Adding external HD

Thanks for the link mombodog, 500 for $100... I've been thinking on get a new one...

The external HDD are used just by pluging the USB, the first time will load driver, so it will take a few more seconds. After that, you just plug into, go to Mycomputer open the local disk and put there all the information you want. As you may do with a flash drive, exactly the same.

 

to run diagnostic, you need to press F12 before loading Windows (when you see the Dell screen) select the Hard Drive diagnostic and it will test the HDD.

1. No

2. Yes

3. No

4. How to run the Dell Diagnostics

http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/deke/laptopsupport/manuals/d600/diag.htm

 

Diagnostics and chkdsk are not the same.

 

Here is an example of a USB external Hard drive that uses USB to connect to your PC

http://shop1.outpost.com/product/5239577

Gio, the only question is, is it one of the old Maxtor Drives inside?, or the newer ones made by Seagate.

Here's one I'm thinking of getting:

 

http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&prodCatType=1&catalogId=10051&productId=169564&cmArea=

 

Those freeagents are nice. 5 year warranty too!

 

thanks mombodog,now I know checkdisk and Diagnostics are two different things. I do have a 1GB flash drive, or thumb drive, whatever they call them. It can compress the files up to 3GB. I got it at Staples for about $30. I have a 250GB hard drive on the pc, but have about 211GB of free space left. I probably could keep most of my files on the flash drive if I wanted to. My hard drive files are probably a mess. I've had this computer for 2 years and in that time had installed and deleted a lot of programs. I'm sure there are tons of orphaned files and lost files on the hard drive. I cleaned up as much as I could. But I'm not sure how to clean up the rest of the files so I don't touch them because I don't want Windows to stop working. I really do need to do a complete clean install. And I'd like to get an extra external hard drive.

 

Is there a place on the web about how to do a clean install on a 9100 without getting the blue screen?

 

Where did you get the Grim Reaper Avatar? It's spooky.

Just so happens I have a text copy of the procedure that was posted on a website, that has since been removed from the site. Copy and paste it to a text file for your records.

 

 

You can use these XP reinstallation procedures, they can be used for either the D9100 and D-9150.

Windows XP Clean Installation Process.

Option #1: You should follow the below steps if you are not using RAID or don’t have an internal floppy drive connected your system.

1. Remove any external devices from the computer, such as external serial or parallel port devices and external USB peripherals (not including your mouse and keyboard).
2. Within BIOS Setup: Set CD-ROM to load prior to hard drive.
a. Insert the Windows XP installation CD in the CD drive.
b. Restart your computer.
c. When the blue DELL logo is displayed, press the key to enter the BIOS Setup.
d. Press the key on your keyboard to highlight Boot Sequence.
e. Press the key to display the available boot devices.
f. Press the key or the key to highlight IDE CD-ROM Device.
g. Press the key or the key on the keyboard to move IDE CD-ROM Device to the top of the list.
h. Press the key.
3. Within BIOS Setup: Switch from RAID Autodetect / AHCI to RAID Autodetect / ATA.
a. Press the key on your keyboard to highlight SATA Operation.
b. Press the key to display the available RAID configuration modes.
c. Press the key to select RAID Autodetect / ATA.
d. Press the key.
e. Press the key to exit Setup.
f. Press the key to select Save/Exit.
g. Press the key.
h. Your system attempts to boot to the CD that is inserted in the CD drive.
4. Boot off the Windows XP Pro SP2 installation CD.
5. The following message appears: Press any key to boot from the CD.
6. Press the to boot to the Windows XP Pro SP2 installation CD.
7. Continue from Step 7 below.

Option #2: You should follow the below steps if you are using RAID and have an internal floppy drive connected to your system. You can also follow these steps if you don’t have RAID but do have a internal floppy drive connected you system.

