Can't boot, can't access safe mode, can't boot to a xp cd

Your issue is that you need to load the sata drivers first. Go Here and download the driver. Extract itas it is a self extracting zip file and place it on the root directroy of a floppy disk. If you do not have a floppy drive you can try a USB or flash drive but there is not much suscess reported with this way. The only other way would  be to slipstream them into the install disk.

When the prompt to load drivers press F6 comes up then you need to load the SATA driver.

Thanks Davet50.

If I find my xp pro dell disk would that prevent from loading any sata drivers?

Cheerss!

I am having a similar problem with my XPS 400. When mine loads, I get an error screen that says the vlume is dirty. It then automatically runs CHKDSK which stalls on step 2 (verifying indexes). I have tried to run it in recovery console with the same results. I have tried to perform a repari install of XP from the boot disk and it stalls at 25%. I am not sure what else to do. I need to get a lot of files off of the drive. Is it possible to either install an additional hard drive, load windows on it, and access the other drive. Or, is there any way to read that drive with my Dell XPS M1330 laptop?

Johnstonkw you can boot your computer using Knoppix. Go to this

to get the software. Hopefully, you can then hook up a external hard drive to your computer to back up 

the necessary information.

I feel your pain. Booting off the Knoppix cd allows you to see the contents of your hard drive. When you put a

usb flash drive or an external hard drive (whatever the connection may be) it can see that also as long as the 

format of the drive is FAT32. Then it is a matter of copying the files you want and pasting them onto your

storage device of your choice.

There are few steps you still need to do that I haven't explained. I would be happy to tell you about them

if you send me a private message with contact information. I will assume this can be accomplished in this forum. 

After bootiing to the cd I press F6 to load the scsi adapter that Davet50 made mention of. They load successfully

but I still get the same exact error at the point that Setup is starting windows.

I am usng a non-Dell fully licensed copy of Windows xp Pro.

The reason why I am not using the original OS cd is that I am in the midst of moving and that cd is in storage

which would be rather hard to get to at this moment.

Any suggestions so I can boot and install XP Pro would be appreciated.

Thanks Davet50.

 It has 2gb. I think I have found a friend who has an XPS desktop w/ a cd. I wil try that today and let you know

if this resolves my problems. I hope so.

I was able to borrow xp home center edition dvd which allowed me to format the hard drive and install the os.

Many thanks for all your help and support.

Yes you are better off reformatting the drive. You can do that from the install disk there should be an option to format the partition,

Or since you have it in the system go to drive managment and format it under there.