was using win98, had a small problem. now i want to install xp. so i inserted xp cd, deleted partition and created new. When reboots it says, error loading OS. Anyway, my harddisk is secondary master. I changed to a diff harddisk and amazed to get the same error msg.

Tech-no-logic

"Anyway, my harddisk is secondary master"

How many HDDs do you have installed? Unless you have a dual boot config with multiple HDDs, the HDD w/OS should be the primary master.

Only 1 hdd. Anyway whats the dual boot and what if i have refreshed the cmos or bios settings by pulling off the jumper and putting back.

Tech-no-logic

If you only have one HDD it should be setup as the primary master.

No, do NOT "refresh the CMOS". That will clear ALL the BIOS settings & reset them to the defaults, which means that any custom configuration will be lost. And if you know anything about the BIOS, you'd know that default settings are NOT the best performance settings.

If you don't know what dual booting is, I'm not gonna try to explain...you might try it...lol.

Get your HDD straightened around. You're gonna have to change the cables inside the case. The HDD should be connected to the primary channel, not the secondary, & it should be jumpered as master...don't use cable select.

BTW, what does any of this have to do with CPUs or overclocking?

i think i accidentaly flushed the cmos. is it due to that. my hdd is in ide 2 and cd rom drive is in ide 1. please guide.

Tech-no-logic

"i think i accidentaly flushed the cmos"

Hopefully you're familiar with the BIOS then because there are numerous settings that will need to be checked & tweaked.

"my hdd is in ide 2 and cd rom drive is in ide 1"

You have it backwards. The HDD should be on IDE-1 & the CD-ROM on IDE-2. And the only way to change that is to physically reverse the cables inside the case.

after changing cables, harddisks, swapping ide channels still the same error.

Tech-no-logic