1. Download Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver (Dell – R99740.exe) and install onto floppy disk.
2. Remove any external devices from the computer, such as external serial or parallel port devices and external USB peripherals (not including your mouse and keyboard).
3. Within BIOS Setup: Set CD-ROM to load prior to hard drive.
a. Insert the Windows XP installation CD in the CD drive.
b. Restart your computer.
c. When the blue DELL logo is displayed, press the key to enter the BIOS Setup.
d. Press the key on your keyboard to highlight Boot Sequence.
e. Press the key to display the available boot devices.
f. Press the key or the key to highlight IDE CD-ROM Device.
g. Press the key or the key on the keyboard to move IDE CD-ROM Device to the top of the list.
h. Press the key.
i. Press the key to exit Setup.
j. Press the key to select Save/Exit.
k. Press the key.
l. Your system attempts to boot to the CD that is inserted in the CD drive.
4. Within BIOS Setup: Use RAID Autodetect / AHCI (this is default).
5. Boot off the Windows XP Pro SP2 installation CD.
6. Press to load RAID drivers from floppy disk - follow instructions.
a. Press to specify additional device.
b. Insert floppy disk with Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver (Dell – R99740.exe).
c. RAID Configuration: Select Intel 82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH).
d. Non-RAID Configuration: Select Intel 82801GR/GH SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH).
7. Follow Windows XP Pro SP2 installation instructions.
8. The setup program will now copy files to your system. This will take several minutes, please wait. After the files have been copied, a message appears and notifies you that the computer will be restarted.
9. Press the key to restart the computer or a timer will count down and restart the computer automatically.
10. Restart
11. When the computer restarts, the following message appears: Press any key to boot from the CD.
12. Do not press any keys when this message appears and allow the operating system to load.
13. The Windows XP Setup window appears. Many devices will be detected during this process. This will take several minutes, please wait. Once this process is completed, the Regional and Language Options window appears.
14. Follow Windows XP Pro SP2 configuration instructions.
15. After all hardware has been detected and the files have been copied to the hard drive, the system will restart. When the computer restarts, the following message appears: Press any key to boot from the CD.
16. Do not press any keys when this message appears and allow the operating system to load.
17. Once the Desktop appears, eject the Windows XP Pro SP2 installation CD from the CD drive.
18. Install Intel Chipset driver (Dell – R96614.exe) (Found on Dell Resource CD or Dell web site)
19. Restart
20. Install Intel Matrix Storage Manager (Dell – R99738.exe) (Found on Dell Resource CD or Dell web site)
21. Restart
22. Install the following additional drivers (Found on Dell Resource CD or Dell web site):
a. Display adapters (video)
b. Network adapters (Dell – R97085.exe)
c. Any other system drivers.
23. Restart
24. If using the Dell 2005FPW monitor, change screen resolution to 1680 x 1050 pixels.
Microsoft Windows Update
25. Apply Windows Update (if you have a network connection)
26. Restart
27. Repeat above two steps until all critical updates/patches have been applied.

INTEL BIOS RAID SETUP

Upon re-boot you will see the Intel RAID BIOS status message on the screen - press CTRL-I to enter the Intel RAID Option ROM user interface.
Within this interface select option 1 'Create RAID Volume'.
Specify a RAID Volume name and then press the or key to advance to the next field.

Select the strip value for the RAID 0 or RAID 1 array by scrolling through the available values by using the or keys and pressing the key to select and advance to the next field.

Select the RAID level by scrolling through the available values by using the or keys and pressing the key to select and advance to the next field.
From the Strip size, press the or key to advance to the ‘Create Volume’ prompt. Press the key to create the specified volume.  Confirm this selection by pressing the key after the prompt.
Scroll to option 4 ‘Exit’ and press the key to exit the RAID Configuration utility. Confirm the exit by pressing key

You are welcome Robin.

Thanks again mombodog. You are a lifesaver.:smileyhappy:

 

Robin

 

 

I saved the instructions in MS Word but I also printed them out once I could get a font that was larger than mice type. LOL....I have eye problems and my vision isn't very good. I printed out those phone numbers. When Dell swapped my useless 8400 for this 9100 about 2 years ago in July, I never knew if this computer was one that somebody returned or a new one.

 

Now I'll go run those diagnostics and see if I can find anything out. I don't have much luck when it comes to computers. It's under warranty, so I'm not worried about that. It's just a hassle if the hard drive goes, I have to reinstall all my programs.

