im trying to install mandrake on a desktop here and am unable to boot from the mandrake cd's. ive done this on two other computers with these same cd's without a problem. ive changed the boot sequence to boot from the cd drive first and still...... nothing. Windows is automatically being booted without any regard for the mandrake cd in the cd drive. It's like the drive is not recognizing the cd. The drive however does work, i listen to cd's on it all day. right now i'm running xp on a dell. i want to create a dual boot with xp/mandrake.

Are you sure the cd-rom drive you are trying to boot off of is the primary cd-rom drive?
You might even want to check the jumper/cable settings on the drive to make sure.
Preferably the cd-rom drive would be on it's own IDE channel as master if this is still
an option on your mainboard.
Do re-check BIOS to make sure the drive is set as the first bootable device.
Might also want to disable any 'fast boot' options in BIOS while you're troubleshooting.
Then, what brand cd-rom drive and how old? although very rare, it's not impossible
that your drive doesn't like to read the disks you created for Mandrake
(For instance CD-RW disks can give problems on some drives --> Use regular CD-R)

I had the same problem, it may be your disks not being bootable. Did you burn from an ISO or just put all the files on a disk?

i didnt create these disks that i have, but bought them from a distributer and yes, they are bootable, as evident through having booted from them on other computers. yes, the cd-rom drive i am using is at this point my primary boot location. i'm not sure but i'm assuming this simply depends on the order in which i want the computer to search for a bootable source and is structured by the boot sequence which i define. i did take note when i was in the bios configuration that fastboot was 'on'. i have also taken note that you have suggested that i turn the fast boot setting to 'off'. will making this suggested adjustment create a desired consequence which pertains to my problem? i have no idea how to change the jumper/cable settings as was suggested. i don't know what brand my cd-rom drive is. my computer came to me fully built from dell. it's not that old. i got this computer maybe about 9 months or so ago. again, these are commercial distrobution pre packaged disks, so its not a matter of how the files were structured or wheather or not the disks themselves are re-writable.