Need help fixing old Gateway

Recently got an old gateway from someone, and the hard drive was fried (why they were giving it away). Found a replacement that came out of another oldie from a friend. It starts up to the boot menu, but says the network is the first boot priority, not the hard drive. I set hard drive to first boot in the bios, but it didn't help. Need advice on what to do now. Do i have to format and re-install Windows (XP)? Just a small tweak in the bios? Maybe somehow boot from a usb drive?

It may also need a new bios battery to hold settings. They are CR2032 model that cost like $1-2 at Home Depot.

I would flash to the latest available bios if there is a newer one, and then format and install the OS on the new HDD, which should be the master device if it is IDE. Set the boot priority to cd then hdd, then nothing or lan if it insists on a third choice.

k thats guys, much eaiser than i was expecting it to be. Boot from windows disk, format hard drive, install windows. Thanks.

that, my friend.... is very very untrue. It's very possible to do. I've done it many many times.

Ya sometimes it may boot, but in the OPs case it didn't. Even if and when they boot you have problems from old drivers and registrys ect...... If you do it right the first time you save yourself headaches later, and don't have to suffer performance loss. Just because something appears to work because you get it to boot, doesn't mean everything is working as it should. Theres alot more going on under the hood then omg it booted hooray.