Do you get an error message (BSOD) and reboot or does it just reboot out of the blue?

The Intel based machines have a BIOS option to make the SATA drives look like ATA so Windows can install without special drivers.  You could try that. 

Peter 

You probably have the "automatically reboot" option set. Of course, you can't change it until you can boot up.

If XP installed, try going into safe mode and see if that helps.

Here is the BIOS option:

SATA Operation

(Off default)

The field configures the operating mode of the integrated hard drive controller.

• RAID Off — No RAID support
• RAID On — SATA is configured for RAID on every boot.

Peter

Peter,

when looping it would flash a white blur, but so fast that I could not read it.   Would there be a place to see a log?

With this motherboard there are very few CMOS options to tailor, I just checked again and there are no options similar to what you described.

Thanks

buom

I tried F8 for various safe mode options, with no effect on the looping.  Looks like the looping happens too early on in the booting process.

By the way my machine is Nvidia Nforce based, and I'm pretty sure the video is Geforce 6150 LE, instead of intel integrated video.  My invoice from Dell actually listed "intel integrated video", but I think that was wrong, from looking at the motherboard and reading the user manual.

Anyhow, my machine is still looping.  I'm afraid there might be a defect in the Bios code.

I don't have any more suggestions except:

1. Try to reload Windows

2. Try to install Linux (or something else).  It is free and would let you know if Windows is the problem or not.  However, note that I couldn't install Linux on my 9200 with SATA mode set to anything other than RAID/ACHI (the compatible ATA mode didn't work).

Peter 

So you tried to install Windows again and it failed?

Are you sure you made the floppy correctly to load the drivers for Windows?  I believe it shows you the drivers it finds on the floppy and you select one.  (I have never had one of the AMD Dell's so I don't know the details of the chipset issues).

I don't see any other reason you should be having a problem. 

Peter 

Hi Peter,

I cannot load Windows, that is my main problem.  It would do the initial copy of files from CD to hard drive, and then try to reboot from hard drive, that is when the looping starts.   It would show the F2=Setup, F12= Boot Menu screen, then flash a white blur, and then go back to the F2/F12 screen, and loop.   I have tried XP Home and XP Pro (OEM from Dell) with the same result.

I can run Knoppix fine, but from CD.  I could try loading Linux onto the harddrive.

If nothing works then maybe this would have to become a Linux machine.

Thanks

buom

My harddrive was reformatted, and I cannot complete the re-installation of Win XP, this is my main problem.  The reboot goes into a loop in the middle of the re-install.

I tried the F6 floppy method, and it requires a txtsetup.oem file in the floppy.   I could not get this file from Dell's drivers and I ended up downloading from Nvidia, and installed an SATA driver from Nvidia that way, using a floppy.  That did not make any difference, still loops.

I could not put in any other drivers because I don't have the txtsetup.oem file, and don't know how to construct it from scratch.

... buom

I finally got it resolved.

The C521 could not handle NTFS on my reformatted disk.  I kinda remember that it was originally FAT32, so I tried reformatting it back to FAT32, using Max Blast downloaded from the Seagate website.  No more looping in the booting, and XP was re-installed without a hitch.

By the way, the OEM XP disk did not provide an option to reformat in anything other than NTFS.

Hopefully my experience would benefit other owners of C521's.

Help please! I recently reformatted my computer and have encountered the same error and trying to fix it! Even my local tech repair and dell phone tech couldnt help me... =(    I follow the instructions to install XP onto my computer and and I get the loop right after the dell logo. If anyone has Any Fixes for this and can give me some step by step instructions i would really really really appreciate it.


Thanks!

Hi there!

I am helping a friend with his Dimension C521.  We are having problem formatting the harddrive to install XP. The system was originally on Vista.

It's Dimension C521, AMD X2 2.4 Ghz (I think), 2GIG memory, Nvidia MPC521 NForce SATA Controller, Sata Western Digital 250GIG WD2500JS, Sata TSST CD/DVD, ATI Radeon X1300,

Like you I can't find the SATA driver on the net to create the fileson a floppy for use to install XP (F6 option)

I was just wondering if you can tell us how you formatted your hard drive back to FAT32. I downloaded and tried the Western Digital hard drive tools, and there wasn't option to format it to FAT32, there's only one option and that is NTFS.

I even took his hard drive out from the case installed it to my ABIT sata system and used the Western Digital tools and is still no luck.

Your help will be appreiciated.  Thank you in advance.