When installing Windows XP on a system that recently had the hard drive replaced, you insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive and start the computer. The system displays an error that states “Operating system not found.” How should you proceed?
Explanation
Answer - A - To initiate the installation using a CD, you must configure the CD-ROM to be the first boot device in the boot device priority section of the CMOS setup.
Key Takeaway: On a computer that has more than one boot device (e.g. hard drive, CD-ROM drive, floppy drive. Etc.), the priority with which the BIOS looks for the OS in these devices is specified by the CMOS setup. By default, the floppy drive is set a priority of 1, CD-ROM drive 2, and hard drive 3. Under normal circumstances, the BIOS finds no OS in the floppy drive or the CD-ROM drive and boots from the hard drive. However when an OS is being installed, you must manually set the CD-ROM to a priority of 1.