Error: No boot device available (Dimension 8400)

Pause the install with F6 when indicated, and insert a floppy diskette with the SATA drivers on it (support.dell.com, enter service tag, downloads, SATA) into an internal floppy diskette drive. Load the driver and the drive will be found.

This gave me 2 options, a SATA RAID and SATA something else, I tried both and got:

"File iaStor.sys caused an unexpected error (4096) at line 2108 in d:\xpsp1\base\boot\setup\oemdisk.c."

I think it was oemdisk.c - cant read my own writing now!

Problem NOT solved.

I now got an "unknown hard error" and a blue screen during the XP setup (the blue screen after pressing OK to the error). I am re-trying now with the better formatting of the HDD for XP install (doubt it will change much, I already wrote zeros to the HDD fully).

EDIT: Okay, it helped it go on to install the WindowsXP, but it stops with error (See below post)

I searched this error on google and found 2 people who resolved it, the first CHANGED THE FLOPPY DRIVE (which I did, and it worked)

The 2nd did this complicated thing (for future reference if anyone has an issue and changing the floppy doesnt work) which can be found here:
http://forum.abit-usa.com/showthread.php?t=38458

Thanks again ejn63!

Message Edited by spark911 on 07-26-200604:51 PM

Okay, so here is what I have done:

I did the quick partion/format and got the error as explained above.

I then did the longer version, and 1 hour later got XP loaded on it. However, it took forever to load and was stuck on the xp welcome screen with "applying computer settings" it then FINALLY moved onto the next part but stuck again for a long time just showing the windows XP background and nothing else. This I left for 10minutes and considering the high spec of the computer I assumed it crashed (CTRL + ALT + DEL didnt work, but mouse was).

Restarted, same issue. I then loaded into safe mode which loaded very fast. I than, for no real reason, did the checkdisk. This then loaded after a restart and passed (note: it did all 3 parts VERY fast, shouldn't it take some time?).

It then loaded back, and XP was loaded with the start menu now showing. Anyway, sometime felt wrong - and it is wrong. It just isn't right really. The install windows folder looks a bit blank to me, and various things dont work (START > ACC > SYSTEM > SYSTEM INFO doesnt load) and also neither does trying to view USER ACCOUNTS in control panel.

I restarted again and it was again slow loading, but evenutally fully loaded. Not sure what to do, as I think the HDD is dead.

This computer is for university, I went with Dell as I thought they are a very good brand, but I come onto the forums and see so many issues and have these issues myself which have had me running upstairs and down googleing errors then going down and doing things to the PC for the past 10hours and I'm still at no resolve.

EDIT: Oh, I went into windows boot from CD to do the restore/repair thing incase files were missing (as I am sure they are - take for example also that the show desktop quick launch icon doesnt work) but it again says no installed hard drives. Do I really have to boot drives from disk EVERY TIME I load the XP setup disk?

Message Edited by spark911 on 07-26-200607:21 PM

If you still have access to the Dell diags (F12 at boot) I would run an extended test of the drives - it does sound like at least one of them has hard errors.

Are all SATA hard drives compatible? I may buy another to see if it helps at all.

I have tried the F12 thing, it did a test (this as from the boot menu though) and everything appeared to be okay - it passed the HDD anyway.