My original Dell DVD drive broke so I physically removed it and installed a different one. It works fine in Windows. I want to do a routine format of c: and reinstall Windows, so I insert the Windows Xp DVD, restart and wait to hit F8. Problem is it doesn't work. Since I installed the new DVD drive i get the following message during boot sequence:

"Drive 2 not found: Parallel ATA, PATA 0 (PRI IDE Master). Strike the F1 key to continue, F2 to run the setup utility."

F1 brings me back into Windows, F2 brings me to the BIOS setup. So far, I can't figure out a way to boot from onboard cd drive in order to get to that windows setup menu.

Any ideas?

that's odd... it's like your BIOS doesn't recognize the drive properly. I assume you set the boot sequence in BIOS to boot off the CD first.

Looks like it may be time to think up an alternative. Either a new CD drive (heh), or if your BIOS supports it put XP on a thumbdrive and boot off that (you can find instructions online). Or you can copy the install media to the hard drive.

Yes, but some of the devices including the USB/Onboard CD drive are "not present".

I may try and reinstall the broken drive while keeping the new one too, and see what happens from there. Maybe nothing.