Cant boot from CD with toshiba laptop

Hi all, I have a Toshiba A45-S120 laptop that I want to give a fresh install of XP. I began by removing the hard drive from the laptop and plugging it into my desktop via a USB adapter cable. Once connected, I saved all of the files that I wanted to keep on another drive, then I proceeded to format the laptop drive through my desktop.
After reformatting drive, I unplugged and reinserted it into the laptop, figuring I'd just boot from Windows XP full version disk as I done many times before. OH BOY.. After turning laptop on, I pressed Esc then F1 to enter bios. On the left side of page is date, time, and password settings. On the right is boot priority options (which is currently set at HD>FD>CD) It is impossible to get over into the boot options window to change anything. As if it is read only. The bios version was initially 1.3 which I flashed to 1.5 hoping this would solve. No luck... I have tried hundreds of times to boot while pressing every1 of the F1-F12 keys.. no luck . I have tried by pressing, holding the "c" button, Ctrl - c, everything. I can find no way to get this laptop to boot from CD 1st.
I removed the hard drive from laptop again and tryed to boot with XP CD... Worked fine, but no HD to install to. Ive tried to attach the laptop drive by the USB adapter cable and booting with CD. That works and it sees the drive and its size, but cannot install to it this way. I am clueless as to how im going to get an OS onto this drive at this point.. plz help
By the way, there are icons of the actual boot devices at bottom of screen when computer starts, but I cant find any way to click on or select them hoping to force CD boot that way.

 

here's my suggestions, press escape during boot, you might have another option besides hitting f1 to get into bios? maybe f12 for the boot menu?
another is f12 during boot, or f1, even tho you said you tried these already.

 

It's a while since I last did it, but is it not the +/- or pageup/down keys to change options in Tsetup?

 

As soon as the Toshiba logo pops up with these icons, start pressing the right-arrow key repeatedly. You should notice the bar that's under each icon start to move and cycle thru the devices. When you get it to the CD icon, press Enter....
Good luck!

 

Use Smart Boot Manager (small Program About 30k And Its Free). It Just A One Exe. File The Laptop Boots Cds From The Mbr Of The Hardrive Not From The Bios. After Downloading It; Run It Which Installs In Seconds Then Reboot........your Friend......gener