Dimension 8400 Processor & Motherboard

Does any one now how to reset a dell that you trye to power up and starts with a black screen and says DELL then says needs a password ?

Hello wwjd1954, First, unplug the power cable from the system, remove the side panel and just remove the onboard coin cell battery for about 10 seconds, reinsert it in the battery holder and the password will be removed.

You will need to enter the BIOS and reset the time and date and any other settings that may be other than the default settings.

Hope this helps.

Be very very careful with PM. it may start showing messages that the partition information is invalid and ask you if you want PM to fix it. Select NO!

If you select yes it will destroy all partition tables and all data and partitins will be inaccessible.

Bev,

Just an update - not only does  Partition Magic not recognize the main HDD, neither does Norton Ghost - it doesn't even see it.  I was all set to make an image of that HD and maybe reformat and build two partitions, but ......

Here is the strange thing - when I look in My Computer/Manage/DisK Management - it shows Disk ) with a 39MB FAT Health EISA Configuration and a 465.73 GB NTFS Healthy System Configuration.

I sure would like to (1) make an image of this disk and (2) repartition it.  Wonder if this is just a Norton issue and some other partitioning software may work.  Maybe this is why Dell wouldn't let me specify a partitioned Hard Drive when I configured the system on-line??

Just an update - not only does  Partition Magic not recognize the main HDD, neither does Norton Ghost - it doesn't even see it.  I was all set to make an image of that HD and maybe reformat and build two partitions, but ......Here is the strange thing - when I look in My Computer/Manage/DisK Management - it shows Disk ) with a 39MB FAT Health EISA Configuration and a 465.73 GB NTFS Healthy System Configuration. I sure would like to (1) make an image of this disk and (2) repartition it.  Wonder if this is just a Norton issue and some other partitioning software may work.  Maybe this is why Dell wouldn't let me specify a partitioned Hard Drive when I configured the system on-line??

Hello Roxie2401, I haven't been following this thread, but to offer an explanation about the partitions on your hard drive in question, at one time this hard drive would have had the Dell Recovery Restore partition configured on it.

When the Dell Recovery Restore partition is configured on a hard drive, there is a partition 1 as the first partition on the drive and it is formatted in Fat. It is usually about the size you mention, but can be slightly more or less than the 39MBs.

This partition is hidden, but can be seen from within Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Managemaent, Storage, Disk Management.

If the hard drive has the Media partition in addition to the Dell Recovery Restore partition, the hard drive will have a total of 4 partitions on the hard drive. Windows can only see a maximum of 4 partitions on a single hard drive.

Partition 1 is the Fat hidden partition, partition 2 is the C: partition, partition 3 is the Dell Recovery Restore partition and partition 4 is the Media partition.

You can delete all the partitions except the partition 1, hidden partition, from within the Disk Management section.

The hidden partition 1 can be deleted by using diskpart.exe from within the command prompt (cmd).

There are several steps to remove this hidden partition, but it is fairly simple to do. There are help commands to show you how to do this.

You must be aware that when the partitions are deleted, all the data will be lost.

After all the partitions are deleted and the hard drive is formatted, all the capacity will be available for use.

If the OS is installed on another drive, this hard drive can be used as a dual boot drive or a backup drive.

I would not use PM or Norton Ghost to manage this drive, but the Disk Management and the cmd prompt to clean this drive and format it.

Hope this helps.

Hi, thanks for the input.  I'm confused.  The only partitions I see in the Disk Mangement Section are the two I mentioned (Dell Utility - FAT, and what Dell called "OS (C)".  I know there may be a hidden partition that the key strokes use to "restore" the configuration, too.

What bugs me is that when we (Dell Sales & I) tried to order this system with an additional partition (60GB primary), the "configuration" tool they use showed an incompatibility - since we had selected WinXP as the OS it would not allow selecting "Partition Hard Drive".  If we changed the OS to Vista, then it would allow a partition configuration.

The sales person said, "you can build the additional partition after you get it."  I didn't think that meant wiping the drive and reloading all the pre-installed OS, etc.

Partition Magic shows the Drive as "bad" and Ghost does not even see the "C drive" on the system.

