This problem may be something as simple as a loose cable. You should check to make sure that the data cables to the mother board are firmly seated. Tony Mayer >My PC has completely crashed and is no longer recognizing the operating > >system (Windows XP Home). I am unable to reinstall, as it does not >recognizing the CD Drives either. When I initially boot up the computer, > >I receive the following message: > > Strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility > >If F1 is struck, nothing seems to happen. Upon striking F2, I am >taken to the Setup Utility as described. Everything looks normal except > >under the boot sequence, which reads as follows: > > 1. Hard Disk Drive (not installed) > 2. CD-Rom Device (not installed) > 3. Diskette Drive > >Since the A: drive was available; I attempted to use a boot disk to >start the computer. In doing so, I did manage to get to an A:\> prompt, > >but was unable to get any further. I cannot get the computer to >recognize the CD for reinstallation of the OS. I receive an error messag >e >telling me I cannot install from DOS. > >Can anyone please help me fix this situation, as I need the computer >for both work and school. Thank you in advance! > >Tim Seaton Visit our website regularly for FAQs, articles, how-to's, tech tips and much more http://freepctech.com