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WinXP on Dell

C

CDC Mail Guy

Golden Member
How come I cannot install a "regular" WinXP OS on a Dell? I can ONLY use the backup CD I created. Note that this is on a new hard drive, not the one that was installed when I bought it. Is it the motherboard? If so...WHY is that? If it's not, what else could it be? I mean, a new hard drive does not have the brains to figure out it's in a Dell can it.
 
Umm....the backup CD is an image of of WinXP with drivers/apps that shipped your model. Unless you requested a WinXP CD when you ordered your unit, you would have to purchase your own copy (or try to obtain one from Dell). All you would need is to enter your service tag and download the drivers for your unit (and you should be good to go).


 
Any Windows XP Home or Pro OEM cd (depending on what shipped with your system) will allow you to use the product key on the side of your case. After it is installed you can try internet activation, but if it fails all you have to do is activate by phone.
 
Assuming this is a new Dell, you might need to do some monkeying with the BIOS, or dig up some drivers and put them on a floppy, or do a slipstream. XP is quite long in the tooth now, and the installer doesn't play nice with a lot of RAID, fakeRAID, etc. controllers.

You may be able to convince your motherboard to report the drives as something standard, or you may have to go the driver route.
I'd be surprised if this is a Dell issue. Odds are it is one of the standard "XP on new hardware" things.
 
Originally posted by: John
Any Windows XP Home or Pro OEM cd (depending on what shipped with your system) will allow you to use the product key on the side of your case. After it is installed you can try internet activation, but if it fails all you have to do is activate by phone.
Click to expand...
Windows installs on this machine fine. Whta it won't do is allow me to use my disk from NewEgg for installation. I have to use the CD I made when the PC was brand new out of the box, and it allowed me to burn an install iso(?) disk to CD that I could use.
 
Which "Newegg" disc are you referring to? XP Home OEM, Upgrade, retail.....?
 
There was only once with a computer that was built around the time XP first was released, where an oem disk from Newegg did not accept the product key for reinstalling Windows. Every other Dell / HP / Gateway / eMachines / Toshiba / IBM / etc. I've worked with has allowed me to use an oem disk from Newegg to reinstall the operating system with.
 
Originally posted by: CDC Mail Guy
Home OEM...sorry!
Click to expand...

Odd 😕 Does the COA on the side of the case say "Windows XP Home" and then have a DELL logo underneath it? Could it be a tech upgrade COA?
 
Originally posted by: cubby1223
There was only once with a computer that was built around the time XP first was released, where an oem disk from Newegg did not accept the product key for reinstalling Windows. Every other Dell / HP / Gateway / eMachines / Toshiba / IBM / etc. I've worked with has allowed me to use an oem disk from Newegg to reinstall the operating system with.
Click to expand...

Sounds like what I am dealing with, except I never even get to the point that it asks for the product key. Just states that it is unable to continue setup, then reboots PC! I then use the ISO disk I burned, and it installs just fine. The OEM disk from Newegg has been used on every other build/reinstall that I've ever done, and it works fine...EXCEPT with the Dell mobo.
 
Originally posted by: Underclocked
Do you need to do the F6 thing to install some special drivers?
Click to expand...

F6 is for RAID though correct? No, I've never had to do that though, because not running any type of RAID setup.
 
Originally posted by: CDC Mail Guy
Originally posted by: Underclocked
Do you need to do the F6 thing to install some special drivers?
Click to expand...

F6 is for RAID though correct? No, I've never had to do that though, because not running any type of RAID setup.
Click to expand...

I recently serviced a Dell 8400 (I think it was that model) that required SATA drivers before it would get to the point where it allowed you to partition to drive during setup. What model is your Dell?
 
Originally posted by: John
Originally posted by: CDC Mail Guy
Originally posted by: Underclocked
Do you need to do the F6 thing to install some special drivers?
Click to expand...

F6 is for RAID though correct? No, I've never had to do that though, because not running any type of RAID setup.
Click to expand...

I recently serviced a Dell 8400 (I think it was that model) that required SATA drivers before it would get to the point where it allowed you to partition to drive during setup. What model is your Dell?
Click to expand...
8400
 
http://support.dell.com/support/downloa...t=2&formatcnt=1&libid=41&fileid=108901

"Custom Instructions for R82876.exe:

At the beginning of the operating system setup, press F6 to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver.

1. When prompted, select 'S' to Specify Additional Device.

2. When prompted, insert the floppy disk you created in step 2 and press Enter.

3. At this point you should be presented with a selection for one of the following depending on you hardware version and configuration:

- Intel(R) 82801FR SATA RAID Controller
- Intel(R) 82801FR SATA AHCI Controller (((<---------added by UC)))

4. Highlight the selection that is appropriate for the hardware in your system and press Enter.

5. Press Enter again to continue. Leave the floppy disk in the system until the next reboot as the software will need to be copied from the floppy disk again when setup is copying files."
 
If it is not a very late model Dell then you Must F6 during the
XP setup to install your SATA Drivers ... newer models
the BIOS will recognize SATA .. also some newer Dell XP
cd's may have the SATA Driver on the CD and I know Dell
puts their own config file on their version of XP .. so it could
be set to automatically load SATA Drivers ... I know it will
(or it used to) check to see if a Dell Bios is present or not
If not, it will not install
 
Originally posted by: Underclocked
and that is why I asked you twice which model is your Dell. 🙂
Click to expand...

Which is why I asked. 😛 The Intel SATA drivers that you linked to are the exact ones that I was required to load during setup.
 
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