 

I appreciate your patience. I can find my way around a computer, but when it comes to technical stuff and hardware, it's all so confusing to me.

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kpo127 wrote:

Here's one I'm thinking of getting:

 

http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&prodCatType=1&catalogId=10051&productId=169564&cmArea=

 

Message Edited by kpo127 on 08-19-2007 07:01 PM

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Got one, works great, plug-n-play. Vista recognized it right away.

mombodog,

 

The tech came today with the new drive. It's a Western Digital. I don't know how good these drives are, but I've heard they are close to Maxtor in quality. I don't know how true that is.

 

Only took the tech a second to take out the old drive and put in a new one. This is the first time I saw these newer drives. They just slip right in. They aren't in a case like the older hard drives are.

 

The tech started installing the OS system and left the rest to me. I've been sitting in front of this computer since noon, and it's now past 11pm. Dell said they were going to send me some disks. One for the OS and a new Resource Disk. Well, they didn't. I had two OS disks. One said 2004 and the other said 2005, so I used the newer ones, and even those were out dated. Surprisingly, installing the OS went very smoothly. It was the Resource Disk with the drivers that gave me a problem. One of the drivers on the disk said I had a certain type of audio card in the computer, but when I tried to Extract the file from the CD and install it, I got a message saying that I didn't have the hardware that the disk said I had. Finally I remember I had purchased a Creative Labs sound card. I found the disk for it and now all the drivers and updates are just about installed. This has been a total nightmare. It's not so much that it's difficult, because it isn't. It's the fact that it's so time consuming. And I still have to reinstall all my own software and hook up the printer and scanner and get the right drivers for them because the ones I have now are outdated. It hasn't been a picnic, that's for sure. I'm so tired. I've been looking at this screen all day long. The tech was telling me that Michael Dell took the company back and is trying to give it a good reputation like it used to have, and he is going to get more tech support people here in the US, not China. Oh, I was also told that now when an OS disk is given out, all the drivers are right on it, so you don't need a Resource disk.

 

I ran a test on this hard drive and it passed. But the only icon on the desktop right now is the Recycle Bin. Oh, and all of Dell's software is gone. I did like some of it. I wonder if it can be downloaded from Dell's drivers and downloads site? I'm very surprised that their software wasn't on the OS disk. I don't even know if I'm going to reinstall Sonic or get another program. It's going to take me a while to get things where they were before.

 

I have to look through my other programs and see which ones I really want to reinstall and which ones I don't. Most of the software Dell originally put on here was trial software. I'd love to get a laptop. If for nothing else, to get rid of all these cords and cables. Maybe some day.

 

I did install Norton Internet Security and downloaded the updates and downloaded the Windows updates. There are still more to be downloaded.

 

The tech left the old hard drive with me. It has to be returned in 10 days. I don't know how I'm going to find someone within that time frame that can take the data off that drive. I backed up the pictures of the kids. That was the most important thing to me. Lost all my email. I forwarded most of it, one at a time, to my hotmail account. But unfortunately some of it didn't go through the way it should of.

 

Thanks for helping me so much. I'm about beat, but I imagine I'll be sitting here tomorrow working on the pc some more. Some of those tests that Dell puts on the partition take forever to run. When I was testing the old hard drive, it took all last night and most of this morning.

 

Now, if I can just get things back to normal, I'll be all set.

 

Robin

 

P.S. Just curious. Can any type of Hard drive be put in these Dell computers or do you have to get them from Dell? And if you don't have to get them from Dell, do the new drives have to be partitioned and all that stuff before they are ready to put an OS on?

" I wonder if it can be downloaded from Dell's drivers and downloads site"

 

Pre-installed Dell Software- No.

 

 

"Just curious. Can any type of Hard drive be put in these Dell computers or do you have to get them from Dell? And if you don't have to get them from Dell, do the new drives have to be partitioned and all that stuff before they are ready to put an OS on?"

 

1. Yes, any brand, Dell does not make hard drives, they buy parts and assemble them to make a PC.

 

2. Yes, but XP can do that for you during setup.

 

 

Get some rest. Tomorrow is another day.