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Windows re-install on old Dell

S

schizoid77

Senior member
My mother's PC recently crashed and during the recovery/repair process, she somehow wiped the HDD clean. So I brought it home to re-install Windows XP. I set boot sequence to CD-ROM first, put my install disc in and reboot. Takes forever, but I eventually get to the Windows set-up, I do the quick formatting, then it asks for a reboot, goes through POST and all but nothing happens from then on out. Just a blinking cursor on a black screen, I left it there for over an hour...I thought it was supposed to continue on with the setup/install after the formatting and reboot, is there something else I need to do? I don't do this a whole lot so if I'm missing something basic, feel free to let me know!

It's a Dell, came with XP Home, I am trying to install XP Pro, it's got a 3Ghz Pentium and I think 512 memory...80g HDD, 1 optical and 1 floppy.

Thanks.
 
I've gone through the same thing about 3 times now. It always formats, asks for reboot, then just sits there - I'm thinking of trying another HDD.
 
First thing to do is do an overnight test of the memory and run the hard drive maker's disk diagnostics program. This will verify that the basic hardware is functional before you spend more time trying to install Windows on it. After all, there was a reason why it crashed the first time. It'd be good to find that reason.

Also, most Dells have a hidden Dell Recovery Partition on the hard drive. It's usually accessed by hitting Ctrl-F11 on boot. It will allow you to restore the Dell to its original configuration in a couple of minutes.

The long time to recognize the XP Install CD could also indicate a problem with the CD-ROM drive. Consider swapping it, along with its cabling, with some known-good parts.
 
I tried 2 other optical drives thinking the drive might be bad, but it's the same. And I swapped out all internal cables as well.

I will run the diagnostics tonight and check the partition on the Dell HDD.

Thanks for the advice.
 
Maybe try a complete wipe of the HDD with something like D-BAN? I have had older machines with weird problems where this has helped sometimes..
 
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