I need some help: Booting at startup

[Thinkfire]

I have mounted Windows Pro Corp with Daemon Tools and because I have windows x64 on my computer, I can't downgrade. Because of this, I have to wipe out x64 and put Pro on.

As of right now I have it mounted. I need to boot it up when my computer starts (before windows x64 starts up). How do I do this using Daemon Tools?

Oh, and is there anything else I need to do/worry about when I install it?

[g31]

I have mounted Windows Pro Corp with Daemon Tools ...

why don't you use your physical cd ?!

As of right now I have it mounted. I need to boot it up when my computer starts (before windows x64 starts up). How do I do this using Daemon Tools?

your asking how to boot an virtual image without starting windows, which is necessary for daemon. that's impossible.

Oh, and is there anything else I need to do/worry about when I install it?

if your copy is legal. you don't have to. :wink:

[Thinkfire]

OK that clears some things up.

What about just booting from my original CD? What do I have to do to make it so it boots off the CD before windows x64 boots?

[Copytrooper]

Usually you just have to change the BIOS boot option to CD-ROM (first), hdd (second) or similar.

[arisma]

In some motherboard pressing a key (F8->Asus, F11->ASRock), go out a menu where you can choose boot with the optical drive or any other device.

Or in bios you can change (as Copytrooper said), the sequence boot.

[Thinkfire]

where can you change the BIOS boot options?

[arisma]

Depends of the motherboard, try to find a "Boot Menu", sometimes are integrated in "Advanced Menu". Look in your motherboard manual.

@added
In some olders Asus motherboards the key to press was ESC

[Thinkfire]

Booting from CD

Basically I am trying to downgrade from x64 to 32. I have to do a clean install and I was wondering how i do this. Because it has to be a clean install i cant use Daemon's tool and I have to boot from CD.

When I go into my BIOS I highlight the "Boot this first" and I select CDROM. After I save it and re-boot x64 boots up again without going through my CD(windows 32) first. Did i do something wrong?

[g31]

When I go into my BIOS I highlight the "Boot this first" and I select CDROM. After I save it and re-boot x64 boots up again without going through my CD(windows 32) first. Did i do something wrong?

You put in your cd and it doesn't boot from cd?

Please check if your cd is a boot-cd (means your cd got a boot sector). The bootable windows-cds are called install cds. If you got an update or backup version you can create an own install cd for windows. try searching on google for "make windows cd recovery bootable".

greetings

[Thinkfire]

I have found many solutions but all of which don't apply to me. Many of them require a floppy drive. I don't have one.

And what I find weird is that when I enter the disc into my drive when I am in x64 it pops up without me having to go into the drive and browsing for the .exe.

Is this normal? (normal for a disc like mine that doesn't boot up when i turn on my computer)

[MaxCapacity]

Cd is non-bootable

Sounds like this cd is a copy, that was not an image. The boot sector was not copied from the bootable cd. Since you have configured the bios, it should prompt you with boot from cd.

go here
http://old.bink.nu/bootcd/
which has it step by step

[g31]

The boot sector was not copied from the bootable cd. Since you have configured the bios, it should prompt you with boot from cd.

at first: he's right.

And what I find weird is that when I enter the disc into my drive when I am in x64 it pops up without me having to go into the drive and browsing for the .exe.

Is this normal? (normal for a disc like mine that doesn't boot up when i turn on my computer)

second: should be normal if autorun for your dvd/cd-drive is turned on and if the cd contains an autorun.inf file.

greetings :wink:

[Exaustar]

u just need a good bootable cd or dvd both could work as i us to jump from 1 windows 2 another after every 1 month and the job is simple if ur using intell borads then put ur cd/dvd into cd/dvd rom and b4 the system goes 4 loading windows u have to keep pressing F8 r other interupt keys which r mentioned b4 ur system goes 4 booting.like press F1 r DEL 4 bios and F2 r F8 4 boot menu got it.if not then u can see the ins which r written at the bottem of screen just pres pause button on ur keyboard which is just above page up button and u'll get time to read the whole page.
then change the boot settings 2 ur cd/dvd rom.
i hope it will done the job if u do't to go 4 bios.
better 2 use win 98 cd.which open the dos

[Underheaven]

...

(means your cd got a boot sector)

fyi, the terminology for a CD/DVD isn't that the disc has a boot sector but rather a "Boot Record" Volume Descriptor in the last session of the CD/DVD that points to a Boot Catalog.

[AmphetaMarinE]

I don't mean to appear too blunt Thinkfire, but given the level of knowledge you seem to have, you would probably be better taking the machine to a PC Repair shop or similar.
Ask them to format and reinstall for you.
Otherwise, find a knowledgable friend and ask them for help.
My reasoning is, if something goes wrong during the install, you will not have a working machine, ruling out any help in this, or any other forum.