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E510 Clean OS Install
I have an older Dimension E510 that is still perfectly fine, except that one of the HD went bad and I need more space. So, I replaced the two HD (configured as RAID1) with a new 1T HD and now want to install Windows XP Media Center Edition (original) on this new HD.
My problem is that the PC can boot from the DVD/CD RW drive if I insert the Resource CD (blue), but not if I insert the OS Reinstallation DVD (red-brown). I followed all the steps from Dell online support and various forums.
I see the following options:
(1) Re-install one of the old HD (the one not broken) and hope it has enough info to boot XP (was configured as RAID1) and then try to install XP on the new HD before removing the old HD again.
(2) Buy a simple CD/DVD Read-only drive and try if I can boot for OS installation from it (read in one forum that sometimes CD/DVD RW drives refuse to boot with DVD)
(3) Adorn my local landfill (after proper recycling) with a perfectly fine E510
Any qualified suggestions are welcome.
Philip_Yip
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December 11th, 2012 12:00
Assuming that the drive can read CDs and not DVDs (it boots from the DVD and CD) and that the Windwos setup doesn't start at all:
• A piece of dust may be obscuring the lenses, the DVD laser is effected more so than the CD one - A lens cleaning CD (essentially a CD with a brush) may help e.g. http://www.maplin.co.uk/cd-laser-lens-cleaner-3123
• The DVD laser has failed and the drives needs replaced.
Alternatively the DVD is scratched and the system cannot read the DVD when told to boot from the BIOS ; new drives can often read DVDs that are lightly scratched that old drives struggle with. If you have another system to hand that has a newer DVD/CD drive:
• You can copy your Windows XP MCE Reinstallation DVD to a new blank DVD that isn't scratched and see if your E510 can boot from the new DVD
Download and install imgburn on the newer machine and insert your Dell MCE Reinstallation DVD. Select Create Image from Disc.
.
Save the .iso somewhere on your desktop, when finished close ImgBurn.
Insert a blank CD/DVD and open ImgBurn, Select Write Image Files to Disc.
When finished use the copy of the Reinstallation CD/DVD and follow my wiki A Clean Install of Windows XP.
• You can also burn a Linux .iso e.g. UBUNTU http://www.ubuntu.com/ with ImgBurn on a CD/RW and a DVD/RW and verifty if your E510 can read the DVD.
One other alternative is to test out Windows 7 on your machine, follow my wiki A Clean Install of Windows 7 http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/w/microsoft_os/3316.2-1-microsoft-windows-7-official-iso-download-links-digital-river.aspx
Use a retail .iso from Digital River (64 bit) without a product key for 30 days to evaluate Windows 7 on your machine; purchase Windows 7 if satisfied or alternatively upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8 see my wiki Upgrading to Windows 8: http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/software-os/w/microsoft_os/4160.1-5-upgrading-to-windows-8-on-dell-systems-via-a-clean-install.aspx
However if you are out to purchase Windows 8 Professional ensure that you purchase before the 31st of January to get the release promotional discount. For Windows 8 likely Windows 8 will contain all the system drivers you require. For Windows 7 you may have to install some WIndows Vista drivers.