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Re-installing the OS for a friend on a Dell 9100

L

leeland

Diamond Member
I was planning on just formatting the drive and cleaning everything up for him. Went to re-install the OS and get an error...then I realize he has a SATA drive.

I have come to the conclusion that you need to install drivers for that when you get the opening screen ( hit F6) am I right in thinking this?

Well he doesn't have a floppy drive on his PC...when I went to Dells website they have a self extracting file that looks like it puts the files you need on a floppy disc...

I don't have any other means right now to get the files put on a different device...I had a USB camera (I know) that I Thought I could extract the files to but that didn't work...

there has to be another way to do this....anyone have any experience with this sort of stuff ?


thanks,

Leeland
 
I have always done this from a floppy. I believe that when you hit F6, that it is going to seek that information from floppy. If there is any other way to do this, I am not aware of.
Maybe a USB drive. But I don't think the install gives you an option to seek from another device.

Don't you have another computer that has a floppy that you could temporialy install in machine long enough to get O/S installed ?
 
FIRST OF ALL if this Dell is less than a year old it probably has the installation files on a hidden partition on the HDD (assuming you haven't already wiped the entire drive). As of this year Dell started eliminating the XP CD (unless you pay extra for it) and putting the XP installer and recovery files on a hidden partition on the drive.

There should be instructions that came with the computer on how to perform a recovery, or you can go to Dell's forums or online FAQ, or call Dell tech support (I haven't done one that way for a client yet otherwise I'd tell you).


If you have to install XP off the CD then there is no other way to install the SATA drivers other than using a floppy EXCEPT to make a Windows Install CD with the drivers slipstreamed onto it. You CANNOT use a CD, USB or the HDD as the source for the driver files.

A USB floppy drive is $30 or less at Walmart. Might as well buy one if you intend to do any repair work, or convince him to buy one for you if he wants you to install his OS for him as part of your payment. I carry one around in my service kit all the time just for this reason.

I don't understand why people don't order their PCs with floppy drives. You CANNOT eliminate them yet and it's a nickle & dime item in the cost of the whole machine.

Hope this helps...
 
Originally posted by: FlyingPenguin
FIRST OF ALL if this Dell is less than a year old it probably has the installation files on a hidden partition on the HDD (assuming you haven't already wiped the entire drive). As of this year Dell started eliminating the XP CD (unless you pay extra for it) and putting the XP installer and recovery files on a hidden partition on the drive.

There should be instructions that came with the computer on how to perform a recovery, or you can go to Dell's forums or online FAQ, or call Dell tech support (I haven't done one that way for a client yet otherwise I'd tell you).


If you have to install XP off the CD then there is no other way to install the SATA drivers other than using a floppy EXCEPT to make a Windows Install CD with the drivers slipstreamed onto it. You CANNOT use a CD, USB or the HDD as the source for the driver files.

A USB floppy drive is $30 or less at Walmart. Might as well buy one if you intend to do any repair work, or convince him to buy one for you if he wants you to install his OS for him as part of your payment. I carry one around in my service kit all the time just for this reason.

I don't understand why people don't order their PCs with floppy drives. You CANNOT eliminate them yet and it's a nickle & dime item in the cost of the whole machine.

Hope this helps...
Click to expand...


That does help somewhat...at the time of me posting I was 200 miles from my house and didn't have any resources to go with...

I didn't know ahead of time it was a SATA drive and also that he didn't have a floppy installed.

I have never dealt with SATA drives and how they work as of yet...this was my first experience...

When I have a moment later tonight I will check out the links above my post and let you know what i think...


Thank you for taking the time to get them for me...


leeland
 
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