New drive time

First off, Have you upgraded the BIOS to the new A04 version. This corrects some of the Raid issues. If the system is still up and running, go to the Dell site and download and upgrade the A04 BIOS. It is very simple to do. Save the A04 BIOS to the desktop and then just double click on the icon and it will close out of Vista/Windows and install the BIOS update and then reboot. After the A04 update, if you want to do a fresh install without all the Dell software, and that seems what you would prefer, when the Dell logo appears, press the F2 key and make sure the boot drive is set to internal CD\DVD drive. You can highlite this and use the "U" key to move it to the top position and if you don't have a floppy use the "D" key and move it to the bottom. The hard drive should be in the second location. Escape and save the settings. Then when the Dell logo appears again press F12 and make sure the internal CD/DVD is set at the top. Highlite it and press enter and make sure the Vista DVD is in the drive. When the system boots press "ctrl+i" maybe several times and you will enter the Raid configuration utility. Choose Delete Raid. This will insure all the data on the hard drives are gone. The choose Create Raid and select the drives for a Raid, either striped or mirror, whichever you want and continue down the list to create the Raid array. Exit out of the Raid utility and reboot and the system should boot to the CD/DVD drive and start the Vista install. This is a lot to digest and you may already know it but this is how I had to do it to get me system up and running. After the Vista install, you will then need to install all your applications. Hope this helps.

you will have to use the F12 option.....As the Dell screen shows up you should see two optons in the upper right hand corner

 

F2 to enter setup

F12 to Set boot..

Select the F12

when the next screen come up just select the CD/DVD option..should work..

When I tried that route ...with current raid 0 ...it kept calling for a floppy w/ drivers. No clue what that means or how to address that.

 

If it was single new drive (which may be only way to resolve this it seems) then I think that is solution maybe for that method anyway?

 

wanna come on by and ..... lol

 

another thought - I have 4 external drives (usb and firewire) that are big units, 500g and up. I backup everything to them weekly or more. All less than 50% full and redundant backups. Lost all once and cautious nowadays.

 

any reason I can't just strip out the raid card and drives, install one of those drives as my internal drive, reformat the thing and toss on the OS thru the reinstall disk?? I know all the junk needs to be reinstalled, etc but it might save me the expense of another drive I really don't need at that when I think about it. Not lacking drives here for sure...

 

The RAID s/u says Serial ATA on Shipping List so that means they are SATA drives, correct? Without opening case I'm not sure if a cable there can be used from the mb to drive direct but maybe it is? Or I need to get a cable - cheaper than the new drive in a box starring at  me that I don't need.

 

I'm all ears and getting burnt out here. I love 'em and I hate 'em - computers that is. Not sure which is ahead.

Davet - this time at you..... lol

 

what you were talking about above. that applicable to a new non raid drive? or discussing the current raid setup?

 

this gets more involved by the minute it seems.

I'll happily spend some cash to use a single drive and trash out the raid to get this beast to function right.

Hate to since it's not really a hardware matter but I need it running and seems ...maybe...the easiest.

 

Don't have a tech in town or I'd just drop it off somewhere and say have at it.

 

a new drive and reinstall. simple reinstall on existing raid. both seem like I need a PhD. My eMachine, HP and HP laptop just say to me ... "lets go now" and we do it. It is done. Why is this system so difficult I don't get. thats another topic.....

We may be talking about two different systems here. Do you have an XPS 420 Desktop? I assumed that is what you have. Let me know and we can proceed. Thanks

the F12 option is another way to get the OS disk to boot without having to go into the Bios to set the boot order.

 

Raid make things a bit more tricker to work with and in MHO is not worth the bother.. but that is just my .02

Boyd - 2 sets of eyes have tried to find that A04 bias for the original XPS and it's not there on those zillions of pages listed the right A04 to download for specific systems.

 

Is it possible they don't have one for mine? I starting to think maybe so since it doesn't appear under my service tag or under the A04 download section. Wonder why they wouldn't - seems it's the only XPS not listed there.

using my service tag I cannot find an A04 bios - did find the A03 and installed that one.

 

So if/once I can locate the A04 do I follow what you said even tho my system is Win XP pro instead of Vista???

