I was doing a do a clean install of xp pro Murphys Law struck. I went to shut the computer down to boot off of the install cd and Windows started to install updates on shutdown. Being impatient I hit the power button to force a shutdown. Now after the computer boots off of the cd it won't reckonize the proper size of the drive. Its a Maxtor 360GB and is sees it as 131MB. I tried to repartition but it does not see anything more that 131 mb. It is formated to ntsc. Help!

try Windows Safe mode When you tried rebooting

You can also do a clean installation by following the procedure as listed below:To perform a clean installation of Windows XP, follow these steps:Back up all important information before you perform a clean installation of Windows XP. Save the backup to an external location, such as a CD or external hard disk.Start your computer from the Windows XP CD. To do this, insert the Windows XP CD into your CD drive or DVD drive, and then restart your computer.
Note To boot from your Windows XP CD, the BIOS settings on your computer must be configured to do this.When you see the "Press any key to boot from CD" message, press any key to start the computer from the Windows XP CD.At the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to start Windows XP Setup.Read the Microsoft Software License Terms, and then press F8.Follow the instructions on the screen to select and format a partition where you want to install Windows XP.Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the Windows XP Setup.

Firstly, you should be aware that XP may not support all the drivers for your laptop. You may have to download the drivers fomr the Acer website after you change to Windows XP.
Firstly, make sure that you back up all your documents.
You will then have to rebooot the PC with the XP cd, and tell it to boot from CD. The boot menu can be accessed by pressing F2 or F12 as your PC boots up, it will show as you start.
Method 1: Perform a clean install of Windows XPA clean installation consists of removing all data from your hard disk by repartitioning and reformatting your hard disk and reinstalling the operating system and programs to an empty (clean) hard disk.
To perform a clean installation of Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. Back up all important information before you perform a clean installation of Windows XP. Save the backup to an external location, such as a CD or external hard disk.
2. Start your computer from the Windows XP CD. To do this, insert the Windows XP CD into your CD drive or DVD drive, and then restart your computer.
   
   Note To boot from your Windows XP CD, the BIOS settings on your computer must be configured to do this.
3. When you see the "Press any key to boot from CD" message, press any key to start the computer from the Windows XP CD.
4. At the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to start Windows XP Setup.
5. Read the Microsoft Software License Terms, and then press F8.
6. Follow the instructions on the screen to select and format a partition where you want to install Windows XP.
7. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the Windows XP Setup.

If you have successfully installed Windows XP, you are finished. If these steps did not help you install Windows XP, go to the "Next Steps" section.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/978307

If you want both OS you need to do a partition on the HD to proceed.IThat what i can figure from your quest.But if you just want XP just do a clean installation of it.

Perform a clean install of Windows XPA clean installation consists of removing all data from your hard disk by repartitioning and reformatting your hard disk and reinstalling the operating system and programs to an empty (clean) hard disk. For more information about important things to consider before you partition and format you hard disk and how to partition and format your hard disk by using the Windows XP Setup program, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:313348  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348/ ) How to partition and format a hard disk by using Windows XP Setup programTo perform a clean installation of Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. Back up all important information before you perform a clean installation of Windows XP. Save the backup to an external location, such as a CD or external hard disk.
2. Start your computer from the Windows XP CD. To do this, insert the Windows XP CD into your CD drive or DVD drive, and then restart your computer.
   
   Note To boot from your Windows XP CD, the BIOS settings on your computer must be configured to do this.
3. When you see the "Press any key to boot from CD" message, press any key to start the computer from the Windows XP CD.
4. At the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to start Windows XP Setup.
5. Read the Microsoft Software License Terms, and then press F8.
6. Follow the instructions on the screen to select and format a partition where you want to install Windows XP.
7. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the Windows XP Setup.

If you have successfully installed Windows XP, you are finished. If these steps did not help you install Windows XP, go to the "Next Steps" section.

Hi, you will need to reformat your hard drive before installing XP, First boot into BIOS by pressing the F1 key during bootup, change the primary boot drvice to CD rom, save changes. Insert XP cd into drive and reboot PC; select boot from CD when this appears during the initial boot fase. Allow files to be installed. When this finishes, delete partion and then repartion hard drive. Select format hard drive, when this completes your PC will reboot, do not select boot from CD and XP will start to install normally.
Hope this helps, if not come back to me.

I agree a clean install is always the better, fresh start J
OK it sounds like missing drivers, what you have to do is create a new installation CD that will load the drivers for your laptop as it boots. I haven’t try this method with windows 7, but I know it works well with Windows XP. Try and create a new Windows XP CD with the drivers see: http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/35/
The start a new installation with this Windows XP CD and reformat you computer, after that you can do a new upgrade to windows 7

If its the full windows xp cd by booting it from the cd drive it will erase everything and ask if you want to upgrade or advanced install I think. Your correct in choosing the atapi cd-rom as 1st boot device. The cd should be in the drive on startup. IDE is the type of hard disk drive. I'm guessing the FDD stands for floppy disk drive which you might not have that many but you have that many bay windows available.

Put disk in, shut down computer, Start computer and it should give you the xp disk contents. Be aware of data loss though.

1. Boot the computer using the XP CD. You may need to change the boot order in the system BIOS so the CD boots before the hard drive. Check your system documentation for steps to access the BIOS and change the boot order.
2. When you see the "Welcome To Setup" screen, you will see the options below This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft
   Windows XP to run on your computer:
   
   To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.
   
   To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.
   
   To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.
   
3. Press Enter to start the Windows Setup. To Repair Install, press ENTER
   To Repair Install, press ENTER
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4. Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows installations.
5. Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and press R to start the repair. If Repair is not one of the options, END setup. After the reboot read
6. Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and reboot. Do not press any key to boot from CD when the message appears. Setup will continue as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and settings will remain intact.take care god bless
   

Glad to hear you have your OS disc handy... let's try this:

Insert your XP CD and when it asks if you want to boot from the CD, press any key (ENTER) to do so. When asked, press ENTER ("To setup Windows XP now") and follow these steps...

To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press "R"
To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press "F3".
Press Enter to start the Windows Setup. DO NOT choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console". You Do Not want to load the Recovery Console.
Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows installations.
Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and press "R" to start the repair.
((Note: If Repair is not one of the options, END setup. After the reboot read Warning#2! ))

Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and at some point the system will reboot. When this happens, you want to now allow the system to boot from the hard disk but leave the CD in the drive. So do not press any key to boot from CD when the message appears. Setup will continue as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and settings will remain intact.

Hope that helps.
Good luck!

did u go into c moss and set your for it to boot off of the hard drive sounds like it tryn to boot off the cd hope this helps