Selected boot device not available after trying to re-install OS.

Should I, "identify the brand and model of the primary drive and check for a Firmware update?"

Hi Michael Mauldin,

Welcome to the Dell Community.

The steps that you are performing to do the OS reinstallation is correct, however you are not able to go further. Usually once we select CD ROM the system has to go to a page which says “loading windows files” which is not coming up on the screen. I suspect it might be an issue with the CDROM. Request you to use any other bootable disk on the system and check if it is working. Also to make sure that the CD is fine, try using the Windows Vista disk on a different system and check if it boots.

Also you can try disconnecting the main power source to your system and then press and hold the power button for 15 seconds to drain the residual power of the system and then connect the power cable back and try booting from the disk which should fix the issue

Let us know if the issue is resolved

Thanks & Regards

Dell_Harish_R

Dell Social Media Responder

https://twitter.com/DellCares

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Your solutions didn't work.

Hi Michael Mauldin,

The drivers and utilites which i mentioned earlier is the name of a disk. It would be sent along with your system. Request you to check if you have the disk with you which can be used to boot the system.

Let us know the progress

Thanks & Regards

Dell_Harish_R

Dell Social Media Responder

https://twitter.com/DellCares

http://www.facebook.com/Dell

Hi Michael Mauldin,

We can try using disk named Drivers and utilities which was sent along with the system to boot from the disk. This can be used to check if the optical drive of the system is working. If the system doesn's boot from the drivers and utlities disk then there is possiblility that the optical drive of the system has gone bad because of which you are not able to go further with the OS reinstallation

Let us know the progress

Thanks & Regards

Dell_Harish_R

Dell Social Media Responder

https://twitter.com/DellCares

http://www.facebook.com/Dell

C:\dell\Drivers only has a folder titled R92578 with dreset (Windows Installer Package) in it.

C:\dell\Utilities only has a folder titled DSR with DSRIRRemv2 (Application) and DSRIRREMv2 (XML Document) in it.

Are these the locations you're referring to when you mention Drivers and Utilities? If so, are the files any of these above?

In fact, a paper included with the computer's original documents states that this computer does not require an operating system CD or drivers CDs.

Hi Michael Mauldin,

I am very sorry for providing the wrong steps. Please find the proper steps to be used to perform PC restore

1. Turn on the computer. When the Dell splash screen appears during the computer startup process, press and hold and then press . Then, release both keys at the same time.

2. In the Dell PC Restore by Symantec window, click Restore. Alternatively, press to highlight Restore, and then press .

4   When a warning message appears stating that all data will be lost, click Confirm, or press to highlight Confirm and then press .

The Progress window will appear. Once the restore process starts, Dell PC Restore by Symantec usually takes about 8 to 10 minutes to finish.

When the restore process is complete, the following message will appear:

The system recovery process was successful.

Let us know the progress

Thanks & Regards

Dell_Harish_R

Dell Social Media Responder

https://twitter.com/DellCares

http://www.facebook.com/Dell

My computer never came with discs. Is that because my computer was shipped on 07/22/2005?

You're correct when you refer to the Dell PC Restore by Symantec. I've tried the ' and then press ' in the past with no success. I've read in other Dell forums that it's a precise maneuver sometimes only successful after the third attempt. As a reference, should I see the Symantec Restore program in the Control Panel under the Programs and Feature list or not? I think I recall seeing such a program there before it disappeared.

The nice thing about Dell's customer service was the situation surrounding the OS re-installation disk I bought recently. I was prepared to return the CD once they credited me my money but was surprised to learn I could keep it and sustain the refund. Unfortunately, I may have to retire this computer anyway.

The 'Repair My Computer' option is missing from the 'Advanced Boot Options' (F8) menu.

Hi Michael Mauldin,

You can try using any other bootable disks apart from the ones which came with Dell. Also we can try doing a PC restore on the system.

Please find the steps below to perform PC restore. This would erase all the files on the system which includes documents, photos, pictures

1 Turn on the computer.

2 As the computer starts, press on the keyboard until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears on the screen.

3 Press the on the keyboard to select Repair Your Computer on the Advanced Boot Options menu, and then press .

4 Specify the language settings that you want, and then click Next.

5 Log in as a user who has administrative credentials, and then click OK.

6 Click Dell Factory Image Restore.

7 In the Dell Factory Image Restore window, click Next.

8 Click to select the Yes, reformat hard drive and restore system software to factory condition check box.

9 Click Next.The computer is restored to the default factory configuration.

10 When the restore operation is completed, click Finish to restart the computer.

The software is now installed as it was when the computer was first received.

Let us know the progress

Thanks & Regards

Dell_Harish_R

Dell Social Media Responder

https://twitter.com/DellCares

http://www.facebook.com/Dell

I will try your latest recommendation. To be exact, wait for the splash screen and then press and hold and then press . Then release both at the same instance before the Dell splash screen disappears. Couldn't be simpler. I will post the result as soon as possible...

Thanks for trying Dell_Harish_r. I've tried just about everything.