Trying to re-install Windows XP

Always include the PC model in your posts. :emotion-5:

Does the system have a SATA or IDE hard drive? If it's a SATA drive, did you change SATA Operation mode in BIOS setup (reboot and press F2) to RAID Autodetect/ATA before booting from the XP SP1 CD?

Do you have an internal floppy drive in this system so you can install the SATA drivers from a floppy diskette at the beginning of the XP install, when prompted to press F6 to install drivers?

If you're using a Dell XP Reinstallation CD to install XP on a Dell PC , you shouldn't need to enter the Windows product key, but it should be on a sticker on the PC if you do need to enter it.

You should be able to clean install. Are you trying to upgrade instead?

Also, if you're going to go to this much work, you might consider Windows 7, as support for XP is ending in three months.

I"m trying to do a clean install. I get the following error when booting to the XP CD.

A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage...."

I'm not sure if my machine is "current" enough to install Windows 7, and I assume I would have to buy that. Trying to not spend $$$ if I don't have to.

Thanks for all the help.

I'll give this a try.

If you haven't wiped the hard drive (and/or if it hasn't failed), reboot and press F12. Go to Utilities parttion to run the diagnostics.

Otherwise, you should find them on your Dell Drivers/Utilities CD

EDIT: Please tell us exactly what PC model this is.

Downloaded/ran the dell diagnostic software that's available off of this web site, but its not a free piece of software.

Is there a diagnostic program that came with my PC that i can use ?

I ran the dell diagnostic utilities and surprisingly it didn't find any problems.

I don't believe this diagnostic utility checks the hard drive, but I may be wrong.

Is there a free diagnostic utility that you can reccommend that will check the hard drive for problems ?

I am unable to run chkdsk /f. I get an error message back that the hard drive is locked.

Are you running the install from within Windows or booting from the install disk?

booting from the install disk.

I am unable to run chkdsk /f. I get an error message back that the hard drive is locked.

WHAT SYSTEM IS THIS?

From where are you running chkdsk /f ? If you're running chkdsk from the C: prompt after booting from the XP Reinstallation CD and opening the Recovery Console, the correct command is: chkdsk c: /r

 Read this to create a bootable CD with Dell's hard drive tests on it.

Hi Levinll2,

We cannot help without knowing the model of your desktop.

i tried to find the file that you suggested but i received this error:

The computer in question is a Dell Dimension E520.

When I boot my machine to the Windows XP Home Edition Reinstallation CD, I don't get a choice to do anything other than install the software(which generates an error).

How does open the recovery console after booting from this CD?