So I was trying to install a new disk drive on my Compaq Presario.

The disc drive is a hp cd-writer 9700 series, now after I tried to hook it up along with my current disc drive, the current one fails to open any windows when I insert a disc and I receive that error message when I go to boot, but I can boot just fine though.

I tried to system restore to my settings last night but it seems there is no use.

Any ideas?

Need more information.

How did you connect the new drive? Which IDE cable did you connect it to? Hopefully not the one your boot drive is connected to.

How is it jumpered? Master, Slave, Cable Select (CS)?

Does the system boot okay if you remove the new drive?

Originally Posted by Ztruker

Need more information.

How did you connect the new drive? Which IDE cable did you connect it to? Hopefully not the one your boot drive is connected to.

How is it jumpered? Master, Slave, Cable Select (CS)?

Does the system boot okay if you remove the new drive?

Connect drive with DC INPUT cable P3

I'm not sure what IDE cable it is, but It runs from my current drive with an additional IDE interface connectorinto the motherboard.

Slave Jumpered.

When I remove the drive I still get the " Invalid Boot.ini file booting from C:\windows"

Normally, IDE0 connects to the hard drive/drives and IDE1 connects to the optical (CD/DVD) drives.

Did you add the new optical drive (hp cd-writer 9700) to the cable another optical CD/DVD drive was connected to or did you add it to the one the hard drive was connected to?

Since you were inside the computer, moving things around, the first thing to do is check to make sure all the cables and connectors are firmly seated, on the mother board and at the drives themselves.

If everything is okay, then see this Microsoft Article for how to rebuild your boot.ini file:
"Invalid Boot.ini" or "Windows could not start" error messages when you start your computer

If you don't have a Windows XP install CD download and create a bootable CD from the .iso file here:
XP Recovery Console

You don't burn the iso file itself to CD., you create a CD from the iso file using your CD burning software. There is a good freeware burner called DeepBurnerwhich will do this. Another called ISO Recorder is also very easy to use.

Boot the CD and at the first opportunity, enter R to start the Recovery Console.
Next, choose which XP installation you want to login to. Normally this will be 1.
Lastly you will be asked for the Administrator password. Just press the Enter key as the Administrator does not have a password (unless you gave it one, then you would enter it).

Now follow the directions at the Microsoft site.

Originally Posted by Ztruker

Normally, IDE0 connects to the hard drive/drives and IDE1 connects to the optical (CD/DVD) drives.

Did you add the new optical drive (hp cd-writer 9700) to the cable another optical CD/DVD drive was connected to or did you add it to the one the hard drive was connected to?

Since you were inside the computer, moving things around, the first thing to do is check to make sure all the cables and connectors are firmly seated, on the mother board and at the drives themselves.

If everything is okay, then see this Microsoft Article for how to rebuild your boot.ini file:
"Invalid Boot.ini" or "Windows could not start" error messages when you start your computer

If you don't have a Windows XP install CD download and create a bootable CD from the .iso file here:
XP Recovery Console

You don't burn the iso file itself to CD., you create a CD from the iso file using your CD burning software. There is a good freeware burner called DeepBurnerwhich will do this. Another called ISO Recorder is also very easy to use.

Boot the CD and at the first opportunity, enter R to start the Recovery Console.
Next, choose which XP installation you want to login to. Normally this will be 1.
Lastly you will be asked for the Administrator password. Just press the Enter key as the Administrator does not have a password (unless you gave it one, then you would enter it).

Now follow the directions at the Microsoft site.

I added it to the IDE that was connect to the original Optical drive.

and I just realized on the original OD there is no jumper cable or audio out cables hooked up just the IDE and DC cables.

Is that a problem?

Okay I'll try it out and see what happens, thanks so far. =]]

No audio out cable is okay. No jumper is not good. You should jumper both optical drives for CS (Cable Select).