Can't delete partition during system re-install.

How are you trying to accomplish the system restore?  Do you have the Dell restore partition that is accessed by pressing CTRL and F11 at the same time as the computer first starts?  This is by far the easiest way to renew your hard drive but it also reinstalls all the trial software and other things that Dell puts on a new machine.  If you are trying to use the Windows CD to reformat the system you need to press F12 as the computer first starts to get the one time boot menu and select CD ROM as the boot device.  You can also tap F2 as the computer first starts to get to bios setup and make the CD ROM the first boot device for every startup.

 

You are getting the messages regarding startup files because the computer is still booting from the hard drive.  You can't reformat your system device, so you make the CD ROM the system device for a hard drive reformat.

 

Thank you for responding. Following your suggestions, I first tried booting while hitting cntrl/F11 and nothing happened. Next I tried F12 and the same thing happens. I have the restore disk in the rom drive, I choose to boot from the cd and it installs windows (partialy I guess) This time I have a blue screen error that says  "STOP:  c0000221 Unknown hard error   \systemRoot\System32\ntdll.dll"

 

Another issue I am havving is from trying to do the restores, everytime I boot now it goes into the restore mode even if I do not have the disk in. Thank you ahead of time. I am perplexed.

To perform the system restore using the Dell restore partition, the CTRL-F11 combination must be pressed after the directions to press F2 for setup and F12 for boot menu appear in the upper right of the screen following restart, and released at the same time before the message "Loading PBR2..." appears below the blue bar just before Windows begins to boot.

 

With regard to using the Windows reinstallation disk, I suggest that if that is the method you wish to use that you tap F2 as soon as you see the F2/F12 legend in the upper right corner of the screen following restart, use the arrow keys to navigate to the boot menu, and put the CD ROM drive at the top of the boot order.  Make sure that the CD itself is free of fingerprints and scratches.  If the CD boots you should be able to perform a proper reinstallation.  From your post it appears that you still are not booting from the CD.

 

Thanks again for your help on this Jack. I am pretty confident that I am going through the proper steps to boot from the CD. At this point I dont care how I am able to do the restore. I did attempt to Boot from the other partition but it put me into a diagnostic screen which is running now. I will attempt your next sugestions after. Thanks again.