Dell Optiplex 745 - Trouble installing XP

[K A Hall]

So I have a Dell optiplex 745 I need to load windows XP pro on and can’t seem to get it done. I don’t have original recovery disks, not even sure if they ever existed and the proprietary DVD/CD drive doesn’t work so I’m copying ISO’s to a flash drive but so far failing to get it done.

When I boot off of any ISO’s it starts to work but then blue screens at “set up is starting windows” which is very early in the set up with “STOP: 0x0000007B….” My research shows this to be a missing SATA driver problem. I have used Nlite to create several ISO’s but so far I get the same result each time so I’m thinking I still have not found the correct driver.

Before I started messing with this I could see in device manager the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers were listed as:
Intel(R) ICH8 2 port Serial ATA Storage Controller – 2825
Intel(R) ICH8 4 port Serial ATA Storage Controller – 2820
and I am assuming that’s the ones I need.
I have not found the correct drivers to add to my ISO or it’s something else and I’m wasting my time.
Can anyone else find the correct drivers?
I’m open to other suggestions on how to get XP loaded on this as well.

[glc]

Try going into the bios and set the SATA controller to IDE mode. This should let XP install without a driver. "Normal" (AHCI or RAID) XP install requires a floppy disk and preinstall driver. I sure can't find a preinstall driver for ICH8 any more, I just looked.

As a technician, you should get an external USB optical drive and a USB floppy drive for your bench.

ASUS USB 2.0 Black External Slim CD/DVD Writer Model SDRW-08D2S-U - Newegg.com

BYTECC Model BT-144 Floppy Drive - Newegg.com

[K A Hall]

Originally Posted by glc Try going into the bios and set the SATA controller to IDE mode. This should let XP install without a driver. "Normal" (AHCI or RAID) XP install requires a floppy disk and preinstall driver. I sure can't find a preinstall driver for ICH8 any more, I just looked.

I should have mentioned..there is only normal and legacy SATA controller settings in the BIOS and I have tried them both.

Originally Posted by glc As a technician, you should get an external USB optical drive and a USB floppy drive for your bench. [..]

I have had both in the past but hadn't used either in so long..the floppy quit on me and I trashed it and I sold a desperate individual the USB optical drive on a weekend about a year ago and never replaced it. I have been getting by with many flash drives since but you're right I need to at least get the optical.

I have successfully loaded win7 on this from an ISO on a flash drive BTW, probably could get Vista to do the same but I was really hoping to use the product key for XP as I have a perfect place for such a system...hoping to trade a guy for some electrical work I need done.

[glc]

Have you tried zero filling the hard drive and starting from a totally clean drive?

If you can get your hands on Dell media, you don't need the product key. Dell media is all keyed to a Dell bios.

[K A Hall]

Originally Posted by glc Have you tried zero filling the hard drive and starting from a totally clean drive?

No. Have only tried other drives but will give that a go.

Originally Posted by glc If you can get your hands on Dell media, you don't need the product key. Dell media is all keyed to a Dell bios.

I have tried to find the correct media and actually thought I had it but it must be an earlier disk as it does the same blue screen.

[glc]

An earlier disk is fine as long as it has at least SP1, and it should, as should any XP SP1+ generic disk, install without a driver if the controller is in the legacy mode. Dell XP CD's are the same as any other generic XP CD except it will not activate unless it sees a Dell bios. They are not recovery disks, the machines ship with a Resource CD with all the drivers. It won't even ask for a key.

[jdeb]

Make a slip stream disc with mass storage drivers and you should be good to go.

[glc]

Looks like he has already tried that.

I have used Nlite to create several ISO’s but so far I get the same result each time so I’m thinking I still have not found the correct driver.

[jdeb]

I am not sure about that.

[K A Hall]

Originally Posted by glc An earlier disk is fine as long as it has at least SP1, and it should, as should any XP SP1+ generic disk, install without a driver if the controller is in the legacy mode. Dell XP CD's are the same as any other generic XP CD except it will not activate unless it sees a Dell bios. They are not recovery disks, the machines ship with a Resource CD with all the drivers. It won't even ask for a key.

Right, I understand...just using the wrong terms here. I meant I did not want to have to purchase a key for say win 7.

Originally Posted by jdeb Make a slip stream disc with mass storage drivers and you should be good to go.

As glc mentioned I did and I used Nlite which should work but hadn't found the drivers, maybe still haven't, but since this post is already showing up in search there are some drivers at the bottom of this page under Getting the F6 drivers. I'm going to try the first 32 bit one when I go back to this.
It's strange because a few times I have seen what looks like the ICH8 drivers installing but it still blue screens on me at "set up is starting windows."

[glc]

Good find, I bookmarked that page.

By the way, the Bytecc USB floppy I linked does work for F6 drivers in XP, I've used it for that on multiple occasions. Device managers see it as a Teac.

[K A Hall]

Originally Posted by glc Good find, I bookmarked that page.

It was a lucky find. I almost did not finish the article and get to that point in the page.

Originally Posted by glc By the way, the Bytecc USB floppy I linked does work for F6 drivers in XP, I've used it for that on multiple occasions. Device managers see it as a Teac.

I just had to order a bunch of stuff so I added your 2 suggestions to the order and will have usb optical and floppy soon. Are you happy now?

And I did try to add those drivers at the link to an ISO and it failed once again. Maybe when I get the optical drive and try the actual Dell "Resource" CD it will work, if not I will add them via F6 and if that doesn't work windows 7 it will be.

[glc]

The Resource CD is bootable, but I think the only thing you can do with it after booting with it is run diagnostics. You WILL have to use F6. There is a good chance you can pop the Resource CD into another computer and extract the preinstall driver.

[K A Hall]

The Dell CD I have is Green and says:
Operating System
ALREADY INSTALLED ON YOUR COMPUTER
Reinstallation CD
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Including Service Pack 2.

So we don't call that a resource cd do we? I messed that up again.

[glc]

Nope, that's the OS CD. You can install that on *ANY* Dell without entering a key and it's preactivated. It may or may not need a F6 driver, but I don't see why it wouldn't work with the controller in legacy mode and it *MIGHT* work in normal mode. All the rest of the drivers you need will be on the Dell support site, install the Intel chipset driver first after installing XP.

[K A Hall]

The ASUS optical drive was received about 30 minutes ago. I opened it up, hooked it up to the Optiplex 745, inserted the Dell CD and Setup is copying files. Looks like I'm going to be good to go. I don't get and honestly don't care at this point why an ISO wouldn't work but I can tell you that the CD loaded way more drivers before set up began than any of the ISO's I made.
You could say I didn't waste too much time on this if by that you meant wow, you wasted too much time on this....cuz I did.