Cannot install Windows XP Professional

Question

I thought I would be able to install my copy of Windows XP professional after I got my XPS 600. It won't let me install it. I get an message stating there are no hard drives install maybe due to the drivers not being installed. Is the something that could be fixed or is this a way to prevent you from installing any OS's other then the one provided from Dell. If that is the case I would have went with Professional instead of this Media Center. There are to many minor problems I notice that I don't have with Professional.

Denny Denham · Answer

mdrax,

This may help if you don't have SATA drives set in a RAID configuration. You might have to install the RAID drivers at the "Press F6" prompt during Windows installation. The problem is due to SATA drives, not any restriction from using a non-Dell copy of Windows XP.

mdrax · Answer

Yeah, I didn't think of that. I don't understand. If I only have one drive why would it be set up in a RAID configuration. Well, I did press F6 and when the screen came up to install the drivers for the drives it ask me to put in a floppy. This Dell came with a CD-ROM with all the drivers. Plus I didn't choose to install floppy disk with this system. I was thinking about copying the drivers for the hard drive to a floppy disk but that isn't an option for me since I don't have a floppy. Let me know if I'm out of luck

Denny Denham · Answer

mdrax,

I'm afraid I can't help. Dell has as yet not published instructions for installing Windows XP on an XPS 600. If the little BIOS change in the link I provided earlier doesn't allow the installation program to identify the presence of hard disks in the system I've got no further guesses.

robinhood42 · Answer

Hi Denny,   I was just wondering if you knew if all the glitches with a clean install on the 9100 have been figured out yet? Should I make an F6 disk just in case I had to someday reinstall Windows? Or are people still skipping that step and changing the settings in the Bios from AHCI to ATA before doing the install? I read that you can't change back once Windows is finished reinstalling. I'm not using a Raid configuration. Also, wouldn't doing a clean install delete the partition that Dell puts there to restore the system to the way it was when it was received? I have a floppy drive and I've been reading the threads and some said that if you make an F6 disk you don't have to change anything in the Bios and it can stay at AHCI. I didn't know if anyone had really figured it all out yet. I appreciate your help. Isn't the F6 floppy supposed to have the Raid or SCSI drivers on it?   Hope you had a nice Christmas. Robin

Denny Denham · Answer

robinhood42, Dell's 'documentation' of systems with SATA is so dismal I haven't tried to figure out the right answer to any of your questions except one--doing a clean install does not delete the partition containing the image used by PC Restore. It renders it inoperative unless you use the proceures designed by Dan Goodell to restore it to its former operational state.

Denny Denham · Answer

robinhood42, Dan's information is here.

robinhood42 · Answer

Denny,

Thank you for trying to help me, even though none of this has been figured out yet. I've been reading through the threads, and it seems like there are no two people that have done a clean install the same way. I don't know why Dell doesn't put some documentation out. It's frustrating to try and guess and hope things go ok. The problem with Windows is that things can be going smoothly and then it will crash. Or maybe I'll be lucky and not have to do anything until it's all figured out, which wiill be a while. I'll make an F6 disk just in case. I probably won't need it but it doesn't seem to hurt to have one on hand, just in case. I remember someone telling me once that if you put the Windows CD in the drive and it doesn't stop to ask for the floppy, then you don't need it. But I don't know how true that is. On my 8400, that thing crashed so much I was always reinstalling Windows, but I don't think that pc ever had a SATA drive. I know that the hard drive on this 9100 says "Maxtor." But it must be made by Maxtor and is a SATA drive. I'm just guessing. I also never had to change any settings in the Bios on the 8400. All I ever had to do was put the disk in, let Windows install, then load the drivers from the Resource Disk. I kind of wish I still had the 8400 but I'm pretty sure Dell is using it for spare parts by now. You had mentioned once what difference does it make if there is a floppy drive or not, and that is what I can't figure out either in doing a clean install. Why should a floppy drive or lack of one make a difference?

Right now I'm still using Windows the way it came. I deleted all the junk programs, or most of them, that Dell put on. That is why I prefer to do a clean install instead. You can get rid of all that useless software that you are never going to use and free up disk space.

Oh well, I'll keep checking the forums every few days and see if someone has found the "absolute" answer to this problem that everyone is having. If I'm lucky, I won't have to reinstall Windows for as long as I have this pc, or until someone figures it out.

I do appreciate you trying to help me once again.

Robin

P.S. Can you tell me what webpage Dan Goodell's info. is at? Thanks

robinhood42 · Answer

Denny, I'll print it out and keep it by my computer. You never know when it will come in handy. Thanks for the link. Robin

mdrax · Answer

Denny, I appreciate all your help. I'll probably buy a floppy drive later. So I can install XP pro.

Windows General

Cannot install Windows XP Professional

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