Just spoke (or tried to) with Dell Tech Support - they said, "partitioning a drive is not something they do so I should call the "Dell On-site, fee based Technical Support."

Hi,

What version of PM and Ghost are you using? Are they for sure compatible with SATA drives?

Before you start any of this you are correct to want to image your drive/drives. But you have to have 100% confidence your imaging program will restore completely.

Be very careful as i said before or you may lose all your data.

Hi, I have two other SATA drives installed and Partition Magic (and Ghost) detect them and displays the correct partition data (size, cylinders, etc.)

I think PM correctly identified the following errors:

Error#105 Partition didn't begin on head boundary (BeginHead expected to be 0 or 1, not 25)

Error#106 Partition didn't begin on head boundary (BeginSector expected to be on 1, not 21)

Looking at the data, the DellUtility has Head = 1, Sector = 1; the Primary has Head = 25, Sector = 21

My old Dell HD has the following data, the DellUtiltiy has Head = 1, Sector = 1; but the Primary has Head = 0, Sector = 1 (as the error messages indicate are correct).

What I'm beginning to wonder is if on the new drive, Dell put the "hidden/recovery" partition between the Utility and Primary?

I know on my old drive, the "hidden/recovery" partition was at the end of the Primary.

On additional difference, on the old drive, PM actually displayed all three partitions (including the hidden one).  On the new drive, it just shows one entire drive as "bad"

Hi,  There are three drives on the system - the 500GB Dell installed & formated plus the other two that were in the now dead Dimesnion 8400.  All drives show in Computer Management with the correct sizes except the primary drive only shows two partitions, the 39mb Dell Utiltiy and a 465.73gb NTFS - there is no other partition showing.

PM has been able to format both FAT and NTFS on all the other drives - it just shows 'bad' for the primary drive.  And, as I mentioned, Ghost does not even list the drive (any partitions) when it detects them.

Also, I have two Western Digital external drives for backup attached via USB and PM and Ghost "see" them correctly.

I still don't understand why Dell would custom partition the HDD when Vista was selected as the OS, but when the "downgrade to WindowsXP Pro was selected" their configuration program rejected the partition option.

Hello Roxie2401, The hidden partition is the first partition and about 39MBs and formatted in Fat.

The Dell recovery partition is usually D: and is about 10-15 GBs, depending on the data needed to restore the system and is formatted in NTFS, just as the C: partition.

I have had PM recognize a drive but could not do anything with it, since it did not recogonize the format type.

Is this the only hard drive in the system and if so, does it have the OS and applications installed on it?

Just some thoughts.

I still don't understand why Dell would custom partition the HDD when Vista was selected as the OS, but when the "downgrade to WindowsXP Pro was selected" their configuration program rejected the partition option.

Hello Roxie2401, Dell sets all their drives with the Dell Recovery Restore partition, which has the partition1 (39MB) as the first partition.

This is needed to restore the data from the D: (unhidden) partition.

If you formatted the hard drive to the full capacity, as it appears you did, since you show it's capacity to be 465.xx GBs, you removed the D: partition with the restore files on it.

It appears that you have no data on this drive.

Have you tried to install Vista with the Dell provided disk on this hard drive.

If not, I would try to do this, and if successful, you can delete the hidden partition from within Vista.

You may have to use the manufacturer's disk to prepare the hard drive for the Vista install.

It can usually correct any faults in the partitions and formats.

If you don't have the disk, you can go to their web site and download it.

Hope this helps.

Now I'm really getting confused.  The first partition is the Dell Diagnostic Utility - runs like DOS, no mouse control, just keyboard, to run diagnostic test.  The hidden "recovery" partition was always at the end of the disk.

No, I have not formatted my hard drive - it is just the way it came, two days ago from Dell.  The capacities that are being shown in Disk Management are what the system is seeing - I don't know why it is showing 465 GB in the primary - but it is a 500GB Seagate drive.

Yes, all the preinstalled software that was ordered is still on the Primary partition - the Windows OS, plus all the extras that were ordered.  So far, the disk properties are showing 68GB used space - that would only be the NTFS partition.

And, I don't know why, but Partition Magic is showing that the end cylinder exceeded the end of the drive.

