- turn computer off
- take a fresh non-dell windows xp install disk
- try to boot from the disk and repartition/reformat the harddrive
- the install starts (blue text-based ascii screen)
- it starts copying drivers/files and then bluescreens
i do not even get to the repartition/reformat screen
therefore, i need a drivers disk. (resourcecd). where do i get the image from? i stopped by ftp.dell.com, but it is not clear.
Drivers are not installed until after the installation of XP is complete so a resource CD (or a CD you might make with the drivers downloaded from the site that tgsmitih linked to) will do nothing to correct the problem you are experiencing.
Are you certain that you are booting from the Windows XP CD? The installation procedure should copy files but not drivers. See if
this is any help.
yes, i am certain. i have installed xp probably a dozen of times, last few using this exact disk on other dell hardware.
the problem is that while initializing setup, winxp fails to recognize the hardware.
if you have ever installed windows on some non-standard or relatively new hardware (like some SCSI drives in the past or SATA drives until recently), you will encounter issues like HDD not being recognized, thus install could not continue.
this is similar, except the issue is more severe.
perhaps i should restate my question:
- brand new install from a vanilla (non-dell) winxp cd
- i want to reformat and repartition my drive
- before even getting to that screen in the winxp install process, the OS installer bluescreens
to reproduce - simply insert the windows install cd, boot from it and watch the setup proceed and bluescreen.
my guess is that during the install, i should press F6 when it prompts me, and feed it the drivers disk that would allow the install to recognize the hardware and proceed.
OK. Let's see if I understand you correctly. Insert CD. Restart computer. Receive prompt for F6 disk (which you shouldn't need for a Latitude). Windows begins loading the appropriate drivers into memory to initialize the Windows Setup screen. The next screen should ask you if you want to Setup Windows (Press Enter to Continue), or enter Recovery Console (Press R to Repair an existing Windows installation).
If you do not reach the Setup screen, you definitely have a problem. The Dell Latitude is a cut above Inspirons and other laptops. It is a very durable and reliable laptop, but it is not without quirks. One of those quirks is that only Dell-supplied memory chips should be used when upgrading memory.
If you have not upgraded or changed memory chips, it probably wouldn't hurt to shut down the Latitude, remove AC adapter if connected, remove battery, remove and reinstall the memory chips. I've seen more than one laptop that simply removing and reinserting the memory solved problems similar to yours. Also, check your BIOS setup and be sure that video and BIOS caching is disabled.
If reinstalling memory doesn't fix the problem, I would suggest that you attempt to boot the Latitude with some other boot disk such as a Windows 98 or Me CD. If it boots up, the problem may still be memory related, but at least you can clear all partitions on the drive and see if existing partitions are somehow interrupting the Windows XP setup process. Don't laugh, I've had cases where deleting all partitions on a drive using Win98 or Me, allowed a problematic WinXP installation to proceed normally on the next attempt.
thank you for your suggestion. you understood steps to reproduce correctly.
before i proceed with your advice, i wanted to point out that right now the laptop is working just fine, and has been for a month, using WinXP that came with it. in other words, there are no errors currently - software- or hardware-related.
i just want to rebuild it using my own OS and repartition.
Just a note. Had an Inspiron 4100 today that exhibited characteristics similar to those you describe. System had entered hibernation on July 3. Owner's wife thought it was off, closed lid, put it in carrying case, and headed home from beach house. Next day, BSOD with bug check STOP: 0x000000ED received on both Normal and Safe Mode startup. No Dell Reinstallation CD. Called Dell. They sent XP Home SP2 Reinstallation CD. Yesterday, the owner spent three hours on phone with Dell tech in Manila. All attempts to boot to Recovery Console failed. Would hang like yours does.
I removed AC power, removed battery, pressed power button to clear residual charges, removed memory, removed CD-ROM module, removed hard drive. Went to lunch. Came back. Installed memory, installed CD-ROM module, installed hard drive, installed battery, reconnected AC adapter. Powered up. Pressed F12. Selected CD as boot device. Went straight to Windows Setup with no problem. Pressed R to enter Recovery Console. No Windows installation found. Got C\> prompt. Ran CHKDSK /R. Took almost two hours to complete all 5 phases. Errors found and corrected. Typed EXIT. Restarted normally with no problem.
Backed up Quickbooks 2006 data. Removed Norton AV that had expired. Installed AVG AntiVirus and Ewido AntiSpyware. Updated Spybot and AdAware. Scanned with all. No viruses found. 153 adware/malware bugs found and removed. System running like a charm.
The CHKDSK /R obviously fixed the bug check STOP: 0x000000ED error. The inability to boot to the XP SP2 CD apparently was some kind of memory address lockout. I also tried to boot with another XP SP2 CD, BartPE, and UBCD for Windows with similar results.
The above procedure worked in my case. It might work for you also.
sorry, guys - you are complicating the issue unnecessary. perhaps i was not clear.
as i suggested earlier, drivers were the problem. i used winxp sp2 install cd and everything worked fine.
winxp sp1 does not have new enough drivers to even get to the setup; winxp sp2 as well as more recent linux distros (ubuntu, gentoo, fedora) work just fine.
tgsmith
2.9K Posts
0
July 9th, 2006 23:00
Emptybody,
Drivers for the Latitude D620 are here: http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/devices.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&SystemID=LATITUDE%20D620&os=WW1&osl=EN
Download/install chipset drivers first. Audio, video, network card, modem, etc. can be installed in any order thereafter.
