Before going further, restart the computer and use F2 to get to setup.  Scroll down a few lines and go into CPU Information.  Check the setting for CPU Speed.  If it says "Compatible", follow the instructions to set it to "Normal".  "Compatible" is an ancient setting intended to allow the computer to run older software that used the CPU clock cycles for timing and so wouldn't run correctly at the computer's full speed.

With regard to the Windows installation CD, you need to boot from the disk to make it do anything.  You state that you have run all the tests including the custom test for the hard drive; is that the same thing as the extended test?  Should have required about 45 minutes to run.  If you are convinced that the disk tests ok you will need to perform a clean installation of Windows.  Unless you have ordered a replacement Windows CD from Dell you should have the Windows XP with Service Pack 1a installation CD.  If like most of us you have updated to Service Pack 2 you will not be able to perform a repair installation with that CD.  Once you boot successfully and accept the license agreement Windows setup may give you an option to perform a repair installation, but if you try, you should get a message stating that the version on your hard drive is later than the version on your CD.  It will then refuse to run the repair.

If you have data on the hard drive that you wish to keep you will need to find a way to save it to another storage device.  If the computer you are using now has an IDE disk controller you might be able to temporarily mount your hard drive in that computer as a slave drive.  You can then copy your data to the working hard drive.  You can also purchase an external hard drive shell that uses a USB interface, mount the problem drive into it, and attach the assembly to a working computer.  You should be able to copy from the drive just as though it were inside the computer.

Once you have saved your data you can put the drive back into the computer and perform the new Windows installation.  Either use the F12 one time boot menu to select CD ROM as the boot device, or go to setup using F2 and set the CD ROM drive to the first boot position.  Either one will instruct you to press a key to actually boot from the CD.  If you don't follow the instruction, the computer will ignore the CD and try to boot from the hard drive.  Once the CD has booted, press Enter to continue the installation and accept the license agreement.  On the menu that follows that select the choice to delete a partition.  You should see two if you have the original hard drive, one labeled either EISA or FAT16, and one large partition labeled NTFS (C: ).  Delete the NTFS partition and choose to install Windows in the unallocated space that results.

While Windows installs, locate your Dell Resource Disk, Drivers and Utilities.  If you have misplaced this disk the drivers for the D2400 can be downloaded from this page.  If you are using the Resource Disk you will put it in the CD drive after you have finished installing Windows and allow the application to be installed.  Once done, go to the top of the page that comes up and select drivers.  There should also be a menu on the left to select the computer you are using.  Once you have selected the computer, a list of drivers should appear.  The drivers that the application thinks you need will have a checkmark by them.  You will need to follow the directions to install them one at a time in this order:  Chipset, Video, Network, Sound.  It is best to restart the computer after each one.  Once the computer has finished booting, either eject and then close the CD drawer to bring up the application, or use the "Run" menu to select Autorun on the CD.  Select the drivers again and install the next one in the list.  If you have a modem, there should be a separate disk having the driver for that device.  Use it once you have finished installing the four drivers listed above.

You still need to get Service Pack 2 installed.  If you have the CD you may of course use that.  Otherwise, go here and download the Service Pack 2 file.  Write it out to a CD and put that CD into your CD ROM drive.  Double click the file to allow it to autoexpand and begin the installation process.  Don't worry about the page stating that this file is for IT Pros.  It will work for you also.

Once you have Service Pack 2 installed you need to install a good anti-virus program.  Only after you've done that should you attempt to connect the computer to the Internet.  Once on the Internet, go to Windows Updates and perform the necessary installations.  Do the same for your anti-virus.  After this is complete you will need to install any applications you wish to use.

One footnote:  If you are using a PCI video card instead of the onboard video, skip the step above about installing your video driver.  Instead, wait until after you have finished installing Service Pack 2 and then install the driver for your PCI video card.

Good luck!

Thanks for the info. I have run the extended test - everything passes. The CPU is running at "normal speed".

I am unable to load windows from the CD. It begins install and after "hit any key" the inspecting you system message flashes - the screen goes blank and then nothing. Any help is appreciated.

Do you have any devices other than the keyboard and mouse attached?  These devices, especially if they are USB, can interfere with the installation.  Also, if the keyboard and mouse you now use are of the USB variety, things work better if you are using the original PS/2 interface.

Also, as your computer is now about five years old it would likely help if you replaced the NVRAM battery on the motherboard.

One last thing:  Make certain your installation disk is free of smudges and scratches.

