Hard drive replacement Dimension 5100 routine question

geno368

You need to reinstall XP and load all the drivers and applications.

Disconnect all the peripherals from the system except the keyboard, mouse and monitor.

How to configure a Dell Dimension series system to boot to the CD or DVD drive.

This XP reinstallation guide is excellent, or you can use Dell's Restallation Guide here.

While installing, remember to delete all existing partitions when you are prompted, then recreate the partitions and format the hard drive, following by installing XP.

Note: Enter the system setup, scroll down to drives, press Enter or + to expand the drive menu then down to "SATA Operation", press Enter.
Change the SATA operation mode to "RAID Auto/ATA" press ESC to save and exit the BIOS.

After installing XP, you need to install the drivers and applications in the following order,

Desktop System Software [if applicable]
Chipset
Video
Network Interface Card [NIC]
Audio
Modem
All other drivers.

Then, install the Anti Virus utility and update the definitions, followed by all the critical Microsoft updates.

Bev.


===================================================
Please don't send me questions about your system by DCF Messenger.
Post the issue in the appropriate Board, where they will be answered.

geno368

For information about RAID, go here.

Bev.


===================================================
Please don't send me questions about your system by DCF Messenger.
Post the issue in the appropriate Board, where they will be answered.

Thanks for all your help..it is installed and formatted..One more question...It automatically applied the letter "I" designation for the hard drive instead of "C"..can I change it?

geno368

To change the primary 'boot' hard drive's assigned letter, you will need to reinstall XP.

See here

Do you have a Zip drive or card reader installed, or did you remove the 'old' hard drive first?

Bev.


===================================================
Please don't send me questions about your system by DCF Messenger.
Post the issue in the appropriate Board, where they will be answered.

It would not allow me to change the letter because it is the boot drive..I don't remember when I installed xp it ever asked me for a drive letter suggestion..If I re-install xp, where can I change it?

geno368

What are the removable drives?

Did you disconnect all the external peripherals from the computer, except the keyboard, monitor and mouse, prior to installing XP?

Bev.


===================================================
Please don't send me questions about your system by DCF Messenger.
Post the issue in the appropriate Board, where they will be answered.

geno368

While installing XP, delete all existing partitions (Paragraph 5) when you are prompted, then recreate and format them (Paragraphs 6 & 7), following by installing XP.

See here.

Bev.


===================================================
Please don't send me questions about your system by DCF Messenger.
Post the issue in the appropriate Board, where they will be answered.

geno368

If you have an internal memory card reader installed, that's why the assigned 'boot' drive letter was changed, you need to disconnect the cables to the card reader before installing XP and reconnect it, after XP has been installed and updated.

I did ask you before, if there was a Zip drive or card reader installed, because XP incorrectly detect's them as a hard drive and assigns a drive letter.

Bev.


===================================================
Please don't send me questions about your system by DCF Messenger.
Post the issue in the appropriate Board, where they will be answered.

nothing else is hooked to the system..the removable drives are the sd and sm/xd memory card readers which is internal.  before I do another install, I am going to disk management and disable those as well..is that correct?

Thanks for all the help...it is now fixed:manvery-happy:

geno368

That's great, please to have helped.

Bev.


===================================================
Please don't send me questions about your system by DCF Messenger.
Post the issue in the appropriate Board, where they will be answered.