Hello I am trying to install Windows XP Pro on my new pc but when I FIRST booted I forgot to plug in the keyboard. While xp was in the setup process I rebooted so it would recognize the keyboard now the computer will boot but won't let me install an os, just goes direcely to a black screen. Does anyone have any ideas on how to fix this? Thanks in advance.Is this a brand new build? Can you get to the BIOS? THis would show that the video is at least functional. Do you get any error messages? Is this a USB jkeyboard? How about some details of the system?Thank you for replying so quickly.

 The computer is a brand new build. I can get into the BIOS just fine. I do not get any error messages.

The keyboard is not a USB plugin and seems to work fine now, that is I am using it to type, and after I rebooted I could use it to navigate the BIOS and everything. I forgot to plug it in before booting and continued with the install until it asked me to hit enter. At that point I OBVIOUSLY couldn't continue without a keyboard, and it didn't seem to recognize the keyboard no matter what I tried to do so I rebooted. Now after it boots past the BIOS the screen goes completely black.

The PC has a ASUS P5P800 SE Motherboard and a P4 650 3.4 ghz CPU. It has a Radeon 9550 256mb graphics card and 1gp pc3200 DDR duel channel memory.

Again I thank you for your willingness to help and speedy response.One thing I'm sure about - the problem is definitely *not* the keyboard. Let me ask you a couple of things. Not sure if they'll help, but...

1. Can you test the XP install CD on another machine?
2. Do you have an install disk for another OS?

Here's my thoughts: You haven't gotten the chance to hit ENTER to start yet, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say it might be a faulty disc. I'm probably wrong, but if it's attempting to boot from CD and the CD isn't working, then who knows... That's why I want these questions answered. If it works in another machine (you don't have to actually install it, just get it started and power it down regardless of success or failure, shouldn't hurt anything), then it's not the disc. On the other hand, I'm going out on a thinner limb, I'll say it's possible that the drive died right there for no reason other than being faulty.

That reminds me: With the power off, open the case, touch the metal WITH IT PLUGGED IN BUT OFF to ground the machine and prevent static electricity from causing damage, then check the cables. Make sure they're plugged in correctly. You say it's a new build - you put it together yourself, or is it a new PC with a brand name?Hello thanks for helping. I just put the cd in this machine and it came up just fine. Unfortunately I don't have another CD to try. I custom ordered it through SMK Superstore, and I didn't have to touch anything. They tested everything before sending it out apparently so it seemed to be ok before they shipped it.Well, if the CD works, it's not the CD. And if the CD-ROM works (I imagine it would) then I'm quite frankly stumped. Sadly that makes two of us... Thanks for your help though I appreciate it. Yeah the CD-Rom worked when the CD was going through the setup process before I can't imagine a reboot would mess it up.Neither can I. But I suppose stranger things have happened with computers...Yeah true... sometimes I could swear they are posessed.well I feel stupid now... I went into the bios and switched the boot order to boot up the cd rom before the hard drive and it seems to be working like a charm... thanks for your help everyone. I'll be back to try to  help other people or if I need help myself. Thanks againThe - wha - ? AAAAAUUUGH!!!!!!!Hahaha that's how I felt after I did it. A friend of mine suggested it and I said wow how could I MISS that. Thanks again for your help./me cries

This reminds me of a tech support call. This guy in Microsoft was helping a woman who said her computer just powered down for no reason. After 45 minutes, it became clear that there was a power outage. Now, this story is often exaggerated by saying the Tech Support guy told her she was "too stupid to own a computer". However, for the record, that's only what the tech support guy wanted to say but checked his tongue...

I'm not insulting your intelligence, I mean, we both missed it, but this just reminded me of that story. Oh don't WORRY I wasn't offended. I think I just over looked the obvious solution here. Yeah I have heard that story before... actually my computer help desk teacher told me it last YEAR I think. I thought the same thing.