Reinstall XP on Dell?

[mattmorgan]

Hi, i've got myself a loverly dell dimension 3000 pc which needs the tender love that can only be provided with a new clean sweap install, however their disk that they gave me with the machine have gone missing, i have a windows OEM home edition install disk from other machines, and have my xp home serial number from the side of the box, but for the life of me cant get this machine to boot to the install screen, i've done the obvious and change the booting others and messed about with the bios some what but no love, any one help a bruva out?

i asked dell for new disks. they said no. - useless!

thanks.

M@

[sdkfz]

http://support.dell.com/support/topi...dhs&dn=1090151

[mattmorgan]

sdkfz, thanks, but no cigar, the software claimed to be pre installed to deal with this matter appears to be absent. so this unfortunately doesn't work. any other suggestions?

[Negeva]

Find a friend with a Dell XP Home CD and use that: and before anyone shouts at me stating 'it's not illegal'; it will be as he be using his OEM licence key he has on the side of his machine.

[glc]

Any Dell CD will work on any Dell.

[Garyfl]

I don't know about the rest of you but I am always amazed at how the CD to boot or reinstall a system turns up "lost".?????????????

I know where mine is.

[Negeva]

Originally Posted by Garyfl I don't know about the rest of you but I am always amazed at how the CD to boot or reinstall a system turns up "lost".????????????? I know where mine is.

Some Dells use a recovery partition for re-installation, therefore that customer will not nor never have had a CD.

You'd be amazed at how many ppl delete this recovery partition; that's why I always keep a copy of a Dell CD handy for those that do.

[kev7555]

OK, back to the original subject...

You can't get the machine to boot from the CD? Do any other disks work in the optical drive? I assume since you said you did all the basics that you have been in BIOS to set cd to boot before hard drive. Does it ever get to the DOS screen that says "press any key to boot from CD"?

-Kev

[mattmorgan]

yep, i checked the bios, and make sure to force check the cd drive prior to the hdd, with no luck, the operating system always kicks in without the option to 'press any key' i have serveral version of windows including the 9 and 11 'AIO' disks, with all versions, but non of these have works, i was tempted to remove the hdd and install on a seperate system, but this is a work machine (hense the lost disks - so un organised) and i dont really want to crack it open bring the hdd home sort it out then return it to find any errors, i have no car to transport the tower unit so this really isnt an option - also may i mention i have no utilities partition and that dell suck.

[dataDude]

Stupid question to get outta the way: are you sure the disk is in properly? I've actually dealt with someone who thought the shiny side had to be up to make it work (no, it wasn't a double-sided DVD).

Maybe there's a defect in the CD drive (or maybe is just old?) and it needs to be replaced. Before considering that, though, make sure both cables for the CD drive are in all the way and that the cables are still good in the first place. How long does it take for your computer to get to the Windows XP loading screen after the BIOS completes its POST? Are you making sure the CD drive is (still) being being read by the BIOS?

To add: make sure the bottom of the CD is clean of defects or can at least still work. One way to test this is to copy the contents of the CD to a known fully working computer and seeing if all the files save correctly to the hard drive.

Apologies if you've already answered any of these.

[mpage36251]

I had this problem too, since the PC had been around a while, I thought it might be dusty - I got some canned "air" and blew out the CD drive, and it began to work! it's worth a try.

[mattmorgan]

Hi guys, no the computer was all in fully working order, i got arround this problem by downloading a 'dell home' cd from a torrent site, not strickly speaking the legal or fastest way to deal with this, but it worked like a dream, just changed the xp key when it installed and now it work fantasticly, not sure why it refused to read the other offical cd's but it works now and i'm happy. thanks to all for the help and advice given

M@

[dataDude]

That's not legal? You have to pay Dell to get another CD? (Obviously I've never had a comp from them.)

[glc]

That's a gray area. Using *any* CD with YOUR key is legal, but downloading an obviously pirated copy is where it gets hazy. If it validates as genuine when you get done, you are legal.

[mattmorgan]

a fine line.... i'm legal, but how i got here wasnt.