Im having the same problem with my dimension e521. I was trying to restore the computer back to factory settings and it failed half way through now when i switch the computer on it says disk read error even when i try and rostore it factoory settings it saying failed.

risy07:

First, while I realize your problem sounds similar, it is best if you begin your own thread.  By entering this one you may have limited the number of people who will read about your problem and you may slow down the process of getting it resolved.

Your problem may or may not be the same.  This problem can be caused by a soft error on the disk as well as a hardware failure.  Have you tried running the extended disk diagnostics?  Restart the computer and press F12 while the Dell splash is on the screen.  You must press and release this key after the keyboard test (the lights on the keyboard will flash) and before you see the message about loading the descriptor for PBR2.  This test should let you know if you have a hardware failure.  If your disk is ok you may still be able to use it.

The original mouse and keyboard are being used. Nothing else is connected but the monitor and speakers. The battery has been replaced. I have run a another memory diagnostic and rechecked the hard drive with no problem or errors reported. I still cannot load windows and still get the read disk error. Could this have been caused by a virus? And if so, is there a remedy 

You stated that the screen goes blank after getting the message about inspecting the system; is there anything on the screen at all?  A flashing underscore at the upper left, or a color other than black?  This is an indication that Windows setup found something that caused it to lock up.  Do you have any add-on cards that did not come with the computer?

One other possible problem is with the bios setup.  Have you reset the bios to default, either by removing the NVRAM battery or by using one of the recommended methods?  If you do that you will need to go to setup (F2 on start) and turn off the floppy drive if you don't have one.

There is nothing on the screen, only black. No add on cards. The battery was replaced. There is a floppy.

FYI... This is my sons computer, he did a disk clean up, defrag, and removed some programs(add/remove programs) that were downlowded (aftermarket) in that order. After that, upon trying to start the computer is when the problem started.

Through further questioning -There is a possibility that during the removal procedure he removed something in error---I don't know what. The programs that were removed were also scheduled to begin at startup - internet messenger, yahoo messenger, limewire. At this point I think something was removed in the startup procedure that shouldn't have been or a virus attacked the system after the disc cleanup and defrag - do you think that is a possibility?

If something was removed that would cause it not to start up, is there a way to reset to original factory default settings to get it working again?

Let's back up.  You are booting the Windows installation CD.  When you do that the system disk becomes the CD ROM and any system code to be run must come from there.  Windows setup is locking up shortly after you get the message that your system is being inspected.  The only ways I know for this to happen is 1) you haven't really booted from the CD 2) the CD has a smudge, scratch, or is otherwise defective and the CD ROM drive can't read the proper code 3) you have an incompatible device attached to the computer and 4) you are getting memory errors.

On the first item it is easier to miss booting from the CD than many people think as the computer tries to boot from the hard drive if the instruction isn't followed soon enough.  I think you are booting since you have said you have no operating system on the hard drive to boot from.

The second item has happened a lot.  Now and again Dell ships out a CD that has a glitch, or perhaps there's a scratch or smudge in a critical place.  It has also happened that the CD ROM drive has a problem.  This is difficult to test unless you have another computer you can try with the CD.

If you have no add-ons I know that the D2400 is compatible with Windows XP.  I have three of them under my care, all bought in the fall of 2003, and all have always booted flawlessly in the few dozen times I have reinstalled.  All have also been modified with either a PCI video card, wireless network card, or both, and a reinstallation still goes flawlessly after I remove the network card (necessary as it has a special driver that must be installed ahead of the hardware).

Ryanh mentioned memory problems.  If you have an intermittent problem your diagnostics would not necessarily catch the problem.  At this point I suggest two things.  Shut the computer down, open it up, and observing precautions about static discharge, use the levers on the memory connectors to lift the memory modules out of the connectors and then push them back in to re-seat them.  Use your thumbs, one at each end of the module (not in the middle of it) to push the module back into the connector until the levers click back into place.  After that, remove the NVRAM battery, push the power button for a slow count of 15 to discharge extraneous electrical charge, and put the NVRAM battery back into its socket.  Just to be sure that everything is making contact, re-seat the IDE ribbon cables on both your CD ROM and your hard drive.  Put all back together and again try to boot from the CD.

If you still can't get it to work at this point I would have to consider the possibility that the hard drive has failed.  If you are still using the original hard drive this is a real possibility and is one of the main causes of a "failed to read" message.

Unfortunately the only way to restore most D2400's to original condition is to perform a reinstallation.  Most of them were sold before July, 2004, when Dell begain shipping with a restore partition on the drive.  With regard to the many things your son did to the computer before you began working the problem, none should matter as you are not supposed to be booting from the hard drive.  If you manage to get the CD to boot the first thing you should do is delete the NTFS partition to make certain that no malware survives to interfere with your reinstallation.

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