Bev, ST3500620AS - Seagate Barracuda. But, the first thing I "wanted" to do, was to partition that 500GB drive.  You had mentioned Partition Magic - well, it sure doesn't like what Dell did. I get the following error when I try to run PM: =========================================================================================================== Disk Geometry Information for Disk 1:    60801 Cylinders,  255 Heads,  63 Sectors/Track System              PartSect  # Boot BCyl Head Sect  FS    ECyl Head Sect    StartSect     NumSects =========================================================================================================== DellUtility                0  0  00     0    1    1  DE       4  254   63           63       80,262                                0  1  80     5   25   21  07    1023  254   63       81,920  976,702,210 Info: End C,H,S values were large drive placeholders.   Actual values are:         0  1  80      5   25   21  07  60801  254   63     81920 976702210 Error #105: Partition didn't begin on head boundary.   ucBeginHead expected to be 0 or 1, not 25. Error #106: Partition didn't begin on head boundary.   ucBeginSector expected to be 1, not 21. Error #109: Partition ends after end of disk.   ucEndCylinder (60801) must be less than 60801. =========================================================================================================== I don't know what this means, except maybe they put the Utility partition at the front of the drive and there is a problem where the "Head & Sector" of the main NTSF partition begins.  The Dell partition is a FAT, I think.  Also, PM had no problem with the old "C Drive" with the same Dell Utility partition at the front of that drive.  Guess the only things I see different is the number of heads and sectors.  Any suggestions?  I don't know whether to go to Symantec to see if PM has a problem or Dell.  I sure don't want to loose the Dell partition and I don't want to go forward with loading apps and have to format the whole drive later. Help.

Roxie2401

Sorry, But I'm not much help the Symantec's Partition Magic, still have the old PowerQuest's 8.0 version of PM and when Symantec purchased PowerQuest, I purchased a copy of Acronis Disk Director.    :emotion-5:

I have a question for you, when both Vista and XP Professional is ordered with a system from Dell, do you receive reinstallation discs of both Vista and XP professional?

Bev.

Now I'm really getting confused.  The first partition is the Dell Diagnostic Utility - runs like DOS, no mouse control, just keyboard, to run diagnostic test.  The hidden "recovery" partition was always at the end of the disk. No, I have not formatted my hard drive - it is just the way it came, two days ago from Dell.  The capacities that are being shown in Disk Management are what the system is seeing - I don't know why it is showing 465 GB in the primary - but it is a 500GB Seagate drive. Yes, all the preinstalled software that was ordered is still on the Primary partition - the Windows OS, plus all the extras that were ordered.  So far, the disk properties are showing 68GB used space - that would only be the NTFS partition. And, I don't know why, but Partition Magic is showing that the end cylinder exceeded the end of the drive.

Hello Roxie2401, The usable capacity of a partioned and formated 500 GB hard drive is 465.XX GBs.

This is standard on all 500GB hard drives, and would be normal. The 68 GB of data is all the OS and applications on the hard drive.

This all appears to be normal.

PM has given me these error messages many times and nothing be wrong with the drive.

I have used PM for years and I can only get satisfactory results using PM about 50% of the time.

The Fat hidden partition is now on the partition 1 of the hard drive.

Hope this helps.

Bev,

Four Disks - "Reinstallation DVD - Windows Vista Business 32BIT SP1"; "Reinstallation CD - Windows XP Professional SP3"; "Applications Installed on Your Computer"; "Drivers and Utilities Already Installed on Your Computer."

At this point, I really think there was a problem building the disk.  The Dell Utility Partition is right where its supposed to be, at the front of the disk, and its a FAT.  The Primary Partition follows (with a gap) and its NTFS.  There always was a third partition at the end of the disk, the Recovery Partition and it was FAT32.  (That one is missing on my drive.)

Out of curiosity could you check your system with either Power Quest or Acronis and see if they "see" the three partitions I mentioned?

Now, if I could only find someone else who has a Vostro with WinXP preinstalled and see what they see...............

I'd love to just have the factory send out another primary drive with all the preloaded stuff and swap them and see if the partitions are built the same way.  So far, talking to someone at Dell who actually understands, hasn't happened.