 

Man - complicated as heck for a simple reinstall. I long for a simple os that is bullet proof

No Boyd - sorry if I inferred that somehow?

I have a vintage build XPS. No extra numerics or anything. Late fall, 2003. No mods to it so my service tag is concise.

 

Model on packing list says only this Dimension XPS. Raid 0 with 2 seagates, a floppy, a dvd, a cd/dvd burner, and the Raid.

By todays standards it may be slow - for my use it's been great. 2.8 P-4 w/ 800 bus works fine. And I hardly used for 3 years so need to get my $3900 of use from it somehow! lol

Ah yes, The Diminsion XPS about 3-4 years old would be unusual to have a Raid0 setup but can be as yours is. I would make sure you do have the latest BIOS installed and then proceed. Since I don't know the exact model number (It should be on the front of the case maybe at the bottom) I could not advise how to access the Raid utility. In order to rid yourself of the Raid0 array you need to access the Raid utility and delete the Raid0. This will remove all the data from both the drives. You could then start the Windows XP install, Since the system is 3-4 years old the CD\DVD drive could be faulty. I have had several of these from Dell systems to fail over time. They are fairly cheap now and easy to change out. The directions that come with the drive would show you how. If the drives were changed to seperate drives ,not raid, they would need to be configured with the jumpers as single or Master and/or slave drives depending on how they are installed. This is not hard to do but there are a few things that need to be considered here. Is your system able to boot into Windows XP now? If so you may see if the CD drive will operate with a CD installed from within Windows. If so, that would assure the drive is functioning properly. My guess is that it might be best to change the CD drive out and reinstall Windows XP with the Raid0 array. That would be the easy way out. Sorry I could not be of more help.

I got the driver dl on a floppy.

I guess I may as well try it and see what happens from there. I'd like to say I can get back online to get help but it just dawned on me that the cable modem and router are fed by this system - could be a recipe for disaster. I need to say some serious prayers and decide if the guts are here from there.

The Raid drivers need to be downloaded from Dell and copied to a floppy disk. At the start of the Windows XP install, at the bottom of the screen on the left will appear Press F6 to install additional drivers. You need to have you floppy with the raid drivers on it inserted in the floppy drive and Press F6 when you see the screen. Windows will continue and may ask for the drivers very shortly afterwards. Just follow the directions on the screen and it will load the drivers and continue the install. Windows XP needs the drivers that control the Raid chipset on the motherboard. Otherwise Windows will display a message no hard drives can be found. Try this and hope it helps.

Now we seem to be getting somewhere. Just follow the above posted instructions and the install will complete and do 3 reboots before the install is complete. You willneed to remove the floppy before one of the reboots but the screen will remind you about this. After the Windows gets through installing and it will find the network card and install the network you will need to install the other drivers for the other hardware, video card, sound card, etc. You may have a Dell Driver disk also but if not can go to Dell and get all these drivers. Install your Anti-Virus if you can before getting back on the Internet. Good luck and keep us posted.

I seems as though you did not press the F6 key fast enough or you downloaded the wrong Raid drivers. When you tried to install with the Dell CD in the CD drive and booted the system, did it boot and a line of text at the top of a black screen read something about checking system and then immediately a line of text should have appearded at the bottom of the black screen reading Press F6 to install other drivers. This happens very quickley so you must be prepared and have your finqure on the F6 key in order to press it quickly. Otherwise the install will fail as you advise it did. Did the system read Windows Cd when you started the install? This is key. If it did not and you have it set to boot from the CD, then the drive may be defective. You could remove the Raid0 drives but that want help if the CD drive is defective. Was it working when Windows XP was up and running. You must verify that the drive is good or you simply want be able to install the OS. Let us know.

Oh boy - I don't know what went on but the thing DID not work and now I have a screen that says due to hardware/driver error .... start in XYZ mode

 

I've tried them all - none will work.

I cannot now get the beast to boot from the floppy nor the cd - I've tried f2 and f12 and chnged order so many times it knows my fingers.

I am truly stuck right now - actually on a laptop tied into the router and XPS is in surgery - case open and ready to yank the stinking RAID out and try something different. But I HAVE to be abvle to get to the cd drive with the windows os - and how now do I do that???????