read up