format problem

[sammy004]

Hi guys I have a dell XPS and I wanted to put XP Home on it and wipe it clean. So I have a XP Home OEM and the sticker on the side of the PC has a XP Home Product key so I can just use that key instead of my own. However my problem is when I install the CD in the drive and press F12 for the boot menu and boot from CD it goes through the progress and CD is recognized and everything except when it should ask you to partition your hard drive an error comes up and tell me that there is no hard drive recognized. I know there is a hard drive in there because the PC has an OS on it and there is data on it. Can anyone tell me what is different about Dells to other computers that I don't know about. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[systempat]

Well you have 2 problems that I can see. Loading your OS. Use the key that came with your copy of XP Home. And it should not be installed anywhere else. The Dell key is only good for the Dell OEM version of XP so it should not work.
Two, not familiar with the hardware for an XPS. Does that have a SATA hard drive? Give us a list of all your drives, please. If it's a SATA drive there is something you have to do for XP to install. You either have to go to BIOS and find an option that says to run the SATA controller in IDE mode. Or else you have to download SATA drivers to a floppy disk or a USB stick.
Also what's the reason why you want to start over on the PC ?

[sammy004]

Originally Posted by systempat Well you have 2 problems that I can see. Loading your OS. Use the key that came with your copy of XP Home. And it should not be installed anywhere else. The Dell key is only good for the Dell OEM version of XP so it should not work. Two, not familiar with the hardware for an XPS. Does that have a SATA hard drive? Give us a list of all your drives, please. If it's a SATA drive there is something you have to do for XP to install. You either have to go to BIOS and find an option that says to run the SATA controller in IDE mode. Or else you have to download SATA drivers to a floppy disk or a USB stick. Also what's the reason why you want to start over on the PC ?

Hi Thanks for the reply, well first of all I can't even make it up to the product key, second it is a sata drive and I did load the drivers for sata still no luck, and third the PC was some else's and I like to start fresh and get all the junk off it. I hope that is sufficient info if you like more please let me know thank you for your help

[glc]

To start fresh, simply press Ctrl+F11 immediately on startup and use Symantec PC Restore to put it back the way it came from the factory. No CD needed.

[systempat]

GLC, you're talking about using the Dell restore partition I take it. Not sure if that was where he was trying to go. He may have a hardware problem but it's a little hard to tell. If it was me I probably try switching the SATA to IDE mode since the driver install did not seem to work.

[glc]

The OP says he wants to wipe it clean, and that's the easiest way.

[sammy004]

Originally Posted by systempat If it was me I probably try switching the SATA to IDE mode since the driver install did not seem to work.

I did do that but now ever time I start I get a warning " your HD cannot be recognized please press F1 to continue" So when I do it loads right into windows.

I will try the Ctr+F11 part thanks GLC

[glc]

If you do that, put the controller back the way it was.