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Dell Dimension 9100 acting strange and Windows XP HE STILL won't load
Every now and then when I boot my PC up, there is a black screen, lights 3 and 4 are on and the computer is making a beeping noise. Sometimes the computer boots fine and works like nothing has happened to it.
Removed the hard drives and put them back in again and I removed one RAM from the module, still doesn't resolve the issue.
Windows XP Home Edition still won't load, still no solution...
Error code 0x0000007b check Hard Drive controllers, Run chkdsk and check for boot sector viruses.
Current OS is Windows 7 Home Premium 32 Bit
Thanks in advance.
osprey4
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August 3rd, 2014 15:00
Hi Zaydnavaz,
Your hard drive is failing. Replace it.
zaydnavaz
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August 3rd, 2014 15:00
RoHe
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August 3rd, 2014 17:00
If I may...
3,4 is a RAM error and a BSOD with STOP 7b is a SATA Operation error so it sounds like you have more than just a HDD issue.
When was last time you replaced the motherboard battery? If the battery is more than ~2-3 years old, I'd replace it and run the system for a while before changing hard drives. It's a 3-volt CR2032 lithium ion battery, ~$2 at discount stores. And back up personal files on external media ASAP, too.
After you replace the battery, reboot, press F2 and go into BIOS setup. Look for the SATA Operation setting and make sure it's set to RAID AutoDetect/AHCI, since I'm assuming SATA drivers were installed the last time Windows XP was installed on this system. (Is this still the factory Windows install?). Be sure to save the change before exiting setup.
If that doesn't solve the problem...
EDIT: WAIT, I'm confused! :emotion-7:
Your thread title says "...Windows XP HE", but in your first post you said "Current OS is Windows 7 Home Premium 32 Bit". So which is it?
Either way, SATA Operation should be set to RAID AutoDetect/AHCI, assuming SATA drivers were installed.
osprey4
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August 3rd, 2014 17:00
Yes, of course it will work perfectly, at least until it quits. :emotion-2:
Any desktop SATA hard drive will work but all drives currently selling will be in the 500GB to 2TB range. I'd recommend an SATA 2 (3.0 Gb/s) since they are more likely to be compatible with your older desktop. This Seagate should work fine. This retail kit should include cloning software.
RoHe
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August 3rd, 2014 18:00
Me again...
Are you trying to re-install XP HE after installing Win 7??
In this case, SATA Operation needs to be set to RAID AutoDetect/ATA in BIOS first and you have to install the SATA drivers from a floppy diskette, when prompted early in the XP installation process to press F6 to install drivers.
And when XP attempts to reboot the very first time after the installation, you have to intercept it by pressing F2, to go into BIOS setup and change SATA Operation to RAID/AHCI, assuming you've installed SATA drivers from the floppy.
zaydnavaz
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August 4th, 2014 00:00
zaydnavaz
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August 4th, 2014 00:00
shesagordie
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August 4th, 2014 08:00
zaydnavaz
Try the following:
If you are not using RAID, or do not have an internal floppy drive, enter the system setup, scroll down to drives, press Enter or + to expand the drive menu then down to "SATA Operation", press Enter.
Change the SATA operation mode to "RAID Autodetect/ATA" press ESC to save and exit the BIOS.
Then windows XP should install without a problem.
Bev.
RoHe
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August 4th, 2014 11:00
Yes, that's exactly my point. XP won't install if BIOS isn't set to RAID AutoDetect/ATA, and that causes XP to give the 7b error. So at this point, I don't think you can say either HDD failed.
But you will have to create a floppy diskette with the SATA drivers so you can install them during the XP installation by pressing F6 when prompted.
Are you still getting the 3,4 diagnostics code? I can't promise replacing the battery will fix that but, a new $2 battery rules the battery out. And reseat all RAM modules in their slots after you remove the old battery.
Keep in mind that Win XP is no longer supported by Microsoft. So you won't receive any new security patches or updates from Microsoft, potentially leaving your system open to malware and hackers. I've seen Win 7 Home Premium 32- and 64-bit OEM disks for less than $70.
RoHe
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August 4th, 2014 11:00
And since you don't have an internal floppy drive, you could just omit the SATA drivers and leave BIOS set to RAID AutoDetect/ATA. You will lose the advantages of the Intel Matrix Storage Manager, but you probably won't notice the difference.
Read this for a good tutorial on clean Windows installations on Dell PCs because you will need to install all the other drivers for the hardware in this system.
zaydnavaz
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August 4th, 2014 13:00
shesagordie
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August 4th, 2014 14:00
zaydnavaz
Check the sequence of the 'Beeps'.
What colour is the power button light and is it blinking, or solid?
The Dimension 9100 Troubleshooter and Diagnostic codes are here:
http://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_desktop/esuprt_dimension_desktops/dimension-9100_service%20manual_en-us.pdf
When all four diagnostic lights are green, this indicates the computer is in a normal operating condition after POST.
Diagnostic lights x-x-3-4 lite indicate a memory issue.
First try removing and reinstalling all the memory modules and start the system, to see if this makes a difference and report back.
Note: Before working inside the case, first read "Before Working Inside Your Computer" section of the Owners Manual.
Bev.
osprey4
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August 4th, 2014 16:00
Sorry, all. The OP said lights 3,4 and my brain registered lights 2,3.
shesagordie
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August 4th, 2014 18:00
zaydnavaz
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August 5th, 2014 10:00
Hi Shesagordie,
What I swap my hard drives around meaning me making my 1TB Samsung the main hard drive?
I should also tell you that I got passed the 3 4 light and the beeping thing. problem now is that I am stuck on the dell logo and lights 123 are on. I can't access the setup and the boot sequence.
Thanks!