Having trouble installing XP from scratch

technics100

technics100

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I'm having problems trying to sort out my brothers PC's.. He gave me two dell pc's to make one decent one!! both run, but have their own issues. I have basically put a new HDD 160gb SATA into the better one along with a dedicated graphics card. This Dell orginally ran vista, I would like to use the license from his other Dell which is XP Home.

How can I get the computer up and running?

I have the new blank HDD installed but can't get it formatted or to boot to XP CD as it says its not readable. All I want to do is do a fresh install of XP. Is there an easy way to do it? I can't get to a command prompt to format the new drive.. or get the XP install to start..

Suggestions please?
 
Used another cd from my dell, booted from that and started the setup, says setup is starting windows and then I get the blue screen of death!! It says to check hdd or hdd controllers, the hdd is fine as I took it out of my machine tonight after I formatted it..

Any suggestions?
 
Yeah, it was running a 80gb sata with vista, I took it out and plugged a 160gb sata in. Will try the f5 thing. Can I format and load anything onto the drive before I plug it in to the new computer?
 
I think you will find the option is f6 and certainly on early xp home versions the sata drivers needed to be on a floppy.

Pro versions had the drivers built into the MS install.
 
neil_g said:
thered be no point "loading" anything onto it, id always wipe the drive and let the XP set up recreate it.
Click to expand...

I quickly tried the F5 button before work, it wants me to use a floppy drive which I don't have.. aw man.. :-(

I thought I could maybe even format the HDD as a boot disk even to get it to boot to dos, then install XP.. Is it because it's a dell? or are they all thi much of a pain
 
Is this hard disk brand new and unused? I'm thinking it might be formatted as a dynamic disk?

Easiest thing would be to get a hold of a dell XP Pro disk and use that. I have one if you are stuck.
 
its not just dell, the problem is more than likely that the XP disk you are using does not have the storage drivers as it is older than the hardware needed to start the install.

you can find out what they are and slipstream them into a XP disk..

PsiFox said:
I think you will find the option is f6 and certainly on early xp home versions the sata drivers needed to be on a floppy.

Pro versions had the drivers built into the MS install.
Click to expand...

i was only 1 f out.. :lol:
 
I got a copy of XP Pro SP3 and tried that. still BSOD.. the HDD was out of my machine and I was using it for backup, I formatted it before I removed it from mine, I can stick it back in mine and re-format, anything I should do to make sure it works..
 
Put the drive back into your old machine and see what it says about it in disk management.

Check the pins on the drive are set to 'CS' cable select or 'master'.
 
technics100 said:
I got a copy of XP Pro SP3 and tried that. still BSOD.. the HDD was out of my machine and I was using it for backup, I formatted it before I removed it from mine, I can stick it back in mine and re-format, anything I should do to make sure it works..
Click to expand...

yeah theres no guarantee the newer XP disks will have the right driver unfortunately.
 
Riiight.

You need to slipstream. Slipstreaming is the act of adding newer drivers (and other software if you want) to XP install CD so that your mobo hardware is supported out of the box. What you need to do is use nLite (http://www.nliteos.com/) and have a read around the internet on how to slipstream the drivers you need.

It basically involves copying the OS CD, then adding the drivers and then writing a new CD containing the install disk and the extra drivers. Quite easy to do and I had to do it when I last installed XP (a couple of years ago now, so it's but a dim memory).
 
technics100 said:
Cheers arad85, will have a look at that later. the HDD is this one;

Seagate barracuda ST3160023As

Where do I get the drivers for it to add?
Click to expand...
The drivers are for the motherboard chipset, not the disk. Which motherboard/dell PC do you have. The Dell support site will have the drivers on somewhere.
 
arad85 said:
The drivers are for the motherboard chipset, not the disk. Which motherboard/dell PC do you have. The Dell support site will have the drivers on somewhere.
Click to expand...

Dell Dimension E520... hardly a flyer, but he only wants to run his decks through it and put it onto his TV..
 
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technics100 said:
Dell Dimension E520... hardly a flyer, but he only wants to run his decks through it and put it onto his TV..
Click to expand...
According to:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/dime520/en/SM_EN/index.htm

this uses the Intel G965 chipset. If you can't find the original disc, you can download from the Intel site here:

http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/sb/CS-022768.htm

If you get the zip version (the second one down when you click the link in Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility for the G965 chipset) the unzipped version should be in a form suitable for direct inclusion in the slipstreaming process.
 
Many thanks, My other brother threw all his disks out!! will give that a go this evening..
 
You gotta love BIOS settings!
 
I had to do that on a Vostro laptop....sorry clean forgot!
 
Yip, go it installed, changed the SATA from Raid on to RAID Auto.. WTF.. sorted now and running XP.. Just need to get the drivers etc loaded..

Cheers everyone for the above input ;-)
 
Glad it's sorted, Dell's are very weird machines.

Just finished sorting an Inspiron 530, acres of space yet only fixings for one more hard-drive.
 
Yeah, now its all working I might try the same thing with my Dell Vostro 400 Desktop tonight, Although I'm going into the roof space to see if I can get my original CD's..

It's been very slow lately..
 
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