Tony
emptybody
5 Posts
0
July 10th, 2006 06:00
- turn computer off
- take a fresh non-dell windows xp install disk
- try to boot from the disk and repartition/reformat the harddrive
- the install starts (blue text-based ascii screen)
- it starts copying drivers/files and then bluescreens
i do not even get to the repartition/reformat screen
therefore, i need a drivers disk. (resourcecd). where do i get the image from? i stopped by ftp.dell.com, but it is not clear.
thank you.
Denny Denham
2 Intern
•
18.8K Posts
0
July 10th, 2006 14:00
Drivers are not installed until after the installation of XP is complete so a resource CD (or a CD you might make with the drivers downloaded from the site that tgsmitih linked to) will do nothing to correct the problem you are experiencing.
Are you certain that you are booting from the Windows XP CD? The installation procedure should copy files but not drivers. See if this is any help.
emptybody
5 Posts
0
July 10th, 2006 20:00
yes, i am certain. i have installed xp probably a dozen of times, last few using this exact disk on other dell hardware.
the problem is that while initializing setup, winxp fails to recognize the hardware.
if you have ever installed windows on some non-standard or relatively new hardware (like some SCSI drives in the past or SATA drives until recently), you will encounter issues like HDD not being recognized, thus install could not continue.
this is similar, except the issue is more severe.
perhaps i should restate my question:
- brand new install from a vanilla (non-dell) winxp cd
- i want to reformat and repartition my drive
- before even getting to that screen in the winxp install process, the OS installer bluescreens
to reproduce - simply insert the windows install cd, boot from it and watch the setup proceed and bluescreen.
my guess is that during the install, i should press F6 when it prompts me, and feed it the drivers disk that would allow the install to recognize the hardware and proceed.
where do i get this disk?
thank you.
tgsmith
2.9K Posts
0
July 11th, 2006 09:00
Emptybody,
OK. Let's see if I understand you correctly. Insert CD. Restart computer. Receive prompt for F6 disk (which you shouldn't need for a Latitude). Windows begins loading the appropriate drivers into memory to initialize the Windows Setup screen. The next screen should ask you if you want to Setup Windows (Press Enter to Continue), or enter Recovery Console (Press R to Repair an existing Windows installation).
If you do not reach the Setup screen, you definitely have a problem. The Dell Latitude is a cut above Inspirons and other laptops. It is a very durable and reliable laptop, but it is not without quirks. One of those quirks is that only Dell-supplied memory chips should be used when upgrading memory.
If you have not upgraded or changed memory chips, it probably wouldn't hurt to shut down the Latitude, remove AC adapter if connected, remove battery, remove and reinstall the memory chips. I've seen more than one laptop that simply removing and reinserting the memory solved problems similar to yours. Also, check your BIOS setup and be sure that video and BIOS caching is disabled.
If reinstalling memory doesn't fix the problem, I would suggest that you attempt to boot the Latitude with some other boot disk such as a Windows 98 or Me CD. If it boots up, the problem may still be memory related, but at least you can clear all partitions on the drive and see if existing partitions are somehow interrupting the Windows XP setup process. Don't laugh, I've had cases where deleting all partitions on a drive using Win98 or Me, allowed a problematic WinXP installation to proceed normally on the next attempt.
Hope this info helps.
Tony
emptybody
5 Posts
0
July 11th, 2006 15:00
before i proceed with your advice, i wanted to point out that right now the laptop is working just fine, and has been for a month, using WinXP that came with it. in other words, there are no errors currently - software- or hardware-related.
i just want to rebuild it using my own OS and repartition.
tgsmith
2.9K Posts
0
July 12th, 2006 01:00
Emptybody,
Just a note. Had an Inspiron 4100 today that exhibited characteristics similar to those you describe. System had entered hibernation on July 3. Owner's wife thought it was off, closed lid, put it in carrying case, and headed home from beach house. Next day, BSOD with bug check STOP: 0x000000ED received on both Normal and Safe Mode startup. No Dell Reinstallation CD. Called Dell. They sent XP Home SP2 Reinstallation CD. Yesterday, the owner spent three hours on phone with Dell tech in Manila. All attempts to boot to Recovery Console failed. Would hang like yours does.
I removed AC power, removed battery, pressed power button to clear residual charges, removed memory, removed CD-ROM module, removed hard drive. Went to lunch. Came back. Installed memory, installed CD-ROM module, installed hard drive, installed battery, reconnected AC adapter. Powered up. Pressed F12. Selected CD as boot device. Went straight to Windows Setup with no problem. Pressed R to enter Recovery Console. No Windows installation found. Got C\> prompt. Ran CHKDSK /R. Took almost two hours to complete all 5 phases. Errors found and corrected. Typed EXIT. Restarted normally with no problem.
Backed up Quickbooks 2006 data. Removed Norton AV that had expired. Installed AVG AntiVirus and Ewido AntiSpyware. Updated Spybot and AdAware. Scanned with all. No viruses found. 153 adware/malware bugs found and removed. System running like a charm.
The CHKDSK /R obviously fixed the bug check STOP: 0x000000ED error. The inability to boot to the XP SP2 CD apparently was some kind of memory address lockout. I also tried to boot with another XP SP2 CD, BartPE, and UBCD for Windows with similar results.
The above procedure worked in my case. It might work for you also.
Tony
emptybody
5 Posts
0
July 13th, 2006 14:00
as i suggested earlier, drivers were the problem. i used winxp sp2 install cd and everything worked fine.
winxp sp1 does not have new enough drivers to even get to the setup; winxp sp2 as well as more recent linux distros (ubuntu, gentoo, fedora) work just fine.
thanks for trying.
-a
tgsmith
2.9K Posts
0
July 14th, 2006 02:00